Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-26

| where the girls were found. Susan having
placed the lamp in the passage, hid behind
the door while Margaret Maria entered, an(
awoke Jane Woods with shower of kisses
Jane uttered a faint scream and demanded
| in whisper:
"Who are you ?"
"Shu" said Margaret Maria.
| Jane hushed accordingly, until she saw
the strange figure proceed to Mary Clark's
| pillow, when she concluded that it was her
duty to scream. Mary screamed too, after
she had been several times kissed; and
| Sarah Jones joined in the chorus until her
mouth was stopped by hasty buss.
SIS it you, George? she whispered
AT this moment the strange figure, which
had been seen by the light in the passage,
ran out, and Susan, catching up the lamp,
ran in.
"What is the matter ?" she cried, in pre-
tended astonishment.
''There was man in the room"
Gle was kissing Sarah Jones'" 's
"He Gidn't kiss me; he was kissing Mary
Clarke"
"Me? guess I'd have torn his eyes out =.
1t was Jane Woods he kissed"
Susan was very much astOnished of course,
and the girls were all indignant; and not
one of them would confess that she had
been kissed, until Susan pointed out the
marks of the coal moustache on all their
faces, and called in Margaret Maria Then
there was a great deal OF laughing, and
Margaret Maria having gallently kissed
them all again set out to 90 down stairs.
But now it was Derby's turn to have a
little fun, and Margaret Maria's to be as
tonished. As Susan advanced, the lamp
she carried revealed a frightful looking OBJ
ject standing at the foot of the stairs. 1t
was apparently woman of gigantic
stature; her dress was so short that her
bare feet and ankles could be seen distinct
ly, and she waved her large bony hands at
the terrified girl as majestically as a ghost.
Never were to mischief makers more
frightened by an apparition. Susan dashed
herselfagainst the wall. Up went scream
and down went the lamp, and the oil went
over the stairs. Margaret Maria tainted
and fell. At that moment the tall woman
being Derby himself-cried out
"Robbers help! murder ~ at the top of
MS voice, and Immediately stepped into his
room, locking the door behind him.
Before Margaret Maria recovered her
scattered senses, all the boarders were astir.
Susan rushed into Mrs. Slade's room, and
Margaret Maria would have followed her,
but Susan in her terror shut her out. She
next tried her mothers door; and her
mother, hearing the alarm, appeared at that
moment, but terrified by the coal mOustache
and smashed hat, took her own daughter
for the robber, dropped her lamp and
screamed fearfully. Margaret, as much
frightened as herself would have caught
her in her arms, but Mrs. COvey would
hear no explanation nor allow her daugh-
ter to approach her, but pushed her out of
the way with great trepidatiOn. Then
Margaret Maria ran to Derby's room, |
which, to her CONSERVATION she found lock-
ed. AT that moment Ned Perkins-the |
boldest fellow in the house, rushed out of
his room with lamp in one hand and
swOrd-cane in the other, ready drawn for |
combat. Ned flew at the supposed rObber.
and would have seized her in an instant,it
she had not properly seen fit TO faint at the |
sight of his naked sword and fallen down |
before Mr.. Derby's room. Her has now |
came OIL, her hair streamed down her neck, |
and Ned recognized Margaret Maria.
Anybody can imagine the scene of con- |
fusion which followed. The imprudent |
girl found herself surrounded by a half |
dozen half dressed figures, some wonder |
ing, some trembling with terror. But it |
was the severest cut for Margaret Maria |
when the door Of Derby's room opened, and |
the tall apparition appeared. As soon as
the screaming had subsided, the figure re-
moved its veil.
"Don't be frightened, Margaret" it said.
'lt's nobody but your poor, dear, absent
Derby. That's all"
Can you fancy her feelings? Derby could,
as he entered the room again, locked the
door, and went to bed, overjoyed at what
had occurred. He slept soundly and woke
In the morning as completely cured of his
Ioye for Margaret Maria as If he had seen
ler turned into a grizzly bear,