The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-11-23

fool to think you are humbugging me
I detest you; shouldn't believe
word you would utter if you were t,
talk from now till doom'sday'
Miss Smith passed into her owl
loom, and shut the door quietly-very
quietly. si "a 5
1, for my part, made dry toilet a
! speedily as practicable, and descend
ed to the dlning-hall, where I proposed
to announce my success in due sea
| fon. "a - a. g.....s.- :.
Breakfast was over, i found, anc
the apartment deserted, even by the
servants. The table, however, wa.
still spread for me, and a cup of cofet
was cooling beside my plate. ..ii
| Before I had finished breakfast ar
unaccountable languor invaded my
system. could not understand it;
L could not very we'll understand any
thing, in fact. my brain seemed tied
| my limbs grew lumpish and refused
service.
I 1 was found by the servants some
| time afterwards sitting with my head
in my hands, and with the latter Sc
renely folded in my plate of hash, ]
had been drugged. At first 1 slept.
| Miss Smith explained this phenom
enon by a fictitious remedy which she
professed to have seen me administer
to myself for an attack of neuralgia.
Hence my condition occassioned nc
falarm. :r !
When I awaked, it was with all my
senses sharpened to preternatural
, acuteness. 1t was long while before
threw off that deathlike stupor.- -
In the meantime T could hear, and
did hear slight noises and low conver-
sation at points quite remote from my
chamber.
1t was recreation evening. The
girls were amusing themselves in No.
5, the room occupied by Dim Dark
Distance. They were executing a
grand series of tableaux called recep
tion at Court. / perfectly compre
hended the details of the proceedings
although I was at the other extremity
of the hall, and was, besides, more
than half dreaming. All the jewelry
of the establishment, even to Baby
Buttons corals, had been brought in.
to requisition for this occasion. In
the midst of this last crowning scene
the retiring bell rang. 1 heard the
girls throw off their finery and scam
per away to bed. I heard Miss
Grimshawe order them-she never
advised anybody-order them to leave
their jewelry where it was. proposing
to assert it herself, and return it to
the owners in the morning.
Miss Larkspur demurred; she had
her diamonds out, very foolishly.--
They had been deposited in Professor
Buttons safe. Somebody else want
ed coral set, and our small Dim
Dark was running frantic and fairly
wringing her hands and tearing her
hair over her pearls.
/ However. to oppose Miss Grim
shave was the surest way not to get
what you wanted of her if Dim Dark
had but known it. Though the for
mer had only two grains of sense, and
I those, mathematical, she had any
quantity Of authority. So the girls
went away grumbling, but leaving
behind them their whole array ot
watches, chains, bracelets, necklaces
etc. 1 wanted Miss -Grimshawe tc
take the collection down stairs ano
deposit it with Professor Button, and
1 dropped asleep and dreamed that
had told her to do SO.
By-and-by, from a great way off il
seemed, a low, persistent, grating
sound came to my ear. rose upor
my elbow and listened closely then
thoroughly startled, j crawled softly
to the outer door Of my room, which
opened upon an upper piazza, ane
looked out. 70,
j The sound came from beneath, al
the further extremity OF our wing
Some one seemed to be tampering with
a lock there. Presently, I caught
sight of glimmer of light. from that
point, and leaning over the balustrade
found it to proceed from lantern.
A bulls eye / afterwards heard it
called, Another CLEAN discovered to
me the shadows of two men. I heard
them whisper to each other. They
seemed to be inspecting some difficulty
in their work, for the light appeared
but a moment, and the rasping re-
] commenced -5Si---.,=rr
What to do? To shrek out on
the spot and drive the rufians away ?
/ confess to momentary. womaniy
impulse in this direction-or to con.
vey the alarm to Professor Button
and the male servants2 I felt that /
did not understand robbers nor know
how to deal with them. I therefore