Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-10-16
aWhat for ~

+" What for ?"
n" For such lark. I'll dress 1t up in my
nightgown and frighten cook and Mary"
Stunning" we all exclaimed, by uni
versal consent
al say, Jack" Thornton continued,
"but you will lend 1t us, old fellow, won't
youi You shall have 1t back all right"
As it was simply question of unmiti-
gated mischief, the result of our delibera-
lions may be anticipated without much
difiiculty. A faded purple bag, profusely
stained with pale brown spots by the many
uses to which 1t had been applied, was pro.
duced by our host, and, with the skull con-
cealed therein, we set off home. The doc
tor was going out to dinner the next,day,
so we resolved to postpone our enterprise
till the following evening. AS IL was nearly
full moon, it would be Just the thing for
our purpose, if it should be fine night.
Thornton took the bag, with its contents,
up to our bedroom, and hid it underneath
his bed. The next day DIR. and Mrs.
Bloxam went out to dinner, and only the
cook, Mary, and our three selves were left
in the house. Borlase and Thornton went
up stairs to make their arrangements, and
remained alone in the dining-hall. We
thought it would excite suspicion If we all
went up together into our room.
Their preparations were soon completed.
The hideous skull was so placed in the full
light of the moon, supported by bolster
tied round cricket bat, and dressed in
Thornton's night-gown, that it seemed as
if it were sitting up in bed When all was
ready, Borlase came quietly down the
stairs, and went up to see what they had
contrived. Although knew what to ex-
pect, was very much startled, as enter
ed the room just IS st, Oswald's clock toll
ed nine o'clock from the adjacent tower.
There was something that almost terrified
me in the ghostlike creature, which sat up
in bed staring at me, with the full light
of the moon streaming in upon it through
the window.
"I say, Thornton" half demonstrated,
"pm afraid this is too bad"
"Never mind" was his answer cit is
too late to think of that now. It will be
such jolly fun"
And so we picked our way noiselessly
down the stairs, cautiously descending
step by step. Borlase, after awhile, rang
the bell, and presently we heard Mary
coming along the passage, carrying the
tray with our supper.
@That's right Mary" said Thornton,
"I'm awful hungry. What time will the
doctor be home tonight ?" '
"Not till late, Master Thornton. He
left orders that you were to go to bed at
ten o'clock"
show jollyl" cried Thornton. "Then
we have nearly an hour. l say, Mary,
you're good creature. wish you would
go up into our room and fetch me book
you will find under my pillow" g
Eyes, Master Thornton, but you had no
business to put it there"
And off Mary tripped on her obliging
errand; while we followed on tip-toe to
the foot of the staircase. Presently we
heard most appalling shrek. The win
dow of the room was thrown up with
great violence, and crash of broken glass
was heard at the same moment. We all
ran up stairs in the greatest alarm. The
window was wide open, and the grinning
wretch in Borlase's bed was swaying to
and fro in the wind which swept through
the apartment; but Mary was nowhere to
be seen. Our room opened into the next,
and we rushed in, hoping to find her there.
But not trace of her was discovered.
| We ran down to fetch the cook, and she
came up with candle, but still no Mary
was to be found. We procured additional
| lights, and went through the whole house.
We searched everywhere. Every corner
and cupboard was examined, as we wildly
anxiety. We lighted a lantern, and pried
into every nook and angle out of doors,
going up and down the walks, and even
among the rows Of cabbages in the kitchen
garden, in our trouble to know what had
| become of poor Mary. Stroke by stroke
the great bell of st. Oswald's tolled out
ten o'clock, and yet no discovery had been
! made.
We did not dream of going to bed.
White, trembling and cold, we sat over
the cherries dining-hall fire, waiting for,
and yet dreading, the doctors return.
And long, weary time it was, as we
covered over the dead CRATE, listening to
the cooks stealthy tread as she moved
about in the silent passages. At length
we heard the wheels of the Doctors car
riage; at first in the. distance, along the
road, and then more distinctly, as they
crushed the gravel in the approach to the
front door. A startling. ring awoke the
echoes of the empty building; and the
cook ran to open the door, letting in a
rush of cold night air, as the doctor and
Mrs. Bloxam came in and passed on to
their sitting-room And then we heard
the cook follow, and shut the door. Once
more all was silent.
That miserable ten minutes of suspense
My mouth was parched, my head was
burning hot, but I shivered with cold
Thorton sat as bloodless as a ghost. Bor
lase was silently crying, and saw the
drops trickle through his fingers and
fall upon the fender. The doctors door
was opened, and the cook came to US
saying, "The doctor wishes to speak tc
you"
"Jane," said DR.. Bloxam to the cook
as we entered, ego to Smithson at once
and tell him he must come up immediate
ly, and he had better bring one of the
other constables with him."
"And now, boys, tell me all about thii
sad business"
We told him the whole story, just al
everything had happened. He was very
calm, allowing US to recount all the cir
cumstances quite in our own way. Hi
only interrupted us occasionally to ask I
question OF two. Much sooner than
could have thought it possible SmithsoI
arrived, and we had to tell all our story
over again in his presence. He did no
speak a word until we had finished ant
then he proposed that we should go up
stairs with him while he inspected tn
room. He went to the window at once
and looked out into the moonlight night
"If she jumped out of this window il
her fright she'll be found down there" h
said, pointing with his finger down tn
descent. "Couldn't have stopped herself
Scarcely think she could have done any
thing SO desperate. If she went that way,
still pointing downward, as he peere
into the gloom caused by the mists of tn
river, upon which the moon was shining
"she was mad when she did it, and sher
i be dead now. Jim," he said to his sui
} ordinate, "get lantern and see if yo
can find anything down there"
: Jim went and fetched lantern, an
I presently appeared beneath the window
! We watched him as he searched abou
With his Eight close to the ground. ID
did not succeed in making any discover
5 which helped US at all In our anxious il
r vestigation. think il was Thornton
who now whispered that he thought b
q saw something white q little wav dow
the face Of the broken 0ronnd tV, \