The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-06-02

0on keep you uotu, anu put you IN a cage
for a pair of owls. There, I'm sorry to be
so rude, Mrs. Scott; but the fact is feel as
l shall go out of my mind unless tackle
this mystery; and must be left alone to
think it OUT 4 aa
So Mrs. Scott, obedient wife as she was
attired herself in gorgeous apparel, and, ac-
conspanicd by her friend and neighbor, the
parish doctors wife, honored Mr.. Shaw's
menagerie with her presence. 1t was sort
of fete which that practical student of nat
ural history (which included some knowl-
edge of mankind,) had given to the inhabi-
tants of the town, and everything was on a
very splendid scale. The show was lit up by
splendid rows of chandeliers, made of cir
Giles of wood and candles, from the latter of
which, as they of necessity hung very low,
the tallow dripped upon the heads of the
company; but that was not found out until
the next morning. W0s
The floor and cages had been thoroughly
swept and FURNISHED, and some attempt
had been made by means of arguents and
spices Tor, in other words, chloride of lime, J
to mitigate the odor that hangs about all
establishments devoted to the reception of
wild beasts. But it must be confessed that
this last refinement was failure,-it was
like the jar of ottar, which do what you
will, the scent of the roses would cling to it
still;' only in this case the perfume was the
result of a combination; the hyena and the
musk-rat, the royal Bengal tiger and the
marmoset, each contributed their soupcon.
In place of the usual Snowman, Mr.. Shaw
himself, with an elegant white wand, point
ed out the various objects of interest, ex-
planned their habits, and narrated anecdotes
of their extraordinary sagacity. The mon
key cages, as usual were the chief attraction
their innocent gambols, and the remarka-
BILE penchant they exhibited for biting each
others tails, were the admiration of the be-
holders. Mrs. Stott, while regarding these
parodies upon mankind with a contempa-
tive air, was very nearly-indeed, literally
within half an inch or so--paying a great
penalty for her philosophic abstraction. A
ribbon-faced babboon of gigantic size, look
ing not unlike one of Mr.. Cooper's Indian
heroes in his war paint, made snatch at
her fingers, which loaded with rings, hap
pened to be ungloved, for she had Just been
taking refreshments.
Your charms even vanquish the brute
creation, Mrs. Stott," observed the clerk to
the magistrates gallantly; 1.-THE enamored
animal seeks your hand"
Eyes; but like the rest of the male sex.
Tor what is in it, or on it." replied Mrs.
Jones, who had been an heiress in a small
way, till her husband removed that invid-
lous distinction by spending all her money.
The ribbed faced baboon screamed with
disappointment, and swung by his rope
head foremost, and with his eyes shut for
the rest of the evening.
1t was A. NJ, and the chief constable's
wife had been in bed since midnight, but
she had not yet fallen asleep. She was
awaiting the arrival of Mr. Stott. in hopes
that he might have some good news to tell
her, or to comfort him with her sympathy
in case he hadn't 1t was beautiful night.
and she had left the window open. tbrongb
which the soft fresh air came gratefully
enough after the atmosphere of the menage-
RE. She would he able to catch the males
tic football Of her lord while it was vet n
great way off, and she was listening for If.
Presently, through the deep summer still
ness, sounded human step, which. albeit.
not that she was expecting, seemed familiar
to her; 1t was step which, although it
moved with quickness, had slight limp,
s 81 us she had noticed in the gait of Mr.
SHAW. Yet he had himself assured her that
very evening that he was man of carly
habits, and always shut up his house on
wheels before twelve O'Clock. 1t was most
unlikely that on the night of his fete, of all
nights, he should have made an exception
to this salutary practice; and yet she knew
no other step than this like his STEP 1t stop
ped beneath the window, and then there
was sliding, scrambling noise, as though
something were struggling up the water
pipe that ran down the side of the house.
and she felt at once that the mystery of
these nightly theits was about to be solved.
She was frightened, of course; but she
did not shut her eyes and put her head un-
der the bed clothes, as most ladies would
have done under such circumstances on the
contrary, she stared SD hard at the window.
that the sides seemed to meet and leave no
window at all. Or was it that the space
had become obscured by the presence of the
Yes, that was it; and what
The face of the intruder she could not
catch but she saw that he was quite black.
very inadequately attired, and provided |
with long tail. But the devil has WINGS |
came into her mind with terrible emphasis.
No wonder that even the chief constable's
vigilance had failed to
All, that face There was no installing
those very strikingly marked features! It
was without doubt, her late admirer. the
rlbbed-faced baboon and, whether from
motives of delicacy or fear, Mrs. Stott did
dive under then with only her nose left out
to breathe through, like an elephant when
under water, as Mrs. Shaw had instinctiyely
her not three hours ago.
She could hear little however. as we'll
as breathe; and she distinctly caught the
quiet chuckle of her visitor, and the chinck
II her rings as he swept them off the dress
ng table with his paws. Presently, there
vas slrill whistle from below, and the
ceased and then came the Sill
ling, scrambllng noise again. The ribbed
ace baboon had put the rings in his mouth
having no pocket-and slid down the
vater.spout to his master with his spoil.
John" cried Mrs Stott, when the chief
Unstable put in his long wished-for appear
nee, and as soon as he got inside the door,
I've found it all out" 3.a..d a-i.ll s.s
9" Psbaw ]" said her husband, contemptu-
usly. r s9.5ti w 700 ., : -, r
LORI" cried she, swell, you are won
er How ever did you find out it was Mr..
haw and his ribbed-face baboon ?"
/" Never you mind, ma'am,n reioincd Mr..
tott with his old confident air; owe found
out. And now let me hear how far your
estimony goes in confederation of NV
iews.n 9ml J,a0s biz a M Isrt.-
The next day, from information received.
he darkly limited, the chief constable an.
rehended the keeper of the menaserie and
,irched his house on wheels with such I
fect that all the stolen property was recoy
ed. MIR. Shaw, it appeared had trained