Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-16

chance. j must, aC all haZarus, creep uOWn
into the hall, find my way to the lower
regions. and replace the accursed thing
where found it. 1t trequired nerve to at
tempt this; but was thoroughly wound
up /; aud after allowinga a reasonable time to
eiapse. to give my enemesa fair opportuni-
ty of falling asleep. set out upon the ad-
venture. The door creaked as went out I;
the plate creaked against my very soul as |
descended the steps but slowly, stealthily,
] crept along the wall; and at length found
myself on the level floor. There was but
one door on that side of the hall, the door
which led to the area rOom-l recOllect the
fact distinctly-and it was with ineXpressi-
BILE relief reached it In safety, and grasp
ed the knob in my hand. The knob turned,
but the door did not open it was locked /;
it was my fate to be thief; and after a
moment of new dismay, | turned again
doggedly, reached the stair, and reentered
the apartment had left.
1t was like getting home. 1t was snug
and private. / had a chair there waiting
me. | thought to myself that many man
would take deal OF trouble to break into
such house. | wondered how Jack Shep-
pard felt on such occasions. l had seen
him at the Adelphi. He would make moth
ing of getting down into the street from the
WllluOWs bDOOllo dllNl hils Il bliNu bhio bilS
shutters were not even closed, and the sash
moving noiselessly, / had no difficulty in
raising it. stepped out upon the balcony
and looked over. Nothing was to be seen
but black aud yawning gulf beneath,
guarded by the imaginary spikes OF an in-
visible railing. Jack would have laughed
at this difficulty, but then he had more eX-
perience in the craft than |, and was pro-
vided with all necessary appliances. AS
for me, L had stupidity forgotten even my
coil of rope. The Governors house,
found. had either no balcony at all, or it was
too far apart to be reached. Presently |
heard a fOOtstep on the trOttOjr, a little way
of. 1t was approaching with slow and
measured pace the person was walking as
calmly and gravely in the night as though
it had been broad day. Suppose | hailed
this philosophical stranger, and coniided to
him, in friendly way, the fact that the bar
Onet, without the slightest prOvocation, had
locked me up in his house with his silver
spoons in my pocket? PERHAPS he would
advise me what to do in the predicament'
Perhaps he would take the trouble OF
knocking at the door, or crying fire, and
when the servants opened, might rush ont
and so make my escape. But while | was
looking wistfully down to see If | could not
under the windows, a sudden glare from the
spot dazzed my sight. 1t WAS the bulls
eye of policeman and with the instinct
of predatory character, | shrank back
trembling, crept into the room, and shut
the window.
By this time was sensible that there was
little confusion in my thoughts. and by
wav of employing them on practical and
useful objects, determined to make tour
of the room. But first, it was necessary to
getrid somehow or other, of my plunder, to
plant the property, as we call it.; and with
that view, laid it carefully, piece by piece
in the corner of Il sofa, and concealed ii
with the cover.
This was a great relief. | almost began
to feel like the injured party-mOre like a
captive than a rObber; and | CROPPED my
way through the room with sort of vague
idea that might perhaps stumble upon
some trap-dOor, or sliding panel, which
would lead into the open air, or at worst,
into Il secret chamber, where | should be
safe for any given number of years from
my prosecutors. But there was nothing Oi
the kind in this stern, prosaic place; moth
ing but few cabinets aud tables, and
cOuches and arm chairs, and common
chairs, and devotional chairs: and fOotstoOls
and lamps, and statuetts, and gass-shades,
and knick- -knacks. and one elaborate giran-
dole, hung round with crystal prisms,
which played sucn an interminable tune
against each other when | chanced to move
them, that stumbled away as fastas could,
and subsidized into Il tduteuiI so rich, so deep,
that felt myself swallowed, as it were, in
its pillows of swans down.
How long had been in the house by this
- ....glN 60 VlNsAV
| looked back, to form considerable por-
ton OF lifetime. Indeed, did not very
well remember the more distant events OF
the night; although every now and then
the fact occurred to me with startling dis
tinctness, that all | had gone through was
only preliminary to something still to hap
pen; that the morning was to come, the
family to be astir, and the housebreaker to
be apprehended. My reflections were not
continuous. 1t may be that | dozed be-
tween whiles. How else can | account for
my feeling myself grasped by the throat, to
the very brink of suffocation, by hand
without body? How else can | account
for sister Laura standing over me where |
reclined, pointing to the stolen plate on the
sofa, and lecturing me on my horrid pro-
pensities till she grew black in the face, and
her voice rose to wild unearthly scream
which pierced through my brain.
When this fancy occurred, started from
my recumbent posture. A voice was actu-
ally in my ears, and living form before
my eyes; lady stood contemplating me-
with a half-scream on her lips, and the
color fading from her cheek; and as | NOV
ed, she would have fallen to the ground, had
| not sprung up and caught her in my arms
laid her softly down in the tdueuH. Ii
fVilifTbt cf
was profound. The boundaries OF the
room we've dim and indistinct. Is it any
wonder that / was in some considerable
degree of perplexity as to whether was
not in the land of dreams? r... m ....
Madam" said ], ''if you are a vision,
it's of no consequence; but if not, l want
particularly to get out."
"Offer no injury" she replied in tremu-
lOus voice, "and no one will molest you
Take what you have come for, and begone.'
THAT Is sooner said than done. The
doors and windows below are locked and
bOited; and beneath those OF this room the
area is deep, and the spikes sharp. | assure
you have been in very considerable per-
plexity the whole OF last night;" and
drawinga chair, sat down in front of her,
Whether itwas owing TO this action, or to
my com planning voice, or to the mere fact
OF her finding herself in quiet tete-a-tete
with house-breaker, cannot tell; but the
lady broke into loud hysterical laugh.
"How did you break iu?" said she.
II did not break; it is far from being my
character | assure you. But the area win
dow was open, and SO just thought /
would come in,% s,,,i .r.,...-. ......
"You were attracted by the plate! Take
it for Heavens sake, desperate man, and go
aWaVIn h ~