The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-18

eight miles from my destination, though as
it afterward appeared, not q mile from the
next village where, / heard it canvassed. a
tavern, supper and beds could be had.
/ was disposed to make myself agreeable,
and accordingly rendered all the assistance
in my power to the unprotected females. for
which / got my reward on arriving at the
haven Of refuge-the promised tavern-by
being informed that such thing as bed
for the night was an impossible idea, and
that with some twenty more of the male
gender, / must be content with chairs, while
the beds were appropriated to the gentlsr
SEX Slightly dlsgusted, l swallowed nv
supper and looked out upon the night It
was q beautiful moonlight, and ,yerging on
to ten o'clock. BY Jove, I would walk over
to Hyatt's. No sooner said than done.
Giving my carpet-bag into the landlords
hands for punctual delivery at Hyatt's next
morning at my expense, I set forth. Eight
miles is a triAe, and just as my watch mark.
ed the quarter after midnight 1 went up the
lane that led to the house. They were early
to bed aud early up. I walked round the
house trying the doors each and every one
was fastened. 1t was no consequence; nv
bedroom window opened on the roof of the
piazza; would not disturb the house by
knocking q bit of climbing would do the
business, and should it be fastened, would
tap and wakep Horace, who was my room.
mate and bed-fellow. The thing was exc
cuted as quick as thought OF, and nv hand
laid on the window, which yielded, and I
stood in my own room. By the moonlight
which streamed in, I saw that the bed was
occupied, and by the heavy breathing I
knew that Horace was in sleep. would
not, therefore, awaken him, but save the
story of my mishap for the following day.
With this resolution l slipped quietly into
bed, and in three minutes was oblivious.
What ought I to have dreamed that night
But I shall not anticipate. 1 lay facing the
windows as the sun peeped up above the
distant bills and scattered the gray mists
of the morning. My bedfellow was breathing
heavily, but it was broad daylight and there
was no more sleep in me, so was determined
Horace should wake up and hear the story
of the railroad breakdown. turned quickly
and gave the sleeper sudden shake. As
rapidly as my own motion my bedfellow,
who had lain with his back toward me,
sprang to sitting position.
There are such surprises as are without
terror, which deprive US of our speech, until
the brain has time to act and reason. Such
surprise do not generate screams and faints.
They are expressed by open mouthed and
silent wonder. This was the case with N.Y.
self and bed>fellow, as we sat upright and
stared. Right by my side, with her face,
within two feet of my own, sat young
woman, not more than seventeen, with great
dark, hazel eyes, and such great masses of
brown curls, tucked away under the neatest
night cap that ever was, She had gathered
the bed clothes with a spasmodic jerk up
about her throat, and with the most rigid
establishment looked as though doubling
whether she was sleeping or waking, gazed
steadily in my eyes. Memory serves man
but little in such cases, but if my memory
serves me right, it was who first spoke. 1
blurted out with: To- RS
elbow came you here ?" "f+
The fguee stared still in speeches. aston~
ishment, but in moment, as though awas
kened from its stupefaction, spoke: r.t
care you Charles Morgan ,"
answered in the affirmative.
swell, then, Mr.. Morgan" said the figure
by this time calm, and with quite as much
dignity as though, in the drawing room, 81
am May Stevens, and I was put in this room
after an unexpected arrival. Horace had
gone over to a neighbors', few miles off,
before got here, and was not to return till
to>day. That is how I was put in this
roOm."io aolf chs ~ .an .f :; -ssT.
So here l was, sitting els us to this May
Stevens, that mythical lady, for the first
meeting with whom ], intended to get up
such q superlative toilet! A nice style OF
introduction, and nice style of toilet? And
she-she by this time was as cool as thirty
first of December, and sat looking me right
in the eyes as made some rambling expla>
nation of my being in that extraordinary
position. 1t was lame explanation, won,
derfully mixed up with irrelevant matter,
and stammered and suffered through in q
way that should have disguised any sensible
person. She seemed to be seriously ponder
ing during the recital, and, at its end, look
ing at me as though asking the most simple
questions in the world, said a'7.a
"What's to be done? 2"
LET me jump out Of the window as l
came in" said I, in q sickly tone OF voice,
for the thought came to me that, to achieve
this end, must make some desperate dis
play of myself in style of costume which
deprecated. She relieved me instantly:
"No, that will not do; there are people
moving about and you will be seen"
It was now my turn to stammer out:
|. "What's to be done?" For saw that
the little hazel-eyed girl was superior to me
in presence of mind and energy of action.
She did not wait long to answer my question.
"You must lie still here until get up.
When have left the room you can rise,
dress, and go away at the first opportu-
.nity," was her response, delivered in quiet
and business. like manner.
And SO I did. Under May Stevens com.
mand, buried my head under her bed