Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-24

she Jumped back into the room a. if she had
.Oh, be joyful, NUM-" she cried "You've
get your wish LIS HANPsR"'
.sYes, mum; aud such a hic one, Amt II
lovslyf And mince- pies, and pound cake, aud
goosts, too, I'll wager And BABY shall su ok
bit 81 roast goose tomorrow. bless him! MY
brother Joe's baby am i've months old YET,
and will suck the gravy out of any thing as
we'll as n h. vas grown mn On, won't we
nave merry Christmas, m um-you, aud ne.
and oaoyi and amt L glad that cross old
It's like maerc!" ex rIsimed Mrs. HI. wthorn-
dean, as the imitation p,stman's knock was
repeated tmpatIenuy. .sRun to the door,
Hannah. You're sure 1t Is h'mper!"
"Lor' bless your heart, mum; as If didn't
know Christmas hamper when I see oner'
and the girl iew into the little haiti
1t was foolish thing TO b. moved, perh APPS,
by such vulgar trifie az a Christmas b IN per;
bnt CLARA Hawthorndean wept tears of pleas
ure as she waited fer the welcome basket II
was not Of the famous home reared goose or
home. made mince- pies she thought; but Of the
love that had contrived the gift, the tender
mo hsriy siratagems and plottirks and con.
tri,iDgs that must have been achieved In order
/ TO compass the seasonab!e surprise.
ss6od bless the dear motheri' she m urmnred
as she went ont INTO the hall, where queer
looking little old man was just deposIttng a
noble ham per. the very straw olzlng from the
intersticPs OF which looked quite appe5iznS.
q Mrs. Hawthorndean was too much moved TO
rsmen Der thai the little old m an SHADING 10
the hall was there in direct d obe disnce TO the
Captains solemn mandate that no stranger
should be admitted within that door
"Here Is sixpence for yourself, nv good
man said Clara. politely "G rod evening"
she looked toward the open door; gently indi.
cating that the old m IN could depart; bui the
eli man, instead OF so doing, gave ht.Is
whistle. and becHonsd 10 some one without.
In the next moment portiy stranger stood
on the threshold, gayly attlred in a drab over
Co land oiive-green trowsers, aud with gold
CHAINS ana lockets twinkling on his expe asivs
wai-Jcoat.
sScrry 70 have recourse to stra arem, mis-"
said this gentleman, removing the news. of
white hats from the blacklist and curhest OF
ehsrelureS; shut really, you sea. the Ca ptain's
use OF hose people with wnon one must be
deeper than Garrick. Here is my warrant.
mss, all correct and regular, as you may per-
ceive. Suit of Shadrach absaIom. Thi> oh
gent and will take an in ventory, miss; and he
can remain on the premises afterward."
"Whatl' cried Clara growing very white:
"do you mean to saw that hamper is not FIR ON
my Dear mother at Somerton Manorl'
THAT hamper, nv dear young lady, is like
the wooden horse that went into Troy. Don't
trouble yourself to open il, my good girl; there's
nothing but straw inside, and a brIckoa' or
two Just TO give it solidity. All stra'agems are
fair in love and war, and the recovery Of q
just debt, especially when n bill has been
newed three times, as this has. Shadrach Alb
solom is my first cousin, mi e. and as good a
fellow as ever lived bit the Captain had
really been too bad.'
sim sure my husband means to pay every
I0lug, WOen De comes from SGOl4n0. where
be has gone to visit his uncle Sir John Stratn-
nsirn," faltered The horror stricken Clara.
"Wbat, do You mean to say tina. Captain
Hawthorndean has got such a pretty young
creature as Won for his wife, and that he can
have the heart to so away and leave you TO
Dear the bruut of his difiiculies." cried Lau-
renee Absa!om, sherifs officer, with honest
INDICATION.
II beg, Sir. that you will not remark upon
ny husbands conduct: he always acts for tae
best. Oh, Hannah, what ara we 10 do!"
ssI knoW w hat l 81 ka IN do arah
the handmaideD, spitetullv; s.snd that is 10
scrat h that nasty. dece wing old m ans face -
'ltyou could scra ch some OF the dirt off 1t
you'd being dong him >eryice, nv dear"
satd Mr.. Laurence ABS alom, with easy pod
nature. while the old man sat quietly on the
hammer, the picture of crimy meekuess. Mr..
