Maryland free press., 1862-12-12

and with the greatest apparent Difference for
our friends fine appearance, .ushered him into
an elegant ante room, and stood in respectful
, silence, waiting his commands. '''
"What name, sir?" at length venturod Bid
dy, finding that, after having divested himself
OF hat and cane, he had proceeded to an elabo-
rate criticism Of his cravat in the full-ienpth
\ Venetian mirror.
"Ah, what name?"' he repeated droamily.
startled from self-contemplation, and thrusting
an lnauiring hand rapidly into one and anoth-
er mysterious pocket. But hothfng was was pro- J..
duced, beyond adelicatly adorned moucboir an
elegant porte-monnaie, and few other articles
Incidental to gentlcmen's pockets everywhere:
IN short, he discovered to bis great yexation.
that he had neglected his cards, and as Diddy.
who did not at all comprehend the object of
this remarkable conduct, gathered courage to
repeat her timid request for his name, he had
completed his unsuccessful s search, and with
look and gesture of impotence, answered
briefly, 20, Dammet," and Immediately re-
sumcd his devotion to the Venice mirror-this
time addressing himself to the study of his
faultless whiskers, which he smoothed com
piacently,. and then, realizing that no touch
could be added to the perfection of his appear
ance' occupied himself with practising his most
irresistible bow, with q Wow to its seductive
effect, upon the lady of his hopes-on the verge
OF whose enchanting presence he now fingered
Meanwhile Biddy, in horror-struck silence.
had observed the entire tableau through the
medium of the friendly kcy-hole, and lust as
our unsuspecting lover, advancing nearer to
the fattering, glass, extended his hand with
graceful enthusiasm to meet the clasp of his
imaginary fair-away darted Biddy as if sud-
denly endowed with wings, and arrived, breath
less and With Z face of intense terror, in her
young mistress's private boudoir.
20, Mistress Fenny, i'm afeard We will all
be killed., She broke forth, With howl Of un-
mistakable fear, ''thcrcs dreadful man down
below, and it's crazy that he is, to b. shirte.-
U, dear, dear, if I'd knowcd it, I'd nivcr lit
MN nn--but its not to blame that am, in tile
Taste, Mistress Fanny; he looked like iihtle-
man, ivry inch, and when he inkwired after
yo"' IN "narse showed i'm into the parlor.
tim axed i'm is name te tax up TO YOU and
he pst swore Mt me awfully, and looked at me
50 terribe-O dear, 1fisthress Fanny, Tn
shure shall nivcr forget it till the day of me
dith' But, dye see, locked up tile door and
put me eye to the .kay-hole, and there I could
seed i'm, tcarin' and ravin,' and maxim faces
at himself in the glass; and now he's made up
to the Elegant mirror with his fist,a and he'll
smash 1t to athoms as thruc as the saints"
"Go instantly and fetch Thomas and Rob-
ert," directed Miss Fanny, thoroughly alarmed
at the presence of SO dangerous a guest, and
taking advantage Of the first pause which the
terrified Biddy had allowed herself "Go-
undo the door, and if the fellow refuses to
leave the house peaceably, just bid them put
him out by force. with as little disturbance as
possible" g.. t.. ua..s r-a ...- ...
"Some poor maniac, unquestionably es-
capped from the asylum" soliloquized the agi-
tated Fanny, as Biddy vanished to execute
her bidding. How unfortunate, wheu Mr..
Dammet is likely to call at any moment )
1t must be very awkward for him to be obig-
cd to engage with mailman at his entrance
how could ever excuse it And the parlor.
too, to be thrown into such chaotic confusion
only hope the irghtful creature has spared
that rich steel mirror, since we have been to
so much trouble and expense in importing it.
Y, dear 1t Is so fearful What dreadful
clamor," she exclaimed, hurying to a retired
landing, and looking down into the dim hall
where struggling figure was being borne
along In the arms of two stout lackeys.
"Pray, Thehas, where is the need of such
tumult? hopo you are not treating the
poor fellow harshly, even if he is troublesome"
remarked Fanny, fIom the landing. Garry
hlm ll ont quickly, and without any more con-
fusion," she added, leaning over the balustrade,
and suppressing, as best she might, an ardent
impulse to laugh at the grotesque figure of the
supposed maniac, sprawling and tunbling in
the vice-like grasp of his determined captors
but who, she was obliged to admit, did pre-
sent much more genteel appearance than is
common to the inmates of mad-houscs gener
aly-yet his face being concealed in the am
pie folds of an immense handkerchief, very
generous portion of which the Jealous Thomas
in his efforts to secure silence had forced into
the throat Of the suffocating victim-sho had
no suspicion of his real identity, and cxperien-
ced very natural feeling of relief when the
hall-door closed upon the hckless intruder,
and, after critical examination of the Injured
parlor, where, to her joyful amusement she
found nothing destroyed or even out of place
she retired to her chamber with the comfort
able consciousness that she had now nothing
to fear in. the anticipated event of Mr.. Dam
NETS making choice of this particular morn
ing to pay her his personal respects.
Much less satisfactory wore the reflections
Of our unfortunate hero, as he staggered into
the street, unable to recover proper equlib-
rum, after his sudden and forcible expulsion
from the door. Without deignine farewell