The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-11-28

and other burglaxeus sounds. On more thar
one occasion Won Muf brought up his mus.
ket to the present. and took deadly aim at
the knob Of the door, and his two attendants
nerv0usly handled the revOlvers they had
borrowed for the emergency. They had No
occasion, however, to use their weapons
Towards morning Won Muif looked very
haggard and fatigued. He felt sconfeund.
edly done ups a. he expressed il; 90, abou,
SIX O'Clock, after shave and mutton chop,
be esconced himself in his arm chair, and
fell asleep. But neither the attitude NOR the
place were suited to a comfortable snoose.
People, too, commenced to pour in, for the
news Of his nights watch had BY this time
extended Throughout the whole business com
munity, and the utmost curiosity to know
the result. Reporters Of newspapers, espe-
cially, were urgent in their demands fo1
Won Muff's own statement of the facts that
had transpired.
'Well, Won Muff, how do ysu feel after
your nights work?' SIS your money safe
yet? How is it done up--in bags or kegsa'
take my advice, and never lose sight of il
again-sleep on it, sGood Heavens! you
don't mean to say you deposit your treasure
in one Of Chisselhem's safes Might a. well
fling it into the Hudson!' keep up your
spirits, old boy the panic will not last over
six months, and you can watch it out!'
These, and q multitude of similar remarks,
from solicit0us visitors, disturbed the equi-
ibrium of Won Muff's mind as much a. his
vigil had disturbed the equilibrium Of his
body. r.0 aa
lie was, therefore, i'll at ease, when, late
in the afternoon, he found himself at home
in the Avenue. .H
Mrs. Won Mutf took no notice at 6rst Of
her srouse's detection, but in the course of
dinner she abruptly spoke out: sssEtl
mir. Won Muf, may ask if you've been
drinking for your conduct is inexplicable p
'My dear Felicia, l was up all night, and
am really quite worn out. must take some
sleep before return H@H e#
81 Thought this would be the result of your
freak. A pretty exhibition you are making
of yourself before your family! 1t would
certainly be the wisest step you could take
to 60 to bed.' 5ats 13 b.
Won Muff thought so too. A frightful
yawn that he tried in vain to repress, rather
hurried his movements, and he withdrew
without further remonstrances. ri - ag
He had scarcely been asleep an hour,
however, when he was aroused to conscious
ness by Mrs. Won Muff, who appeared to be
alternately shaking him and punching his
head. aE
'Do you hear that p she yelled sdo you
hear that p .s..s =. .. -. -
sWhat?' rubbing his eyes, and fully awak-
ened to the presence of his spouse, If not to
else. E . ss- .' 'a .nA
'What?' Why, the fre-bell, you deaf ad-
der! 1t has been ringing eight this half hour.
A pretty time for you to be sleeping when,
probably, your Office is in ashes, a0d we are
all beggarsp
sGood Heavens! you don't say so! Where's
my hat and coat2'-and out he rushed reck-
lessly, leaving his wife in the middle Of a
sentence. .as -.-
Won Muff hurried down town at the top
Of his speed. He asked every body whom
he met, in a wild way, where the fire was !:
and some wag, who recognized him, called
out, sStons Street, This answer nearly
drove him mad. His perturbation, when he
reached the head of the street, and found it
actually blockaded by firemen, was over
whelming. He knocked people about, right
and left, and when he reached his Office, and
found the FIRE was round the corner, the re-
action nearly produced IN apolectic fit. lie
sank into a chair, faint and exhausted with
his exertiOns.
The watch that night was painful one.
Neither Won Aluff nor his assistants could
help falling asleep. Brandy-and-water only
made them more drowsy. They nodded at
each other like mandarns, and every now
and then Won Muff would start in dream,
in which he had been an impotent spectator
Of the robbery of his own safe. He passed
an agonizing night; and when morning
dawned he looked rs though he had been
dragged by the legs along corduroy road.
'Sturpp
Eyes, SIR
q feel as if l couldn't put one leg before
the other. can't stand this sort of thing
any longer. think Pll take the money back
to bank this morning. '
q hope you will, SIR
'Pll think it over, Sturp.' .-a..
Toxin entered the Office about ten o'clock.
Toxin was one of the first victims. The
panic had left its impression on his face, and
his sole occupation was to alarm other peo-
pie. h-- boz.
sVon Muff!' he shouted. oT~t
sIs that you, Toxin p was the faint answer
from the inner Office.
slow dye feel, old feller?'
sFairly done up
well, Fve come to tell you that you must
Immediately get new safe. Atthe fire lust
night, one CT Chisselhem's safes was burned
to cinders, and poor Fripper lost ten thou
sand, in hard cash!'
You don't say say SO p
sYes 'tis fact. Good-by.' "ss
Poor Won Muffwa now utterly bewildered.
His money weighed him down to the earth,
and the fears for its losses that he felt in
other days were light in the comparison to
the responsibilities and perplexities that tor
mented his soul now. He visited the banks
to see if any of them would accept his gold
as special deposit, but they all refused. He
even implored the Waterspout Institution,
upon which there had been such o run, to
take pity on him, but without avail. a '-
Finally, he resolved to pocket pride, and
re-deposit his money in the Blunderbuss.
His mind was relieved from IN appalling
weight when it was done. A severe trial,
however, remained. How should he inform
Mrs. Won Mluff of the course he had pursued?
He approached. the subject, timidly, rs
soon as he reached home. ~. 4.55 .a'.".
Felicia, my dear F'. .'..a .", "
sWell?' T ssfafa7 - tas-s>
Il have sent the money back to bank aa
'What! to the Blunderbuss p -.s
? sYes.' @ '-=-f ai ..5F .s.s.-. '-,-if
Upon my word, if you aren't fool, and
worse, don't know who is!' a r ~
sBut what can do?' go ~.
sDo! Can you sit there and deliberately
tell me that you don't know what to do with
your money, when your wife and daughters
are positively going about in rags9 No
wonder there's a panic, if all men are elikeyou!
History sayeth not what response, if any,
Joseph Won Muff made to this particular ut
tack Of his spouse. 1t is probable, however,
that be wss too experienced q husband not
to find safety in fight. mi f1-g
The next morning Mr.. Won. Muf learned,
to his dispair, that all the banks, including
the Blunderbuss, had suspended specie pay
menfs. ,-r.,.fsssr aefy gf gat
II WOULD I WE'RE A BOY AGAIN" Is
, sI talk of Adam and Eve as having been
before the fall, in very happy condition,
but one thing they missed, they were never
children Albany Register. .ge
True. Weneyer thought Of that. Adam
never played marbles. He never played
s.hokey." He never drove tandem Of
hor. 18th q airing He never skated on a