Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-06-21
and almost before I could knock the
door was opened by a lady-as far
as / cnuld indre a vounr ladYO

laid stress on the word "young'
and looked steadtastly at the fail
superintendent of the coffee, who
kept her eyes bent on the ground,
and industriously twisted one of the
buttons, which ornamented her
dress.
81 was about to inquire" l contin-
ued, "the way to the city, but was
checked, and told to be quiet. |
was then conducted to the room
where I have passed the night,
That is all / know except that was
called this morning by my Christian
name, Charles, and by the same
name told to enter this room. My
only desire now is to proceed on my
journey"
"Nay" my good fellow, returned
the old gentleman, eff what you say
be true, you are welcome enough for
that matter, but what I want to
know is how such carvings on as
these take place without my know
ing. Ring the ben for Sarah"
"Sarah had nothing to do with it,
father" said the young lady, speak
ing for the first time; "I alone am
to blame. My brother Charlie had
some scheme on hand with Frank
Ellesmere yesterday, but, as he
expected that it would keep him
rather late he was afraid you would
forbid his going; so he wanted me
to promise to sit up for him and let
him in quietly, and thus you would
never know. OF course it was very
wrong, but at last consented; SO,
hearing knock little before
eleven, 1 opened the door, and con-
graduating myself that he had got
home carly, let in one whom | sup
posed to be Charlie, but who must
have been this gentleman, and Pm
very sorry-and--" here she broke
down and hurriedly left the room.
"Bless my life!" calculated the
old gentleman; twas there ever such
a pair of children? They'll drive
me mad between them! Sit down,
sir, sit down. Do, my dear, go and
look after Clara, and bring her in.
Upon my word, sir, this is queer
affair; sit down sir, sit down."
Thus he ratified on, while | in
vain attempted to decline his invita-
ton; but he would hear OF no re-
fusal, and his wife and daughter,
entering at the moment, added their
requests to his. This was enough;
I sat down.
NV host and hostess turned out
the most CHEEKY, pleasant old couple
in the world, their daughter the
most lovely and fascinating Of
womankind, their coffee the strong
est and most agreeable ever tasted,
their bread and butter the thinnest
slices ever cut, their eggs the fresh
est ever laid, and always blessed
with a capacity for making myself
at home was the most happy and
delighted of men.
Hooked on calmly, while Mr..
Foster for that was my hosts
name amused himself by witty
sallies at his daughters discontinue
and slipped my coffee sedately, while
his wife expressed her anxiety about
"poor Charlie Only when, to
stop her fathers sarcasms, Clara
got up, and putting her arms around
his neck, gave, him hearty kiss,
was at all disturbed in mind, and
then, like Byron, 1 could have wish
ed for ''forty-parson power" not,
indeed, as he did, to chant the
praise Of hypocrisy, but to lecture
that fair delinquent, in the hope Of
a similar restraint.
But where all this time was ''poor
Charlic?" who, it turned ont, was q
youth about nineteen.
The amusement Of that gcntle-
man and his friend Frank Ellcs-
mere had been of so divcrting a
nature that it was almost midnight
before either Of them thought of
the time; when they did so, Charlie
was in great distress. 1t was too
late to go home that night, for he
had five miles to walk, and every
body would be in bed; while, if he
out all night without per-
he would incur a paternal
lecture. At last he hit upon, as he
thought, capital device; he would
sleep with Frank Ellcsmerc, but,
rising early in the morning, ,hc would
reach his home as soon as the house
hold were up; the servant would let
him in the backway, he would put
on his slippers and his house coat,
and, walking into the room as the
family sat at breakfast, pretend he
had Just turned out Of bed.
This plan he carried out with
such success that he entered the
room just as we were discussing his
probable whereabouts. He seemed
rather surprised at my presence,
though he did not make any remark
about it, but, addressing his sister,
asked why she had not called him.
SCALED you, Charlic!" calculated
that young lady; chow could l call
you when l did not know where you
were?"
Charlie replied to this by a series
of winks and grimaces, intended to
convey to his sister the need of
caution, saying as he did so, with
the most admirably fcigncd surprise
"Not know where | was? Why,
where should be but in bcd?"
Here Mr.. Foster commenced what
promised to be a very edifying lee
ture to his son, on his various short
comings; but he had scarcely utter
ed a sentence when he was so much
amused at the idea of that sons
surprise when he learnt the true
state of affairs, that he burst into a
fit of laughter, in which we all
joined; and it was some time before
any of us could recover our gravity
sufficiently to explain to the dis
comfitted Charlie the cause of our
merriment. He, probably consoling
himself with the philosophical re-
Election that our amusement was
saving him lecture, bore it all
with great fortitude, and, after
satisfying his appetite, which his