Maryland free press., 1866-05-24

the wall until reached the window, 'Iput
my hand on the sill, sprang in. and with
my legs hanging out stopped TO listen. -
Yes. she was in that room, for / was sure
l could hear her breathing. After wait
ing for a minute, I cautiously drew up one
leg and then the other, drew them around
and putting them down on the floor was
just conscious that had stepped on some
thing soft and yielding. and was with
drawing them, when another yell broke
out at my feet; the old maid jumped from
her bed crying murder" And the
mocking bird started again. "A little dark
ey was lying on her back under the; win
dow, and had stepped on her tface,l and
of course, woke her up. I decided in a
moment what to do. The house was a
reused and 1 was caught to certainty,
unless I could get to my room before the
governor was up; but / hadn't moment
to lose, for the little negro was screaming;
so I started for the door, made three steps
struck a chair, tumbled over, of course
making the awfulest racket you ever
heard in the "dead hour of night" "in a
peaceable house. The niger and old
maid screamed louder than, ever, the
mocking bird whistled louder than steam
whistle, and they made chorus louder
than Julian's. ..,....l .. s....
reached the door, however, and quiz
etly and quickly opened it, and just got
into the hall in time to see the old gentle
man open his door, with candle in his
hand, and came hurrying up the stairs
Not moment was to be lost. There was
a.wardrobe near where stood and l sprang
behind it. Up came the governor, reach :
ed the door, opened it, and went in, and
in the meantime there was. all sorts of con-
fusion and epquiry down stairs as to what
was the matter. Nobody else came up,
though from where stood I heard every
word of the enquiry and explanation in the
room. Of course they could not make
much out of it, The little darkey was too
frightened and too sound asleep at the time
to understand the truth and the upshot of
the business was that they concluded she
had been dreaming, and the governor, af-
tef giving her a sound shaking, and ex-
planning the matter to the aroused neigh
bors from the windows, went down to his
room again. ...... .... a...f ,.a
So far, so good. I had now to go down
stairs, reach the back door, unbar it, get
into the yard, make for my room which is
in the second story of a brick building
which stood unconnected with, and about
dozen yards from the main one. After
giving every body another half hour to set
tie down again, l started
Boys did you ever try to go up or down
a pair of stairs at midnight without ma
king noise? You may try all sorts Of
ways, but every step is sure to creak,
each with peculiar noise; of its own, and
loud enough, you are sure, to wake every.
body. I had gotten nearly to the bottom
when little dog came trotting up the en-
try towards me, yelling furiously. A sup.
pressed ''come here, Zip" silenced him
for he recognized me; but the little fellow
started the mocking bird, and all the
neighborhood, having learned to take the
cue, of course joined the chorus for the
third time.
1 ran along the passage, reached the
door, unlocked it, just as the governor rous.
ed the second time, opened his door and
seeing man escaping from the house bj
the back way, of course cried "thieves
thieves ~ and made a rush for me-. was
too quick for him though, 1 opened the
door, sprang out, made for the door that
opened in the room below mine, and just
reach ed it,. when crash within foot oi
my head went brick, and voice that
knew belonged to the next door neighbor
Tompkins joined the governor in the cry
of "thieves! thieves murder. murder v
/ was safe though. .;.' "."' .|
"Running up stairs I "shelled" myself
quicker than l ever did before or since,
and was in bed sound asleep i'll halfa min
ute. . ..... ....'r ...... f
Wasn't there row though! I never
heard so many dogs before-the mockina
bird, of course, was outdoing all previous
effort-the chickens began to crow--Tomr.
kins, next door, was halloing 'thieves ?
and calling the governor. 1 could hear
screams and all sorts of noises, and talking
among the neighbors, until at length the
old gentlcmans voice was heard in the yart
calling "Tom Tom"
Tom, fortunately was sound asleep, sno
ring. .., ... .. -.r .f
Tom. cried the old man, in voice
that would have reused man from an ep
ileptic fit. ..............af ......f l..