It was dark before she
came back and there were two men who followed her at a distance all
the way going and coming. What to do to protect this great amount of
money was a vital question. We occupied the first story under the
church and the front rooms faced on Betts street, as did the entrance
of the church. The original parsonage had not been occupied since we
vacated it because the new minister had no family. We still retained
the key. After our plans were made, myself and sister Sarah were sent
out on the sidewalk as if we were playing, to see if any strangers
were lurking around. Mother stood in the front door and talked with us
while sister Mary, accompanied by my small brother, took the money and
went up to the other parsonage and let herself in, then into the
church. It was still daylight. So as not to use a light, she quietly
slipped into the church, removed one side of the pulpit steps and let
my brother crawl over to the other side and put the gold beneath the
steps there. After depositing it, she quietly put everything in place
and returned to the house. Then we retired for the evening.
None of the neighbors knew of the money being received. It came at an
hour when no one was coming home or happened to be on the sidewalk.
The shutters on the first floor were solid wood so no one could molest
us. We had been clearing the house and packing things away. We were
all tired and slept well. Mary and Emma occupied the front room and
for some unknown reason left the wooden bar off that made the door
secure, and these two men came in so quietly that no one heard them.
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