AbsaIom called for a candle, and proc eeded to
explore the house. ATTENDED by the meek old
man, who wiped his dirty face upon the ding
lest OF blue cotton hsndkerehiefs. and breathad
wy hard as he followed his COMMANDING
officer. Together the two rneu ransacl,pi
drawers and wardrobas, peeTed into che
iers, and violated the sanct.tv of writing
desks, and carefully catalogued books and
eleetro-plate. china ana glass, table, linen aud
pictures. All Clara's pretty dresses, her
DAINTY ribbons and laces. her coauetIish little
bonneis and innocent q rlsh Jackets, were set
down on sheet OF greasy foolscap, while tne
two women looked or. one OF taem utterly
helpless and miserable, wondering what
At last the inventory was complete: and MIR
Absalom prepared to take his departure
'Of course you'll write to the Captain,
maam," he said; land you'll please tell i'm
that unless that business rs squared ia five
days time, his property will 60 T. the hammer
im sure am very sorry on your account: bnt
you see, the Captain knew what he hid TO ex-
pect, and he really ought to have provided
against IT, Coed evening, Mrs. Hawthorn
1ean; The old gent will stay Till the sale
q fou'Il ind him very quiet"
~ hat.' Grid Clara, aChast. s'is that IRE ad.
full old man 10 stop IN the house!''
The dreadful old man gave a grunt OF as
Upon my word, ma'am. L wish / wa- the
party. sud Mr.. Absalom, gallaatly; 81 hould
coes that part OF tue work. and you'll fad him
Is harmless an old spaniel. il You don't
mind his appetite, and that is rather alarming,
Good-n ght.' And with an easy noi Mr.. Lau-
r-nce Absolom departed. lea yiug the mistress
and maid staring IN CONSERVATION at the man
In possession. who was refreshing himself
With pinch OF snuff out OF a screw of paper.
be Ger tainly was by NO means prepossesSing
Individual indeed, il Is impossible TO imagine
gTubbiness more dingy than the gru6hiness OF
this old mans aspect He wore a long great
coat, and OF shirt or shirt-coli ar there were
traces visible; but in lieu of these convention.
aIities he displayed a dirty wisp OF necker-
chiefthat had once been w bite. but which was
low sickly yellow. His boots seemed to
! haye been the dress boots of a giant, and were
wrinkled Ike the skins Of French plums On
one hand he wore roomy black glove, also OF
I the texture OF French plums. His grav hair
ragsled over the threadbdre velvet collar OF
his oat in an eminently patriarch al fashion,
ana DIS oOttie-nose-nay. Indeed, his complex
ION generaily-was Of that TubicUId hue pro-
ouced by copious consumption OF malt and
spiTituous liquors, in con junction with
posure TO all kinds of weather. Such as hs
was, he seemed to Mrs. Haw thorndean the
living embodiment of night mare. She stood
foo'ed 10 the ground. staring at him hope
lessly and nelpiessly; and il was only the
DISK Hannah who aroused her from this wa
King trance.
"Hadn't the old gentleman better step into
masters stuty" suggested the girl. "He'l
wat 10 sit somewhere. you see. ma'am.'
ITO sitl-yes. and he Is going TO live here
Oh. Hsnnah. tchdt SHAH we dol"
"Don't you be frightened, num-" whispered
the girl; I've lived where there's been a man
in possession. and it's nothing when you're
used to it, Step this way, II you please, Sir"
she added, briskiy, aud she pointed TO a little
box OF room opposite the drawing room.
The old man walked to the door of this
apartment. then suddenly turned back and APP
preached Mrs. Hawthorndean, who Quailed
before him. To her horror he lifted his dirty
hand, and laid it-oh, go geutiy!-on her soft
hair. patting her head as il she HAD been q
child.
don't You Be frightened. my pretty" he
said Awe seen a deal OF trou BILE in my time,
and can feel for them as have tbeir homes
broke up, though IL is my business 70 break
en-. It's the business that's hard. hearted, my
pretty, not me. You bear that in mind, and
don't you mind old Jifins no more than IL he
was old tomcat. He'll keep HIS place, de-
pen d upon 1t, and won't give no trouble 70 no
one"