Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-09-17

left me he went in that direction (pointins
toward the passage that led to the stag,
door, 'Ishould think he had left the thea
tire.
Grimaldi ran up to the stage door an(
asked the porter if his brother had passed
The man said he had, not minute back
he could not have got out of the street by
that time.
He ran out at the door, and then up and
down the street several times, but saw
nothing of him. Where could he be gone
to? Possibly finding him longer gone than
he had anticipated he might have stepped
out to call upon one of his old friends close
by. whom he had not seen for many years,
with the intention of returAing to the the
atre. This was not unlikely,.1for in the
immediate neighborhood there livesa MIR.
Bowlev, who had been his bosom friend
when they were boys. The idea no sooner
struck Grimaldi than he ran to the house
and knocked hastily at the door. The man
himself answered the knock; and was evil
IDENTIFY greatly surprised.
Il have, indeed seen your brother" he
said in reply to Grimaldi's question:
Good God, 1 never was so amazed in all
my life. I
lis he here now" was the very anxious
inquiry.
"No; but he has not been gone minute.
He cannot have gone many yards
(Which way?"
"That way, towards Duke Street"
He must hayegone thought Grimaldi to
call on Mr.. Bailey, our landlord. He hur-
ried away to the house in Great Wild street,
and knocked long and loudly at the door.
The people were asleep. He Knocked again
and again and rang violently. being in a
state of great excitement. At length the
servant girl thrust her head out of an npper
story window and said both sulkily and
sleepy, IL tell you again he is not home. "
What are you talking about, Who is
not at homs" I
"Why, Mr. Bailey, told you so before.
What do you keep on knocking for at this
time of night"
He could not understand word Of all
this, but hurriedly told his name, and re-
quested the girl to come down directly for
he wished to speak to her The head was
directly Withdrawn, the window closed, and
in minute or two afterwards the girl ap-
peared at the street door.
II am. sure beg your pardon, sir, she
said, after pouring forth volume Of apol-
ogies, 'but there was gentleman knock
ing and ringing violently not minute
before you come. told him Mr.. Bailey
was not at home, and when / heard you at
the door, 1 thought it was him and that he
would not go away"
Grimaldi was breathless at the speed he
had made, and trembling with vague appre-
tensions of he knew not what. The girl,
surprised at his emotion, replied, THAT she
had only answered him from the window,
being afraid to open the door to a stranger
so long after dark, when all the family were
out" The only thing she had noticed was
that he had white waistcoat on; for she
had thought at that, seeing him dressed,
that perhaps he might have called to take
her master to the party.
''He must have gone back to the theatre.
He left the surprised girl standing at the
door, and ran to Drury Lane. Here again
he was disappointed. He had not been
seen. He ran from place to place, and
from house to house, wherever he thought
it possible his brother could have called,
but nobody had heard of or seen him.
Many of the persons to whom he appeared
openly expressed their doubts to each other
of his sanity of mind, which were really
not without shadow of probability, seeing
that he knocked them out of their beds,
and with every appearance of agitation and
demanded if they had seen his
brother, whom nobody had heard of for
fourteen years, and whom most Of them
considered dead.
II was so late now that the theatre was
just shutting up but he ran back once
more, and again inquired if his brother
had been there. Hearing he had not, he
concluded that, recollecting the address he
had mentioned, he had gone straight to his
home; this seemed probable, and
yet he felt degree of dislnay and alarm
which he had never before experienced,
even when there was good grounds for
such feelings.
The more he thought of this, however
The more probable it seemed, and he blam-
ed himself as he walked homeward for not
having thought of it sooner. He remem-
bered the anxiety his brother had express
ed to see his mother, the plan they had dis
cussed for all being together, and the many
little schemes for future happiness which
hey had talked over in their hurried inter-
riew, and in all of which he was comprom-
sed. He reached home, and composing
himself as we'll as he could, entered the
title room in which she supped after the
)lay. His brother was not there, but his
mother was, and, as he looked up paler
han usual, he thought she had seen him.
"Well, mother" he said, 'has anything
strange occurred here tonight"
mo, nothing that | have heard Of
''What no stranger arrived; no long lost
elative recoyeredY exclaimed Grimaldi,
II bis former apprehensions returning
what do you mean"
Mean Why, that John has come home
afe and well, and with money enough to
make all our fortunes"
His mother screeched wildly at this in
diligence, and tainted. She recovered af-
er time, and Grimaldi recounted to her
md his wife the events of the evening pre-
,isely as they are here narrated.
They were greatly amazed at the recital
The mother held that he would be sure to
come before the night was over; thathe had
met with some of his old friends,
and would be there after he had left them.
She insisted that Grimaldi, who was tired
should go to bed, while she sat up and
waited for her son. He did SO, and the
mother remained ell through the long win
ter night anxiously awaiting his arrival
This may appear a long story, but its
conclusion invests it with degree ofinter-
est which warrants the details. The run
ming away TO sea of o young man, and his
return after lapse Of years, is and has
ever been, no novelty in this island. This
is not the burden Of the tale Itpossessed
an awful interest to those whom it immedi-
ately concerned, and cannot fail to have
some for the most Indifferent reader.