The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-09-24
BIDDEFORD, ME-, FRIDAY

prove his fellow-countrymen In the Parliament
House, and TO publish statement on the sub.
Jet Of the Duke in possession, which has remain
ed an unfinished statement from that day Ito
this.
There, Thank God, that's told Neither
you nor I need trouble our heads any more
about Mr.. Blake, senior. Leave him 10 the
Dukedom and let you and stick to the Dia-
mond.
The Diamond takes us back TO Mr.. Franklin,
who was the innocent means OF bringing that
unlucky jewel into the house.
Our nice boy didn't forget us after he went
abroad. lie wrote every now and then some
times to my lady, sometimes to MISS Rachel,
and sometimes to me. We had had o transac-
ton together before he left. which consisted Of
his borrowing Of me q ball Of string, four
bladed knife, and seven-and-sIpence in money
the color Of which last have not seen, and
never expect to see, again. His letters to me
chiefly related to borrowing more. heard, how
ever, from my lsdy, how he got on abroad, as
he grew in years and stature. Amer he had
learned what the institutions Of Germany could
teach him. he gave the French q turn next, and
the Italians turn after that. They made him
among them a sort Of universal genius, as well
as could understand II. He wrote little (; he
painted little he sang and played and COM
posed q little-borrowing, as | suspect, In all
these cases, just as he had borrowed from me.
His mothers fortune (seven hundred year)
fell to him when he came Of age, AMI ran thro'
him as II might be through sieve. The more
money he had, the more he wanted there was
hole in Mr. Fnnklin's pocket that nothing
would sew up. Wherever he went the lively,
r L. la x.v
here, there, and everywhere his address (as
he used to put il himself being "Post-offcc,
Europe-to be left till called for" Twice over
he made up his mind TO come back to England
and see US and twice over (saying your pres
ence) some unmentionablc woman stood in the
way and stopped him. His third attempt sue
ceeded, as you know already from what my lady
told me- On Thursday, the twenty-iifth Of May,
we were to see for the first time what our nice
boy had grown to be as a man. lie came Of
good blood he had high courage; aud he
was fve-and-twenty yelrs Of age, by our reck-
oning. Now you know as much Of Mr.. Frank
lin Blake as did-before Mr.. Franklin Blake
came down 10 our house.
The Thursday was as fine summers day as
ever you saw and my lady and Miss Rachel
(not expecting Mr.. Franklin until dinner-time)
drove out to lunch with some friends in the neigh
borhood.
When they were gone went and had a look
at the bedroom which had been got ready for
our guest, and saw that all was straight. Then.
being butler in my lady's establishment, as well
as steward (at my own particular request. mind,
and because II vexed me to see any body but my
self in possession Of the key Of the late Sir Johns
cellar)-then, say, fetched up some ofour IA
nous Latour claret, and set it in the warm sum-
mer air to take of the chill before dinner. Con-
cluding to set myself in the warm summer air
next-seeing that what Is good for old claret is
equally good for old ago-I took up the beehive
chair to 20 out into the back court, when was
stopped by hearing sound like the soft beating
Of a drum on the terrace in front Of my lady's
residence.
Going round to the terrace, found three ma
hogany colorcd Indians, in white linen frocks
and trowsers. looking at the house.
The Indians, as saw on looking closer, had
small hand drums slung in front Of them. Be
hind them stood little, delicate looking light
haired, English boy carrying bag. l judged
the fellows TO be stroling conjurors, and the boy
with the bag to be carrying the tools Of their
trade. One Of the three, who spoke English,
and who exhibited. must own, the most elegant
manners, presently informed me that my judg-
show his tricks In the presence Of the lady ofthe
house.
Now am not a sour old man. am general
ly all for amusement, and the last person in the
world TO distrust another person because he hap
pens to be few shades darker than myself.
But the best Of us have our wcaknesscs-and my
weakness, when know family plate-basket
to be ont on the pantry-table, is to be instantly
reminded of that basket by the sight Of a stroll
ing stranger whose manners are superior to my
own. l accordingly informed the Indian that
the lady Of the house was out and warned
him and his party of the premises. He made
me beautiful bow in return and he and his
party went of the premises. On my side, re-
turned to my beehive chair, and sat myself down
on the sunny side Of the court, and fell (if the
truth must be ownel,) not exactly into sleep,
but into the next best thing to 1t.
was reused up by my daughter Penelope
running out at me as IL the house was ON fire.
What do you think she wantedi She wanted TO
have the three Indian 'ugglcrs instantly taken
up for this reason, namely, that they knew who
was coming from London to visit us, and that
they meant some mischief to Mr.. Franklin
Blake.
Mr.. Franklin's name roused me. opened
my eyes, and made my girl explain herself.
II appeared that Penelope hal just comc from
our lodge, where she had been having a gossip
with the lodge-keeper's daughter. Thetwo girls
had seen the Indians pass out. after had warn
ell them oil followed by their little boy. Taking
it into their heads that the boy was Ill used by
the forcigners-for no reason that | could dis
cover. except that he was pretty and delicate
looking-the girls had stolen along the inner
side Of the helgc between us and the road, and
had watched the proceedings Of the foreigners
on the outer side. These proceedings resulted in
the performance Of the following extraordinary
tricks.
They first looked up the road and down the
road, and madcsurc that they were alone. Then
they all three faced about, and stared hard in
the direction Of our house. Then they jabbered
and disputed in their own language, and looked
at each other like men in doubt. Then they all
turnel tc their little English boy, rs II they ex
pcctcd him to help them. And then the chief
Indian, who spoke English said to the boy, "Iiold
out your hand"
On hearing those dreadful words, my daugh-
ter Penelope said she didn't know what prevent
cd her heart from flying straight out Of her. I
thought privately that IL might have been her
stays. All said, however, was, "You make
my flesh creep" (.N6ia bsns: women like these
little complments.)
Well, when the Indian said 'Hold out your
hand" the boy shrunk back, and shook his
head. and said he didn't like to do IT, The In
dian thcrcupon asked him (nOt at all unkindly)
whether he would like TO be sent back TO Lon
don, and lei where they had found him, sleep
ing in an empty basket in a markets. hungry,
ragged. and forsaken little boy. This, it seems,
ended the difficulty. The little chap unwilling
ly held out his hand. Upon that the Indian
took bottle FROM his bosom, and poured out Of
II some black stuff, like ink, into the palm ofthe
boys hand. The ludian-hrst touching the
boys head, and making signs over II in the air
then said, "Look." The boy became quite
stiff. and stOcdlikc statue, looking into the ink
in the hollow Of his ham.
$50 far, II seemel to me to be juggling, ac-
eompanicl by foolish waste Of ink. was be.
ginning to feel sleepy again, when Penelo
next words stirred me up.)