Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-08-12

presumed, better acquainted with the ar
rangement of the furniture, might manag,
IN the dark to elude my antagonist. Thes,
thoughts occupied but a few seconds. In a,
many more the pistols were in nv hand and
the gas lighted. The intruder did not ven
ture to appear. and the delay rave me oonr
age. boldly commanded that individual +,
advance and take the chance of q bullet
Something Immediately began to move, ana
l soon saw the cause of nay alarm. What
was it, think you You cannot guess.
Will tell you it was a woman! l see Won
are all beginning to laugh; and / suppose
you think there is some long story in the
case; and that a damsel, beautiful as a
HOUR, or a heroine-which is all the same
whom | had woeed only to betray, had CON
cealed herself there to reproaeh me with bro.
ken VOWS, etc. -.
All wrong. The deuce a bit of romance
is there in the whole affair. Had YOU seen
the coarse, %sullen, ill-favored woman who
stood before me, wrapped in a dingy plaid
shawl, you would not suspect such a thing,
especially as you have seen a specimen of
my taste in the shape of a lady who bears
nay name. M
After all, the scene was droll enough
There stood |, shivering in nv night habit
ments, pistol in hand, ready to iSterropate
my visitor. She looked carving knives ii re-
turn but not seeming in the least shocked
at my scanty garments, though evidently de-
Slrous OF turning her back both on them and
on the wearer. On looking, | thought her
features seemed familiar, and recollscted she
naa ilVed as servant in the house, but my
landlady suspecting her of dishonesty, dis
charged her shortly after my arrival.
1 was about to question her, but thinking
it advisable tOhaye a witnesses, | commanded
her to remain where she was and insured
her obedience by locking the door. Iroused
the family, and as / was returning to NV
prisoner, heard my bedroom window has
tily closed. "Ah!" thought I, YOU are all
right there for staying where you are, for the
window is strongly barred" On being in
%terrogated, she said my landlady had for
hidden her coming into the house, but being
friendly with the other servant, she yentured
to visit her.
Whilst talking in the kitchen, she heard
the mistress approaching, and fearing dis
ooyery, stole up stairs, crept into NV room.
and hid herself below the bed, intending to
leave the house when all was quiet. NV
early entrance cut off her escape, and she
supposed she had fallen asleep. as she re-
membered nothing more till aroused by a
loud fit OF laughter. This seemed plansihla
enough, and but for the sequel would have
passed off very we'll. As we were about to
dismiss her, with a caution not to repeat her
visit, the door-bell rang, and we found a ma.
lleeman waiting for admittance. He stated
that passing a short time before, he observed
one Of the front windows hastily opened:-
Something was threwn out, and then it was
as quickly shut. After the search, he found
a very large and sharp Spanish knife. which.
ne presumed, was the article thrown from the
window. He also observed two fellows, Of
suspicious appearance, lettering about the
place, and discovered them to be father and
son-men of bad character, who got q living
nobody knew how. He had warned them
away, and had returned to see if ANYTHING
were amiss 10 the house. :
On being informed of my visitor and her
tale, ne expressed a wish to see her, and at
once recognized her as the daughter of the
elder, and sister to the younger man he had
dismissed.
Instead of liberating the woman, as we
thought OF doing, We deemed it prudent to
give her into custody. No one present at
ner examination entertained q doubt that,
during the short time she was in Mrs. Win
gates house, after / became an inmaiesof it.
she had remarked the materials I had used.
and that a regular plan had been organized
to rob, and perhaps murder me.
The other servant also deposed, on oath,
that her hiding in my room was needless. as
she had abundant time to leave the house an
perceived, had she chosen and that the visit
to her was paid against her will, she having
no desire to continue any acquaintance with
person more than suspected of dishonesty.
Still we could charge her with nothing but
the concealment, and after being cautioned
against placing herself again in such a stu
atien, she was discharged.
The story was much talked about, and I
got well quizzed by many ladies of nv ae-
quaintance but, after all. the thing might
have proved no joke to me. Remained some
months longer in the place, and before I left
1t heard many accounts of threats which the
woman's male relatives had uttered against
me, Tor casting suspicion on innocent m peo-
pie. | had probably injured their business /;
for, l fancy, after what had occurred, few
parties would be willing to employ. any noe
turnal visitor in their houses.
2 Three years elapsed from the date Of nv
adventure, and ! had almost forgotten It.
when business again called. me to the same
town. Atfrst | only thought Of remaining
a few days bat finding / Should be detained
longer, I sought cut my former landlady, as
that one night excepted had been par
ticularly comfortable under her roof. Find
ing my old apartments vacant, / gladly took
possession of them a second time
During my former stay I made many agree
able acquaintance. and now--it being near
C~hristmas--I received many invitations to
supper parties; &c.ss which / fancy were not
tue less numerous because / was still a bach
elor. -
On Christmas eve. I accepted one, to
spend it with q friend at his house, where
There was a very large and charming family