The Shasta courier., 1865-04-15
A Midnight Adventure.

| anu tne power Oh sen control under clrcum-
stances of imminent peril which appears al
most foreign to their nature and beyond ex
i planation. There is ON record marked in
stance Of self command by lady whose fears
must. have been. powerfully excited, and
whose. life of afHuenee had never before Civ
en- her nerves any severer test than is Incl,
dent to the yexations of domestic cares. We
copy the. adventure, promising, by way of
explanation, that tee lady was the daughter
of rector, residing in quiet English coun-
try village, and was upon the eve Of marriage.
/ The wedding day was to be on the NOR
frow of that on which our adventure happen,
ed. Grand preparations were made for the
the costly gifts Of the bride were discussed
with pride ard pleasure at the Hare and
Hounds, in the presence of some. strangers
whip had come down to a prize fight which
had taken place in the neighborhood. A..
That night Adelaide, who had occupied a
separate room from her sister, sat up late
long after the household had retired to rest.
She had had a long interview with her
fathsrs and had been reading a, chapter to
witch he had directed her attention, and
since had packed up her jewels, etc. She
was, consequently, still dressed when the
| II
she fancied she heard low noise Ike that of
aIfile; she. listened, but could distinguish
nothing clearly. 1t might. have been made
by some Of the servants still about, or per
haps it was only the creaking Of the old
trees. She heard nothing but the singing of
the winter winds for many minutes after
wards
Housebreakers were mere myths in prima-
tive Thyndon. and the bride elect. without a
single thought of fear, resumed her occupa-
ton. She was gazing on a glitterine set of
diamonds, destined to be worn at the wed
ding, when her bedroom door softly opened.
She turned. looked up, and beheld a man
with a black mask, holding pistol in his
hand, standing before her.
She did not scream for her first thought
was for her father who slept in the next
room. and 10 whom any sudden alarm might
be death, for he was DID,. feeble and suffer
ing from heart complaint. She confronted
the robber boldly and addressed him in a
whisper.
You are come she said, rob US
Spare your soul the awful guilt of murder
Ny father sleeps next to my room, and o be
startled from his sleepwould kill him. Make
no noise, beg of you
The fellow vast astonished and cowed =
We will make no noise he replied, sullen-
ly, ! If You give us everything quietly.'
adelaide drew back and let him take her
jewels and not without a pang, for they
were precious. love. gifts, remarking at the
same time that two more masked ruffians
stood at the half open door. E
As he took the jewel case and watch from
the table and demanded her purse, she asked
if he intended to go into her fathers ROOM
She received a surly affirmative he wasn't
going to run the risk and leave half the tin
behind. She proposed instantly that she
should 90 herself, saying:
viii bring you whatever you wish, and
you may guard me thither, and kill me if l
play false to you. f.
The fellow consulted his comrades, and
after short parley they agreed to the pro
posal, and with pistol pointed at her head
the dauntless girl crossed the passage, and
entered the old rector's room Very gently
she stole across the chamber. and removed
his purse, watch, keys and desk, and gave
them to the robbers who stood at the door
The old man slept peacefully, thus guarded
by his child, who softlv shut the door, and
demanded il the robbers were yet satisfied.
The leader replied that they should be
when they had got the show of plate spread
out below. and they couldn't let her out of
sight, and she must 90 with them.
In compliance with this mandate, she fol-
lowed them down stairs to the dining room,
where splendid wedding breakfast had
been laid to save trouble and hurry on the
morrow. YHs as 1n. .yta
Toher surprise. the fellows, eight in mum.
Der when assembled, seated themselves and
prepared to- make good meol. They order
ed wine and made her cut her own wedding
cake for them; seated at the head of the ia
bic, she was compelled to preside at this ex-
traordinary meal.
They ate, drank laughed and ioked; and
Adelaide, quick to ear and eye, had time to
study in her quiet way, the figures and voice
of the whole set
When the repast was ended and the plate
transferred to sack, they prepared to de-
part. whispering together and glancing at
the young lady. For the frsttime Adelaide's
courage gave way, and she trempled but it
was not consultation against her. The
leader, approaching her, told her they did
not wish TO harm ,her-that she was a jolly
wench, regular game, and they wouldn't
hurt her, but she must swear not to give the
alarm till nine or ten the next day, when
they should be off all safe. To this, of course
she.was obliged to assent and they all insis-
ted on shaking, hands with her. She noticed,
during this parting ceremony, that one of
the rufiians had only three fingers on the left
hand. 4.
( Alone, and in the despoiled room, Ade-
laide, faint and exhausted, awaited the first
gleam of day light; then. as the robbers did
not return, She stole up to her room, undress
ed and fell into a disturbed slumber.
The CONSERVATION of the family the next
morning may be imagined and Aielaide's
story was still more astonishing than the fact
of the robbery itself Police were sent from
London and they, guided by Adelaide lu-
cid description of her midnight guests, actu-
ally succeeded in capturing every one of the
gang, whom the young lady had no difficulty
in identifying and swearing to--the three
fingered Jack being the guieing clue in the
discovery The stolen property was nearly
all reco Tered, and the old rector always de-
claredLwith truth-that be owed his life to
the self-posession and Judgment of his daugh-
ter. --
The only i'll effect of the great trial to her
nerves was a disposition on the part of the
Young heroine to listen for midnight sounds,
and start uneasily from troubled dreams.
but time and change of residence soon ef-
fected its cure. ~ s
TaurH has nothing to fear from error.
rs As4 H'k ss