True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-10-21
n RAGAN, Editor and Proprietor.


the precise and careful Laura with a
handful of her own spoons and forks, left
80 conveniently at the service of any area.
sneak who might chance to pass by b
| asked no question about the matter !;
the idea was hardly we'll across my brain.
when ny legs were across the rails. In
another mometnI had crept in by the win
dow, and chuckling at my own cleverness,
and the great moral lessonl was about to
teach, I was stufing nay pockets with
the plate. M ... a.,
While thus engaged, the opening Of a
door in the hall above alarmed me and
afraid of the failure of my plan, stepped
lightly up the stair, which was partly
lightened by the hall.lamp. AS was
Whys That is only figure of speech.
about to emerge at the top, serving. girl
was coming ou. of room on the opposite
side. She instantly retreated, shut the
door with bang, and | could hear half.
suppressed hysterical cry. / bounded on,
sprang up the drawing room stair, and
entered the first door at venture All
was dark. and 1 stopped for a moment to
listen. Lights were hurrying across the
hall and | heard the rough voice o. a
man as if scolding and taun,ing some
person. The girl had doubtless given
the alarm, though her information must
have been very indislinct ; for when she
saw me | was in the shadow Of the stair,
and she could have had little more than
vague impression that she behsld .
human figure. However this may be
the mans voice appeared to decend the
stair to the erea.room, and presently ]
heard crashing noise, not as if he was
counting the plate, but rather thrusting
it aside enmasSe. Then heard the win.
dow closed, the shutters boted, and an
alarm bell hung upon them, and the man
reascended the stair, half scolding, hall
laughing at the girls superstition. He
took care, Notwithstanding, to examine the
fastenings Of the street-door, and even to
lock it, and put the key in his pocket. He
then retired 10 room, and all was silence
began to feel pretty considerably
queer. The governor kept no male ser
wants that knew of, and had never done
so. 1t was impossible he could have in
troducod this change into his household
without my being informed of it by sister
Laura, whose letters were an exact chron
icle of every thing, down to the health Of
the cat. This was puzzling. And now
that had time to think, the house was
much too large for family requiring
only three sleeping-rcoms even when ]
was at home. 1t was what is called &
double house, with rooms on both side.
Of the hall; and the apartment on ,ht
threshold of which | was still lingering
appeared, from the dim ligh. of The win
dows. to be of very considerable size.-
now recollected that the quantity o
plate I had seen-a portion Of which a
this moment felt preternaturally heavy il
my pockets-mus. have been three times
greater than any the governor ever pos
sessed, and that various pieces were of
size and massiveness had never before
seen in the establishment. In vain be
thought myself that ! had seen and recog
nizeG the well-known doorplate, and tha
the area from which entered was i'm
mediateIy under; in vain argued tina
since Laura was about to be married, the
extra quantity Of plate might be intended
10 form part Cf her trouSseau: | coult
not convince myself. But the course o.
my thoughts suggested an idea, and pul
ling hastily from my pockets tablespoon
felt, for could not see, the legend
which contained my fate. Bnt nay fingers
were tremulous they seemed to have
lost sensa,ion-only fancied 1 did fee
something more than the governors plain
initials. There was still light in the
hall. If I could bnt bring that spoon
within its illumination All was silent
and ventured to descend step after steI
-not as I had bounded up, but with the
stealthy pace Of thief, and the plate
growing heavier in my pocket. A
length was near enough to see. in spite o
a dimness that gathered over my eyes; ant
with sensation of absolute faintness
beheld upon the spoon an engraved
crest-ihe red right hand of abaronet
crept back again, holding by the ban
nisters, fancying every now and then ,ha
heard door open behind me, and ye
my feet no more consented to quicker
their motions than il had been pursued
by murderer in nightmare. / at length
got into the room, groped for chair and
sat down. No more hurry now. Oh
no! There was plenty Of time, and
plenty 10 do in it, for had to wipe away
the perspiration which ran down my face
| in streams. What was to be done q
What had done! Oh, as,riae, mere
triae, | had only sneaked into a gen,
tleman's house by the area window, and
pocketed his table spoons; and here
was, locked, and barred. and belled in,
and sitting very comfortably in the dark
and alone in his drawing room Very
particularly comfortable. What q capital
fellow to.be.surel What an amusing
personagel Wouldn't the baronet laugh
z. ~. s-n..s..9 ttu...lI. "a 4 = ~ - .