The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-12-01

pulled on IN old pair of pants, sticking
the bottoms into pair of India rubber
boots which he leaped into, and cover
ing himself with an antique cloak-a
family relic which came down to him
from II former gencration-he prepared
to make his exit. Mrs. b. had kept her
eye on the aerolite.
Does it still shinc?" asked BIif., as
he jammed on a Kossuth hat.
mot quite so brightly, but / can see
it," reported Mrs. B.
"But the thing will be hot, won't il ?n
quoried Benjamin.
"Of course it WILL" replied Mrs. B. !;
but here, take this dipper--bc careful,
don't spill the milk, forit will do to cool
| the aerolite."
She handed her husband a silver din
per which had, like the cloak, its con-
nection with her ancestry, and was sup
posed to have been made in Paris and
brought over to this country by Benja-
min Franklin, after the independence
OF this country had been acknowledged.
She kept it to heat milk in over the gas
stove, and though somewhat tarnished
it was worth just its weight in silver.
Blifkins, III order to reach the open
space, was obliged to go out of the front
door, and passing down the street, enter
through Il passago-Way. Mrs. B. watch
cd at the window till she saw him on
the ground, aud then rushing to the par
lor, pulled the curtain down, and put
ting the gas out, stood in the entry wait
ing the arrival of the treasure. Five
minutes elapsed and there was no re-
port. She looked out the front door,
but nobody was in sight, and becoming
little alarmed, she went up stairs and
gazed forth, but much to her surprise it
was darkness visible. She could not
see oven the spot where the aerolite fell,
but she heard voices, and recognized
BenJamin's tones, who appeared TO be
attempting to explain to some one that
his name was Dlifkins. Unmindful of
the baby, she threw the window open
and shouted out the name of her dear
husband.
There" said benjamin, elf you
don't believe me now, just come round
to the front door"
"Well, l don't object to that" was
the reply.
In IL second of time Mrs. Il. was at the
front step, and in two seconds more
DIfkin5 came up accompanied by Il po-
liccman.
"There," said Dlifkins, "aro you sat-
SotNG yUu i-'y niIniC, puG you Wouluut
believe ihe. Arc you satisfied now:N
"Ncll, Mr.. Biifllins, " said the police
man, If you'd had your everyday har-
ness on l should have recognized you,
but with those fancy trimmings and
that silver skillet in your hand, you
wouldn'tcXpcct your best friend to know
you. / hope you'll excuse me, but in
these times have 10 keep my eyes peel
Cd. But l do wish you would tell me
what the devil you were doing in that
open lot ut this time of night with that
silver dippcr in your hands"
"He went TO get the aerolite," broke
in Mrs. b., who saw through the trou-
bic. Blif. didn't say word, but wish
ed from the bottom of his heart that his
WifC'5 tongue had been tied.
"What sort of an animal is that?"
asked the policeman.
cit is an ANIMAL" said Dlif., jumping
at the door which opened to him" that
is born at eleven o'clock at night and
dies before midnight, during the month
of November, and my friend, Professor
Agassiz, was very anxious to obtain a
specimen preserved in milk, and so /
tried to get big one which l saw from
my window.
81 never heard of the animal before"
said the policeman, who, after again
asking to be excused, went on his beat
wondering what kind of an animal it
could be that lived only an hour.
"You didn't find it, thcn," said
Mrs. b.
"Find it" reiterated Blifkins, " saw
it distinctly, but just Us | reached the
spot it suddenly became dark, and /
couldn't see anything. picked up an
old piece of tin, however,"
"Well, that is strange" said Mrs. i.
81 noticed that it grew dark almost in.
simultaneously"
Blif. said no more, but as the clock
struck twelve he indulged in some re-
marks about the quiet night he had pass
ed, and was just seeing things twist
round before his eyes, which always
preceded his sleep, when Mrs. Blifkin,
nudgcd him.
"Well, what is it now?" he asked.
"Pve just thought, benjamin, why i
grew so dark. 1t was because put on
the gas in the parlor and pulled the cur
tain down.
"That's so, guess" responded Dlif.
after moments thought, "and bein2
so, think that bit of tin is the aerolitt
after all."-BoSt0N Euening Gazette.
FIRST RIDE ON A RAILROAD
A STORY is told of an old lady wht
lived near Rochester, who had move
I Snan nm irl val InI IN a rlilpooI NVaptiD,