The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1868-12-03

fashion of her own, then blew her
nose on her washed.out cotton dress,
which hung straight down, ignorant
of steel or bone disteuder.
Mrs. Findle being an old iuhabit.
ant Of Sun court before, to use her
own term, she was "driftcd, her
words were listened to with respect,
and people nodded and shook thoir
heads at one another, all but rib.
aid Londouer, who laughed each re-
mark to scorn, aud said it was his
opinion that you couldn't stuff
him"
YOU'D better get in at the windy
an go an see whatit Is then, AIRY
Uhouse," said Mrs. Findlc; chats
what you'd better do, aud the lady
brindlnd
ooh no, he hadn't, net if he know
ed it. 1t warnt no business of his'n,
aud he didn't want to be in trouble
for trespassin' when there was moth
in to be got out Of IT, lie could get
into trouble fast enough without
,hat, he know'd.
That's true word, AIRY
Chouse,' said Mrs. Findle, with
tight, sneering smile, aud glance
around at the crowd, who all seemed
well acquainted with the affairs Of
Mr., AIRY Chouse, and laughed ac.
eordingly.
"What did they lend you on the
hat.iron on Saturday night?" said
Mr.. Chouse, by way of retaliation,
aud the tickle crowd laughed on his
side now.
"That's my business" retorted
Mrs. Findle, tartly.
WELL said Mrs. Chouse, "p'raps
it is and p'raps it amt, but four
pence on a aat.iron for n art quar-
tern tommy's all very well, but pom
my snivvy, Sal. Findle, l wouldn't
spout the iron to get quartern O.
blue ruin"
This produced roar Of laughter
from tho crowd, and Mrs. Findle,
with fiery cunning in her eyes, had
got out something respecting A.rry
ChouSe's wife, when another long
wailing cry from the house attracte d
every ones attention.
"Why don't you go in, AIRY, and
see wot it is ?" said the shoemaker.
"Why don't you go in if you're so
double cunning about it2" retorted
AIRY; 81 don't want to know. It's
a cat, or dog, or young 'un in a
parcel, or gal, or somethn', and
'taint muffin to do wi me. Fetch a
Bobby, or else 60 in yourself.
Oh shoemaker wasn't afraid to
go, if it came to that, if you know,
only he didn't care about interferin' .
He shouldn't ha' said nothin' about
it, only AIRY Chouse seemed to
show off. --.....
Well, then, ifit came to that, Ar.
ry Chouse would 60 if two or three
more would and as two or three
more would go, self concluded, we
climbed in at the window and stood
in the dim, blackened, panelled room
whose ceiling was everywhere cracked
and had fallen in places.
One door of the corner cupboard
had evidently been used for frewood
and the other still hung by one hinge,
ready to drop off. Paint or white
wash could not have touched panels
or ceiling for years, while the floor
was worn and ragged, splintering be-
meath the tread
And now, plainly from an upstairs
room, came the echoing cry, making
my companions shrink back, aud
producing strange sensation at my
heart, though l did not quail, for /
now felt sure that it was the howl of
dog.
"Come along I said, and wo
passed into che dark PASSAGE, peered
for an instant into the back paror
lit by ghastly-looking, eye-like
hole in the closed shutter, and just
making plain the desolate, dirty
emotions ofthe forsaken house.
jest wait till lights up" said
AIRY taking out his pipe and match
box.
Up to the first hoor back and
front rooms--drawing rooms once,
but now blackened, time-stained and
desolate-two of the wretched places
for which workingmen pay the rent
of comfortable cottage and large
in the far off country. Nothing here
but the chilling emptiness Of an
empty house, through whose windows
came in on the staircase a cold that
seemed degrees lower than in the
court.
But now comes the howl once
more, and said to the man nearest
me, "Theres no mistake now, is
there" When fully comprebending
the unspOken partof my sentence, he
said
"How could a dawg get shut up
here?"
"No matter how, it was evident
that there was dog fastened In one
of the second floor rooms and still
ascending we found both doors upon
that floor closed. We entered the
first room to find it empty as those
below, and, if anything, more desc
late looking, while the little dressing
room beyond was empty also.
"They re watching of US" said
; AIRY, peepiug cautiously down into
the court, "and there's Mother Fin
dies mouth wide open. Let's try
and shut it,"
AS he spoke he favored me with a
wink aud was about to drop down a
fragment of plaster, but sharp bark
and scratching and shutting noise
made him forget his purpose, and he
stepped back once more to the land