The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-04-01
A Midnight Adventure.

marked instance of self-command by q
lady whose fears must have been power.
fully excited, and whose life of affluence
had never before given her nerves any
severer test than is inciden: to the vexa-
tions of domestic cares. We copy the
adventure, promising, by way Of explana.
tiOn, that the lady was the daughter of a
rector, residing in quiet English coun.
try village, and was upon the eve of mar
riage.
The wedding day was to be on the NOR.
row of that on which our adventure hap.
pened. Grand preparations were made
for the wedding; and the rector's fine old
plate, and the costly gifts Of the bride,
were discussed with pride and pleasure al
the Hare and Hounds, in the presence oi
sotne strangers who had come down to a
prize fight which had taken place in the
neighborhood.
That night Adelaide, who had occupied
a separate room from her sister, sat VI
late-long after the household had retired
to rest.
She had had long interview with hcl
father, and had been reading a chapter tc
which he had directed her attention, and
since, had packed up her jewels, etc. She
was, consequently, still dressed when the
church clock tolled miinight. A. c".s css
ed she iancied she heard q low noise like
that of file; she listened but could dis.
tinguish nothing clearly. 1t might have
been made by some Of the servants still
ahOut or norbo0c II mn, Cpl,, th,, - 80. :. :; -
Of the old trees She heard nothin. bat
the signing Of the winter winds for many
minutes Afterwards. ----..--.---
HouSetTcakers were mere myths in
primitive Thyndon, and the bride elect,
without single thought Of fear, resumed
her occupation. She was gazing on a
glittcring sc: Of diamonds, destined to be
worn at the wedding, when her bedioom
door softly opened. She turned, look j
up, and behe!d a man with a black mask,
holding pistol in his hand, standing be-
fore her.
Size did not scream for her first thought
was for her father who slept in the next
room, and to whom any sudden alarm
might be death, for he was old, feeble and
suffering from heart complaint. She con
trontvd the robber boldly and addresst i
him III whisper.
You are come She said, to rob us
Spare Your soul tie awful guilt Of mur.
der. NJ father Sleeps next to my room,
and to be startled truul Ills sleep would
Nil h,m. Make 10 noise, beg Of you.
The le.iow was astoaisheJ and c3wed
we will make no noise, he rrpliri, sui
lenly, if you give US everything quietly.
Adritlde drew back and let tim take
her jewels; not without . ang, for they
were precious love gifts, remarhing at the
same t!mc that two more masked rutlianS
stood at the half open door.
AS he took the jewel case and watch
from the table, aud demanded her tur,,,
she asked if he intended to 60 into her
fathers room. She received a surly al
tirinativo; he wasn't going to run the risk
and leave half the tin behind. She pro
posed instantly that she should so herself,
saying;
i will bring you whatever you viii,
and YOU may caard me thithcr, and kill
mv il play" false to you
The fellow consulted his comrades, and
after a shoIt parley they agreed to the
proposal, and with pistol pointed ai her
head the dauntirsS girl crossed the pass
age, and eutcied the old rector's room
Very gently She stole across the chamber,
and removed lis 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
softly shut the door, and demanded if 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 go with
them.
In compliance with this mandate, she
followed them down stairs to the dining
room, where splendid wedding break
fast had been laid to save trouble and hur-
ry on the morrow. ri
To her surprise, the ftllows, eight in
number when assembled, seated them
selves and prepared to make good meal
They ordered wine and made her cut her
own wedding cake for them; seated at the
head of the table, she was compelled to
preside at this extraordinary meal.
They ate, drank, laughed and jokcd ;
and Adelaide, quick Of ear and eye, had
time to study in her quiet way the figures
and voice OF the whole set
When the rerast was ended, and the
plate transferred to sack, they prepared
to depart, whispering together and glauc-
ing at the young lady. For the first time
Adelaides courage gave way, and she
trcmblcd; but it was not consultation
against her. The leader, approaching her,
told her they did not wish to harm her
that she was 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 oblig-
cd to assent; ana ,">, '"
king hands with her She noticed, u~
ring this parting ceremony, that one OF
the rufIians had only three fingers on the
left hand.
Alone, and in the despoiled room, Ade-
laide, faint and exhausted, awaited the
first CLEAN of daylight; then, as the rob
bers did not return, she stole up to her
room, undressed, and fell into disturbed
slumber.
The CONSERVATION Of the family next
morning may be imagined; and Adelaide's
story was still more astounding than the
fact Of the robbery itself Police were
sent from London, and they, guided by
Adelaide's lucid description of her mid
night guests, actually succeeded in cap
turing every one of the gang, whom the
young lady had no difficulty in identify,
ing and swearing to-the three fingered
Jack being the guiding clue in the dis
covery. The stolen property was nearly
all recovered, and the old rector always
declared huth-that he owed his
life to the self-possession and Judgment of
his only daughter.