Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-13

The younger, bitterly cursing him for q
greedy fool, who must begin to eat before tn,
work was done, bade him fetch it.
Well, Bill, replied his parent, that han
was stunning, and you knew you couldn stand
| those ere cheesecakes; but won't this do fol
him Handing up one of my pistols.
Yes, pretty thing; fire, kick up row
and be scragSed for it-that would pay nicely
Fetch the knife, and have no more Jaw; or we
shall wake the chap. instead of sending him ur
quietly to spend his Christmas in heaven, with.
out any invitation" He chuckled. and the
old fellow seemed equally delighted at his som.
wit; then, taking up the candle, went off to
fetch the knife.
All their motions had been SO noselessly
performed, and the conversation carried on in
a tone SO wonderfully clear, though low that
was astonished at the perfection they had at
| tanned in their horrid craft. During the ia
ther' 8 absence the son was not idle He actu
ally loosed the collar Of my shirt, and then
stood quietly awaiting the others return
You could never imagine, unless placed in
similar circumstances, what multitude of
thoughts passed through my mind in a few
brief minutes. / verify believe that eyery
Christmas, with its accom- paniments OF fun and
feasting at which had assisted since was the
height of the table, was reviewed in turn.
Then l thought of the morrow, and the fair
girls had left. and how, an hour before. I
was full of hope that, ere another Christmas
came round, l should call one my own. Still
found time for earnest prayer, and to think
OF all sorts of expedients to escape my impend-
ing fate. Once fancied, now there was only
one to contend with. might do something; but
just then the touch Of the muscular hand on my
throat reminded me that q movement would
cause my instant destruction Indeed, have
often wondered that the fellow did not strangle
me In his impatience How bitterly did L re-
Proach myself for not raising an alarm when
the footsteps first became audible.
At length, the fellow fairly gnashed his
teeth with rage, and uttering smothered ex-
clamatlon of :. Hang the tippling beast, he's at
that wine again - he also left the apartment
to recall his truant parent, and fetch the i'm
plement of murder.
Now was my time, and you may believe /
lost none. The instant he left the room, was
ON my feet; noiselessly I.approached the door,
dashed 1t to, turned the key, shot the bolt
lighted the gas, and once more stood, my
heart ready to leap into my throat with Joy and
and thankfulness, with my trusty pistols in my
hand.
There was no chance of their re-enterinp, for
their skeleton keys lay on my table, and every
article of plunder was there also; for intending
to return, they had not conveyed it from the
room.
l made noise enough from the window; my
hostess and her damsel, new aroused Joined in
the chorus, and soon, at the head of a host of
alarmed neighbOrs, and couple of policemen
we searched the house from top to bottom One
OF the men L knew had left the premises, as l
heard him dash open the area ratings and
down the street. but the elder ruffian we dis-
covered, stupidity drunk, in the cellar, the dan
ger of his position not having suficed to prevent
his indulging his favOrite propensity, when
temptation was 20 strong.
We found they had gained admittance by
cutting away the zinc from the pantry window.
their skeleton keys having made the rest easy
Bill, the younger ruff an, was too well known
to escape detection lie was captured in few
hours, and both he and his father eventually
obtained free passage to q distant land i'm q
vessel provided for that purpose by Her Most
Gracious Majesty.
The affair made a prodigious sensation. and
became the lion of all the Christmas parties
that year; and the extraordinary sympathy
manifested by certain fair individual at the
recital of my story, brought about a most salts
factory explanation. My next Christmas din
ner was eaten in my own home, with her as its
mistress.
Ihave often blessed my stars that good Mrs.
Wingate was not member Of the Total Abst-
nence Society; for had it not been for the
liberal plenishng her cellar underwent few
days before Christmas, in readiness for the
sons and daughters who were to gather round
her. and celebrate in her house that true home
festival, my throat would have been in no con-
ditiOn to perform its functions when that time
arrived.
Thus have l told the only adventure of any
consequence in which ever played part, apd
let me add, that whereas rich and poor alike
welcome Christmas as a season for Joy and
thankfulness, doubt whether any feel more
keen emotions of the kind than l do, since it
recalls to mind an additional mercy vouchsafed
at that period.