True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-08-01
GETTING IN AT NIGHT.

The door was locked when 1 got home,
said Tom, and how to get in without wa
king up the governor, was the difficulty.
l knew he'd give me particular fits if he
knew | was out after ten, and the clock
had just struck one The back yard was
an impoSsibility, and but one chance re-
mained, There was porch over the
front door, the roof of which was but few
feet below two windows, One of them |
knew was fastened down, and the other
opened from a bedroom, which might or
might not be occupied. An old maiden
sister of Toms wife had arrived on the
same day, and it was very probable that
she was in that room but knew the bed
was in the corner farthest from the win
dow, and hoped should get in and thro'
the room without awakening her, and then
| had a comparatively easy thing of it.
So getting short plank from a neighbor-
ing board pile, l rested it against the cave
Of the shed, prlled off my shoes, put them
in my pocket, and then "cOoned up" All
right, so far, but thought it necessary,
in order not to arouse any suspicious in
the morning to remove the plank so drag
ging it up, l threw off the end, and down
it went with an awful clatter on stray
dog that had followed me for two or three
squares, who immediately set up the most
awful howl a whipped hound ever gave
tongue to. That started half dozen 9TH
er dogs in the neighborhood barking; a
mocking bird in the window above com
menccd singing as if he intended to split
his throat at it; an old woman in her night
clothes, with candle in her hand, appear
ed at the window across the street. knew
[ was safe as far as she was concerned; but
if any one came to our windows the can
die gave enough light to very probably
discover me. Nobody did come, however,
and the old lady, after peering up and
down the street for a minute or more, pop
ped her head in and retired. The mock
ing bird still kept up its eternal whistle,
and it was fully half an hour before it and
the dog settled down and gave me chance
to move. Creeping slowly along the wall,
1 reached the window, put my hands on
the sill, sprungiu, and, with my head and
shoulders within, and my legs hanging
out, stopped to listen. Yes, she was In
that room, for could hear her breathing.
After waiting for minute, cautiously
drew up one leg, then the other, slowed
them round, and, putting them down to
the floor, was just conscious that | had
stepped on something soft and yielding,
and was about withdrawing them, when
another yell broke out at my feet, the old
maid jumped up from her bed crying Muir
der! MURDER and the dogsand the mock
ing bird started again. l saw through it
all; had put my foot in it more ways
than one. A little darkcy was lying on
her back, under the window, and l had
stepped on her face, and of course walked
her up. decided in flash what to do
The whole house would be aroused, and
l caught, to certainty, unless l could get
to my room before the governor was up
But l hadn't a moment to lose, for the
little niger was yelling, and the woman
screaming, so | started for the door, and
made three steps and struck chair, tum-
bled over, of course, made the awfulest
racket you ever heard of in the dead hour
of night, in peaceablc house; the niger
and the old maid screamed louder than cv-
er, and the mocking bird whiStled like a
steam whistle, and the dogs fairly made a
chorus loud as Jullian's.
1 reached the door, however, swiftly and
quietly opened it, and just got out in time
to see the old gentleman open his door,
with candle III his hand, aud come hur
rying up the stairs. Not moment was
to be lost. There Was a wardrobe near
where I stood, and sprang behind it,
Up came the governor, reached the door,
opened it, went in, and in the meantime
there was all sorts Of confusion and inqui-
ry down stairs as to what was the matter.
Nobody else came up, though, and from
where stood 1 heard every word ofinqui-
ry and explanation in the room. Of course
they couldn' make much out of it. The
little darkcy was too frightened and toe
sound asleep at the time, to understand
the truth, and the upShot Of the business
was, that they concluded she had been
dreaming, and the governor, after giving
her sound spanking, and explaining the
matter to the aroused ncighborS, from the
window, went down to his room again.
so far, SO good. now had to go dowr
stairs, reach the back door, unbar it, &c