The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-02-09

III the pack Kitchen don smell to matter much
to-day, and its uncommon chilly up here when
PERSONS 5, flesh don't hardly cover a person 5
bonea. But you don't look cold sir, do YOU I?
And then, why, Lord bless my soul, our little
bit OF business is so very, very little it hard
ly worth while to go down stairs about it, after
all. Quite a game at business, amt it, sir p
Give-and-take !'-
With that her wicked old eyes settled Lun-
grily on the region round about Trottle's waist
coat pocket, and she began to chuckle like
her son, holding out one of her skinny
hands, and tapping cheerfully in the palm with
the knuckles of the other. Aggrayating Ben
lamin, seeing what she was about, reused up
little, chuckled and tapped in imitation of her,
got an idea of his own into his muddled head
all of sudden, and bolted it out charitably for
the benefit of Trottle.
81 sayP' says Benjamin, settling himself
against the wall and nodding his head viciously
at his cheerful old mother. II say! Look out
She'll skin youl'
Assisted by these signs and warnings, TrottIe
found DO difficulty in understanding that the
business referred to was the giving and taking
OF money, and that he was expected to be the
giver. 1t was at this stage of the proceedings
that he first felt decidedly uncomfortable, and
more than half inclined to wish he was on the
street-side of the house-door again.
He was still cudgelling his brains for an ex-
cnse to save his pocket, when the silence was
suddenly interrupted by sound in the upper
part of the house.
1t was not at all loud-it was quiet, still.
scraping sound-so faint that it could hardly
have reached the quickest ears, except in an
empty house.
''Do you hear that, Benjamin ?" says the
old woman. 'He's at it again, even in the
dark, amt he ?'' P'raps you'd like to see him,
sir ?'' says she, turning on Trottle, and poking
her grinning face close to him. "Only name
it; only say if you'd ike to see him before we
do our little bit of business, and I'll show good
Forley's friend up stairs, just as if he was good
Mr. Forley himself. My legs are all right,
whatever Benjamin's may be. I get younger
and younger, and stronger and stronger, and
iollier and jallier, every day that's what
do! Don't mind the stairs on my account,
sir, if you'd like = see him."
"Him Z" Trottle wondered whether ehim''
meant man, or a boy, Or domestic animal Of
the male species. Whatever itmeant, here was
a chance of putting off that uncomfortable.
give-andtake business, and, better still, achance
the mysterious House. Trottle's spirits began
to rise again, and he said, "Yes," directly, with
the confidence of man who knew all about it,
BenJamln's mother took the candle at once,
and lighted Trottle briskly to the stairs ; and
Benjamin himself tried to follow as usual
But getting up several flights of stairs, even
helped by the banisters, was more, with his
particular complaint, than he seemed to feel
himself inclined to venture on He sat down
obstinately on the lowest step, with his head
against the wall, and the tails of his big great
coat spread out magnifcently on the stairs be-
hind him and above him, ike dirty imitation
Of court ladys train.
"Don't sit there, DEAR says his affectionate
mother, stopping to snuff the candle on the
first landing.
81 shall sit here" said Benjamin, aggrava-
ing to the last "till the milk comes in the
The cheerful old woman went on nimbly up
he stairs to the first foor and Trottle followed,
With his eyes and ears wide open. He had
cen nothing out of the common in the front
,arlor, up the stair case, so far. The House
vas dirty and dreary and close smelling-but
here was nothing about it to excite the least
curiosity, except the faint scraping sound which
vas now beginning to get a little clearer
hough still not at all loud-as Trettle followed
lis leader up the stairs to the second floor
Nothing on the second d-foor landing, but cob
Tebs above, and bits of broken plaster below,
racked off from the ceiling. Benjamin's
mother was not bit out of breath, and looked
II ready to go to the top of the monument if
ecessary. The faint scraping sound had got
title clearer still; but Trottle was no nearer
o guessing what it might be than when he
rst heard it in the parlor down stairs.
On the third and last floor there were two
oors; one, which was shut, leading into the
ront garret; and one Mhinh---.s- -ujur, fead1ng
nto the back gafret. There was loft in the
eiling above the landing; but the cobwebs all
yer it vouched sufficiently for its not having
cen opened fer some little time. The scrap
ng noise, palmer than ever here, sounded on
he other side of the back garret door; and, to
'rottle's great relief, that was precisely the =
oor which the cheerful old woman now push.
d open.
Trottle followed her in; and, for once in his
ife, at any rate, was struck dumb with amaze
nent at the sight which the inside of the room
cvealed to him.
The garret was absolutely empty of every
hing in the shape of furniture It must have
'een used, at one time or other, by somebody
ngaged in a profession or trade which re-
Iuired for the practice of it a great deal of
ight for the window in the room, which
0oked out on wide open space at the back Of
he house, was three or four times as large,
very way, as a garret-window usually is
lose under this window, kneeling on the bare
cards, with his face to the door, there appear
d, of all the creatures in the world to see
lone at such place. at such time, a mere
1ite of child-a little, lonely, wien, strange
y-clad boy, who. could not, at the most, have
cen more than five years old. He had grea-
y, old, blue shawl crossed over his breast, and
oiled up, to keep the ends from the ground,
ito great big lump on his back. A strip Of
omething which looked like the remains of
womans flannel petticoat showed itself un-
er the shawl, and below that again pair Of
lsty, black stockings, worlds too large for
i'm. covered his legsand his shoeless feet. A
air of old, clumsy muffetees, which had
orked themselves up on his little, fraii, red
rms to the elbows, and big cotton night-cap
lat had dropped down to his very eyebrows,
nished off the strange dregs-whlch the poor
tile man seemed not half big enough to ell
ut, and notnear strong enough to walk obout in.
But there was something to see even more
Extraordinary than the clothes the child was
IN, and that was the game which
A-was playing at, all by himself; and which,
borrower, explained in the most unexpected
lanner the faint seraping noise that had found
s way down stairs, through the haKopeHed
oor, in the silence of the empty house.
fC0rcl,,o7c1 7e1t .ircck