The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-31
Country Youth s.;AdventcFe-
The Cost OF 4 Hat.

AC NV0t - R40te
We young farmers of the new genera
ton like to wear smart shiny hat up in
London. Our billy-cocks and wide
awakes are good enough for field and mar
Ret, pat up in the big town, ws'veta fancy
10 be genteel; and you may he sure
wanted TO look MICS that particular night
! the last of the Cattle Show ut Ellington
when was going mp to Uncle Ilberty's
in Dalson, for Cousin Kitty is without ex-
cepaon the most satirical young lady in
London. How she did laugh at me that
davl went with her to the geological. gar.
dens, when I'd got: pair Of gloves that
were size too small for me, and was ali
Inc way between the Angle and the ColOs-
seam trying to force my fingers into them.
She declared it was only my awxwardness
that hindered their fitting, worldn'. let me
leased my life out. And she looks 50 pref
" all the time she's laughing at you, so
that you can't be annoyed with her. No
wonder, then, wanted to look smart.
II was . darkish night, with bit Of q
breeze blowing, ~ picked my way
through those quiet streets that lie he
tween The Lower road, lexington and Dals-
volr town. Just as came to the corner
OF street. and was racking my brains for
q repartee to Miss Kitty'e first Bit OF satire,
strong puff of wind spzsng up, whipped
OF my smart shiny hat as neat as need be,
and dropped 1t into an area. This was
| certainly 3 nuisance, but not q nuisance
| without remedy. rang At the area bell
sounded the lions head kcocker once,
twice, thrice, and got 20 answer. Then
looked up a. the windows, and saw, what
| bad not observed before, that there was a
Dill in one of them announcing This house
to let.' 1t WAS too dark 10 read the name
Of the agent. and WAS just going TO knock
| mex: door. and ask them il thew Knew who
KEEP: the key, or, snppos;ng they didn't
Know VINO kept the key. # they would Or
lige me with their Turks. head broom, to
fish up my hat with was Just going to
do this, for couldn': bear the notion OF
facing nifty without hat, le: alone the
price off. seventeen and sixpence, when,
to my as'onishrnent, the door, as ! hap
pered to lean mp against i, moved slightly
inwards. suppose it hadn't been hasped
at Ill =. any rate, l gavea gentle push
and walked boldly IN. This is q lucky
piece of carelessness on somebody's par:,
Thought ! to myself. y shall just step
down to the kitchen, nniasten The tack.
door, regain my kat, and slip away with.
out ANYBODY being the wiser I closed
the frort door, and groped my way
down the kitcben-s.airs. 1t was pitch
dark, and wished had got some matches
but as hadn't got any, wishing was NJ
good, and, moreover, saw light gliin
Inering under the kitchen door, which
showed that there mus; be a fire in tht
CRATE. / tried the kitchen-door il was
locked, and the key WAS gone felt about
and found the back door leading TO the area
il was looked, and the key was gone also
Here Was a pretty 60, as the COckneys say
The back-door, as ! ascer.ained by feeling
the hinges, opened toward ME, go il was o
no use neddling with that; but had :
wonderful great mind to kick in the kitch.
en- door, which was made TO open inwaYds
Setting aside, however, the chance OF being
pulled up for burglary land what a disgracs
that would he tothe Papworthiee, who hhvt
rented the same farm since Charles IL.
time), Whit should do, after getting The
door open? Why, might unfasten thu
window Il had noticed when outside that i
was shattered mp, climb out in the area
and recover my bat. But supposing po
liceman should pass just as my body wa,
halfway through-wby, to dead certain
~, he would lock me up on suspicion
That would never do. I returned to thu
back door determined, 70 pick the lock-
i dare say that's burglary as much al
bursting it open,' said; still, j. dom
make so much noise. If can only fine
an old nail or bi; of wire, IN try IT, Sc
l crept up stairs again and went into the
back parlor. CROPPED all round the room
passed my hand along the manfle-piecea nc
the window-fra,Ee without finding so LII uct
as pins head. As J could get no help
there, ven.urei into the front parior. All
o. a sudden a thought struck me: why
shouldn';I a.tasteI the shutters and drop
into the. area? Tia. sounds easy enough;
but how anon, getting back again? It's 4
| deep sunk area i sara 10 IT yself, and there
you'll 10 Gagged, my boy, like q bear in his
| Gen. All ;ne time was thinking in this
way, ] ;ssss feeling about the room Tor q
houseDrea king TOOL. Presently, ] STUN
| bied ever something: put down my band
and picked 10 shoe. Putting This and
the kitchen tire together, thinks j, there
mas; be somebody taking care Of the house.
The next moment, stumbled again. This
slime had run against a wooden stretcnei
or bedstead. put out my hand cautiously
!. and laid il on-somebody's nose' The
owner OF the nose didn't stir. SO took the
| liberty OF feeling the head, to learn " heih.
er was in company with lady or 4 gen-
;lernan. i. was q mans head othair, very
rough and why, and bald on the poll.
You're IN an awful predicanen., Jack
Papworihy,' said 10 myself; 'and you'd
better get on. 0. i. as soon as possible
sneakeG on tiptoe towards the door.
Eut my tumble against the betlstead had
disturbed the sleeper; ne began to grun1
| and turn about uneasLy. ! was just about
20 cult The room, and venture bareheaded
,rto the street, when ne sat up III bed $50
judged by the sound. Tor the room was as
dark as q cellar, and called out: Kitty I
For momen; the name startled me;
forgot that there might possibly be more
than one Kitty in tina. wilderness Of a city
! stood by the door, held my breath, and
mace no answer.
Kitty, Kitty. say: you amt come back
! without him. are Your said the man 10 &
beseeching sort Of voice.
stood perfectly still, holding my breath
and considering what should Go. Better
slip out Of the house, and take the chanct
Of losing my hat, than be locked up on ;
charge 9. felony, and be made langhinf
stock before ali the COckneys, in theil
newspapers. Besides, needn't lose my
bet; Inc frs: policeman meet is snre tc
stop me AS suspicious character, for being
paTeheadeG IA tell him my story, anc
give him halc a crown 10 get my hat again
But, OK tie other hand. lisa iicklish job
This fellow IL bed may be q desperate
character. TO say the least OF it, he mus
BE- queer, most likely crazy, to sleep IN al
empty house, withoat stick Of furniture
abou; him. Never mind, III chance it; II
make move for the street door.