Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-09-08
EBENSBUEeG, SEPTEMBER 8, 1858.


tions of the poorest quality OF that felt
persuaded already, but [ had not the slightest
idea of refusing his invitation; and lest he
might take notion to repent of it, [ shot
through the door with all possible expedi
tion.
Inside was a tall, dark-browed woman,
Luilt very much after the same pattern as
the man, and evidently his wife. Both of
them looked to be over sixty years Of age.
| The woman nodded, without saying word,
and then pointed to rickety Old chair, in
which was glad enough to seat myself
The house aud furniture were much like
those of the French peasants generally; but
the sour-looking, taciturn occupants Of the
place were unlike the jolly, good-natured,
talkative rustics | had been in the habit of
seeing in my travels, as could well be innagin-
ed Hoping that their reserve would wear
oF I ratified away upon all sorts of topics,
and did my best to arouse their curiosity
al undertaking in which l had never yet
failed in the Get OF a French peasant-but all
in vain.
The longer [ stayed the worse was salts
fed with the place and the people, and l be-
gan to have serious doubts whether it would
! not have been better to have trusted myself
TO the tender mercies of the open heath. 1t
would have been unpleasant enough te have
been cooped up anywhere with two such
! hang dog looking mortals; but in this wild
solitary spot many miles away from any hu
man habitation, the unpleasantne might
/ well be excused for dcgcnerating into abso-
lutte anxiety.
1t turned out, however, that the supper
which they set before me was by no means 4
bad one, and its discussion had a decided ten
I lo INT I F,ft
eral times vague disposition to ask myself
the question whether the supper, under the
circumstances, was not rather too good to be
altogether an honest one.
/ When ones gastric apparatus is highly
strung by exercise, really good meal has a
wonderfully fortifying effect l found it so
III this instance. My nisgiyings disappeared
! Che by one, and by the time | was ready for
| bed [ was ready to laugh to scoIn all my fool
! ish suspicious. as mere baSeless- nonentities,
! engendered by iIritated corns. aching legs
and empty stomach.
l was shown up a dilapidated staircase into
! a bedroom over that in which | supped. 1t
! contained two beds, cue Of which was already
occupied apparently by . traveller no had
preceded me. The beds were placed, with
! their heads towards each other, near the wall
| faIthest from the door. With this unexpec-
ted inmate [ would willingly have dispcn-
scd but there was no help for it, SO | wisely
determined to think no more about him, and
| 90 to sleep as soon as possible
/ But resolutions of this kind are sometimes
lot quite So easily kept as, made. Weary as
1 was, I found it impossible to put such a
Ucther upon my thoughts as would serve to
! keep them III decent subsection to my will
| They 3couLd wander away. like unguly chill
-, r.I,.
hooks and corners, in spite of my excrtions to
nervous, to q ridiculous extent, and to be an
| noyed by the most triiing nViscs, SO that even
the loud breathing of my somnolent compan,
on was Il torment to me.
While lying in this condition, I heard Z
noise at the door of the cottage, which was
soon afterwards opened, giving admission te
several Persons-men, douotless-the uois,
of whose wooden shoes WIS distinctly audible
Presently. too, l heard their voices, .houst
IL suppressed tones, and soon afterwards
could see light streaming through the ma
ry cracks and crevices of the aoor; for they
were in the same room where we had supped
directly below.
This incident brought back all my distrust
and in L magnifed form. Who were thcs,
men, visiting this lonely cottage at such al
unusual hour? That they came for any gooC
purpose was altogether unlikely.
My roommate still slept soundly. Shoul(
| wake him? Perhaps he was accomplct
of the people below. Perhaps he was pu
there on purpose that might waken him.
would let him alone.
The half-whispered conversation still wen
on below, and with increasing animation.
could no longer refrain from listening to it
T a.
on one side, placed my ear directly over on
much of what vas said and by taking tim
to th;nk over the words, could very gener
ally make out theic meaning.
| soon found that there was All animated
discussion going on among them, but it wa
some time before | could form any distinc
idea of what it was. By degrees, however
enough of the truth unfolded itself to max
Inc feel very decidedly uncomfortable Cloth
ed in patoiS so excessively uncouth, man.
of the ideas expressed must necessarily sill
BY me; hut still, as I have stated, | manage,
to make out the most Of it, and what L di'
get hold of felt very sure of having secured
right end foremost.
The majority of the speakers seemed to b
Oh one side, and the old woman, with one 0
the men, on the other. What the question
was l was left to infer from such expression
as [ could make out some being in an entir
and others i'll fragmeutary condition. Am
ong them were the following:
''Rct4? To be sure he's rich, or well oi
ct any rate, if he does travel Oh foot"
"Wcll, / don't dispute it, (This was tn
woman } Il noticed his gold watch, and
ara very certain it couldn't be bought for
, thousand francs He has ring, too, on hi
finger, that Pm almost sure is a diamond; fo
[ Know about such things better than any o
you But still l go for tho little one, as
Il ,;