The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-04-11

Iy creditable to situation 10 Oe e'startllng'
as mine undoubtedly wss. l was in Ches-
ter, residing with my family, consisting Of
my wife and q grown.up son and daughter,
in temporary lodgings, three stories high.
but otherwise very convenient. 1t was ten
O'Clock 10 the morning, but, am ashamed
to cay, we were still at breakfast, for we
we're awsy from home on pleasure, and had
fallen into all sorts OF idle habits. Our
happened to be upon an uncliv.
ily my wife had met with in the town on the
preceding day. Some cosl.heavers we're
uncarling coal upon the pavement, and the
roadway being very wet, she had asked them
to desist from their oceupsli ten foT moment, |
so that she might pass: They did SO, but
not without one OF them observing, "And
how do you think we should get our work
done, missis, if we was to wait TO every fool
as goes by - We were expressing our hope
that this gentEemon's remark was not an ex
emplificstion OF Chester manners, when the
third window Of our rooha-that furlhest from
the breakfast table-was violently thrown
open, and the head and unclothed shoulders
Of man thrust themselves inward. My SOD
and were so overcome with establishment,
and the ladies with terror, that it must have
been nearly full minute before stopped
down for the poker, during the whole OF
which interval he made the most hideous
grimsnces it is possible to conceive. 1nde.
penden,ly OF these, his natural ugliness was
excessive, he being perfectly bald, and of
bright scarlet color-such complexion as
had never before seen on any man. AS
ran at him, poker in hand, he slammed down
the window, and before could open it, was
out of sight. Wonderful as had been his
appearance, his disappearance was far more
SO, and, indeed, inexplcable. The window
which had been thrown up was haltwin.
dow-that is to say it was common to our
room and the next to it, which also belong
ed TO the same house, but was at that time
unnhabited and locked up. Having sotisi.
ed ourselves by a thorough search that the
separation was not in this apartment, there
was nothing lett but the conclusion that he
had made his way along narrow ledge o.
not more thsn four inches broad, to somt
other house to the right OF ours, and thai
with the most excessive quickness. The
ledge was at least forty feet perpendicular
above a crowded street, with no other rest
, ing. place between it and the ground, and il
, full view of all passers. bYA some OF whoI
would have been surely attracted by tn
spectacle Of naked scarlet man baancin:
himself upon next to nothing over thei
heads. The matter, indeed, seemed inexpli
' cable but still felt it my duty to perse
we're in my Investigations, since the mind
of both my wife and daughter had bee
greatly shaken by the occurrence, and if
could only find some reasonable explanation
I | knew that half the mischief would be don
7 away with. I spared, therefore, neithe
; pains nor money to this end. The polio
: the discovery of the person who had CON
mitted the outrage; and oil passenger
through the street in question upon tht
= morning, between ten and quarter past ter
were exhorted to come forward and witnes
. to any peculiar appearance visible at tht
q time and place. All, however, was in vair
o until about fortnight afterward. The SUI
jecl was by that time avoided by US as muc
u os possible, while the ladies' we're present
q but one forenoon, while my son and WEI
o speaking OF it ss the maid was laying th
luncheon cloth, he observed -
"Do you know, futher, have been thnl
ing a good deal about the odd appearance
y that horrible mans head, and have CON
to the conclusion that it was not bald at al
but shaved"
! "Good," said I. "I'm pretty sure, my la
you're right aud in that case, he must ha'
a been an escaped lunatc. This gives US
clue"
y, "Please, sir" interrupted the maid, with
- courtesy, "Mr. John Stokes. at No. %,
ad is cad shaved lately Tor scarlet fever"
- "For scarlet fever" cried l; "Eurek
Eureka !" and clapped my hat on, al
. rushed uff to No. 23 like lunatic myself
- "Mr. John Stokes Is still grievously il
" and not to be seen by anybody but ais lav
;. YER" said the servant. a.;
- - "And am not his lawyer, my good maj
Can't you see ?' .r
. So went up, as I had conjec,ured wou
:. be the case, to the third story, the same
" which was our own sitting-room in No. l
= Poor Mr.. John Stokes was lying in bed
and luckily, fast asIeep-with the identic
" shaved head and scarlet face that had bee
:. SO impressed upon all our memories.
= "He has been delirious for daye, poor fe
:. low - said the nurse sand it would be
pity to wake him for any business matter
would it not 7"
said that it would be great pity, al
that it was not to be thought Of; and tn
asked whether the sick man was ever IL
IA alone.
of "Never, sir." ......,:..,. .... g.
=, care you quite sure of that !" said |, {
% verely. g'aH 9aia5a '' r-.
"A "Well, sir, may say never : that is. e
= cept just for my going down stairs for b
!. breakfast" 81 .- ...- sH! a4 a.sa s:s.