The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-11-25
THE MASQUERADE.

1t was foolish and insane freak, | must
acknowledge, aud that has cost me dearly
in hours Of bitterness, sorrow and remorse.
l had been tramping over the wet hills al
day with the peddler, who seemed a jolly,
froli king sort Of fellow enough and made
the rough way much smoother by his
strange talk He certainly was afflicted
with what | heard our Professor of Mod
ern Languages term flux to bouche. He
talked necessarily, in rafting, dlscursive,
manner, pouring out Jests and stale anec
dotes, mixed up with coarse sentimental,
ity, while his quick, restless eye wandered
over the whole field of vision As uncertain,
apparently, in its range, as It's tongue.
| had distrusted the fellow at first, but
grew to like him more, fancy, because
his companionship seemed to Tighten the
way, than for any qualities | found IN hun
to elicit my admiration. And before We
finished our journey | became quite conf
dental with him, not as | have since Oeen
by his own will, at all, but by being drawn
out by his seemingly careless and most
purposeless questions aud suggestions.
Thus | had told him why preferred
walking this last twenty miles over the hills
in this sour wet day, to waiting until the
next but one, when the regular Stage coach
passed-why, in fact, | must be home on
the morrow-my only sister was 10 De
married, ant nothing could induce me 10
be absent on such All OCc4- on.
This WAS perhaps more tuan / should
have told a person of his cls~e, "tI" had H1
right To D- informed OF the affairs "t IIne
But his skIIiful remarks, questions, Al"
moody admiration of details, wroughF ut.
to unwonted confidence. My thougD @,
were full of home, SO it was extremely ca
sy to talk Of it, and to see the wonder OF
my companion excited by what | told, sti
mula,ed me TO continue, until he knew
that my sister was going with her new
husband to the :. ar " est even to
California, from which the bridegroom had
returned to fetch his bride. ihe.. there
was large sum Of money and vaIuables
in the house, which the newly welded pan
would take with them. | even described
the wedding presents, which were unusu
aly ample. rich and costly; and vanity
was gratified when | saw the look of sim
pie wonder growing on the Peddler's face
and heard his enthusiastic, though coarse
exclamations OF delight.
Nv excuses for this are, tha. | was 8
simple college youth of eighteen, elated
and excited 10y my approach to my home
and unwonted festivities, and that was II
skilIful hands Before | reached home
was sufficiently under the fellows influence
to propose changing clothes with him, II
order that | might steal into my mother
house in strange character-a bit o
harmless masque AIDING, the suggestion 0
which seemed to come from me, though
nv thoughts had bean led to 1t by series
Of stories Of similar frellcs, related by th'
pe1dler.
lie consented to my proposal with seem
ing reluctance, and WE stopped IN the wood'
beneath some shelving rocks that protect
ed rs from the rain. and made the ex
change. We separated there, he taxing
the road to the village, and going acros
the fiels to IN, mothers house. | did no
take his pack which he hid in the crevlc'
of the rocks, covered by vines. place wher
Il was not likely to be found. Our pla'
was, for me to go and crave lodgings a
my mothers house, as tired wayfareT
leaving the inmates to tind out my dis
puise, If they could, while he should TAX
Iodoings at the hotel in tie village, wher
his GOOD clothes would be his passport
though he came on foot and without lug
gage.
As approached home | felt pretty sc
cure against recognition, for knew m
wears absence hal changed me much.
was taller and stouter, and darker; m
cheeks and chin began 10 show manly hon
ors. nv voice had deepened IN tone, Will
nv hair was darker and worn long, an
my companion had completed the meta
morphosis by fixing upon my lp long
silky, black mustache ;,
was confident that | should not b
known, and the result proved that | Wa
right.
/ was Hospitality received, and passed th
evening in my assumed character, by tn
kitchen fire. saw my mother once Q