The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-01-15

anxious, for that reason, about smut
tiers, to give the birds air while keep
ing them from flying through the open
window. At all events, became GU
rious to know what my new compan-
ion was by profession.
In few days Sir Ledfoot ell into
what [ perceived was to be the
normal mode of his life with me. [
! seldom saw anything Of MIN before
lunch. He would have some
coffee brought to his door at
| ten o'clock of q morning, and get
down stairs about eleven or so, when
he would take a little stroll By
himself. Yet. strangely enough. he
was always ready for bed at any early
hour, though | never remember him
sleepy at nighttime In the after
/ moons he would go out with his nets
and spread them on the heath for
/ bird catching. Now and then he
! brought home few birds, when he
would let the old tenants Of his wicker
cage fly, and one evening ne bought q
dead hawk Of a village lad. He was
capital company; and when at dinner
he took his meals with me-was full
| of Jokes and anecdotes, which he told
very well-cIosing his left eye IN &C.
stasy when he came to the point OF
the story. He was very communica
tive, generally. speaking, on all sub
jects but one-what he wanted with
birds; and as he neither ate them,
nor sold them, nor kept them, nor
gave them away, was puzzled to i'm
agine.
| [ should soon have ceased to won
der at what might well enough have
been the innocent hobby of any gen.
!, tleman, if it had not been for my
housekeeper, Mrs. French,
One morning, before Mr.. Ledfoot
was up, the old woman, In not the
best of humors, came into the room
where | was at breakfast.
Whats the matter now, Mrs.
French?"
Well, sir, [ am not one to com
plain, as you know, and no doubt it
isn't my place to find fault with a
gentleman's lying in bed till eleven
o'clock here of a day, although it GER
tainly does make more work, and din
ner very much drove on account Of it.
I do not complain of that, sill"
"No?" [ said, for it is useless to
say more than yes and no to Mrs
| 4 FCuCH, WHICH, sic DcSluS ICllluR LIT
what she does not mind.
mo, sir, but [ can't bear parties
who are sly and secret, and under
handep in their ways, and it's only
right sou should know il"
/" Yes?"
Yes, sir. Parties who shut one
eye in the day and keep both eyes
open at night. That's what [ mean
/ Parties who never think of going tc
sleep until all proper folks think i
time to wake up, and go and get their
work done"
= Mr.. Ledfoot-" I began.
+" Never mind who [ mean, sir.
/ name no names, but | have my
thoughts, just the same Yor
wouldn't yourself like to be disturbed
, after hard days work, if you slep
: over person room, by hearing tina
;; person gropin' about all the time
1 and making sawin' noises in the deaC
of night
Nonsense, Mrs. French" [ said
$ it must be your fancy. Perhaps
Mr.. Ledfoot, not being able to sleep
might have walked across the room
or moved chair or So"
Parties would no doubt sleep bet
/, ter at night if they were to get up il
i the morning instead of the afternoon
5 But [ put it to you, sir, whether walk
I ing in the room or moving chair
: would account for sawdust, let alone
feathers on the floor ola party's room
although very artfully swept up il
} a corner not to be seen, and no douh
/ mostly carried away. And it's no
pleasant sleeping over room wher
e you know there's candle burning al
u night which may set your own bed
o tick in blaze any moment you hap
pen to drop off to sleep. But artful
+ ness I do detest in parties who won
/ burn your candles lest they should b
found out, but put out their bedroom
d candle as soon as they get to thei
q rooms, and use from a private poun
/ of composites Of their own that the
q hide away under the saeking Of thei
st bed. Depend upon it, sir, there ]
lie something secret going on al night
t, that wants looking into.
t In country place where so little
r doing, small marvel is soon magni
IS fed into mystery. Connecting /
2. my mind Mr.. Ledfoot's anxiety abou
b shutters, his queer taste for birds
and the =" saving noises " deposed {
d by Mrs French. my curiosity IN m
a ledger revived. When he came dow
lie stairs, and had gone out for astroll,
L went up in his room, where my house
s. keeper triumphantly pointed out
OF few grains of saWdust, and feathe
n or two, disfguring the neatness an
III cleanliness Of her carpet, and pro
r. duced from their hiding place tn
n, secret pound of candles in evidenc
nS &C ruhnt shn rnid Tlhnro -rnr ,otL :,