Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-12-10
THE TRIALS OF COURTsHIP.
Two GaIlants I'm Peculiar Fix.
They are Rescued by Strategy.

| n
They are Rescued by strategy.
From the Erie pal Dispatch. Nov. 2l.l
! Discreditable as the following story
may be to the parties concerned, we have
the word of one of those engaged in it, {
| railroader and well known here, as Il
the facts: Two friends-we'll call then
Tom and Dick-went few nights since
to call ON couple of damsels who re.
side with their mother in the southern
portion of the city The old lady is
slightly deaf and the girls somewhat
roguish. The two gentlemen were gra-
ciously received by the old lady, who
formed fifth in the social circle. Or
binary bedtime came, and the gentlemen
professed to leave, the maids showing
them to the door. But this was only a
ruse to get the old lady to bed. The
front door was opened and shut, and the
girls returned to the dining-room, the
two beaux having been slipped into the
front parlor and left there in the dark.
1t was supposed, of course, that the
slightly deaf old lady would soon be
in the land of Nod but she took a
sudden whim to go and sit in the par
lor for while, and taking up a
light, started for that place. Dick and
Tom had been anxious listeners and
watchers, and now saw the old lady ap-
preaching with lamp. AS she passed
into the hall of course their only means
Of escape was cut of. Dick made dive
behind q lounge that stood out few
inches from the wall-the framework
was too low for him TO crawl under-and
Tom, finding no other place, wedged him
self in on top Of Dick. The old lady set
the lamp on the. bureau, took up book,
and, deliberately setting herself on the
lounge, began to read. The feelings of
the two nice young men behind the lounge
may be better imagined than described.
Tom was in dread of immediate detec-
ton, while Dick dreaded smothering. He
was so frightfully cramped that he was
getting reckless as to consequences, and
in mufiled voice, that only the old
ladys deafness prevented her from no
ticing, mumbled to Tom, "Kick the
lounge over, blow the lamp ont and let
jump through the wiadow." " As Dick
was sauirming In a way that boded a
sudden expose for Tom, it Is probable
that the latter would have taken his
advice to the letter, but for the inte;-
position Of the quick.witted airls At
first, expecting the eat was out Of the
bag, they had kept back, ready to take
the st9rm Of geproaeh they could not
avoid; but hearing no noise after the old
lady entered, they went to see what had
become Of the gaHants, Two pair of
boots and o foot or so of pantaloons
wero visible from the door, and the girls,
making some commonplace remarks TO
their mother, went away laughing loud
ly. "Phancy the phelinks" Of the chaps
behind the lounge Bpt ia a few seconds
there came shbvt from the wood shed,
where ihe girls then were. saying their
LAMP had blown out, and asking mother
to como with hers. The boys heard them
plainly, and even smothering, Dick left
off his n1uttering and threatening. The
good old lady arose, wiped her specs and
folded them away, and bidding the girls
not 10 be frightened, went off with the
lamp to their aid. 1t would be superilu-
GUS to say that the lounging boys didn't
lounge just there any longer. They un-
locked the front door as quietly as they
could. and slid out withont AEeA bidding
the Yepng ladisS good night. TWAS we'll
lss them thai they did, for in less that
.threemiHutes thu old ladywas seated on
the lounge again perusing her book.