Litchfield enquirer., 1872-11-21

gain with you. If you won't, call me names, won't call you names. You are not in the pulpit now, and you have no right to domineer over me."aaI zsgB
 .tBut what do you say to all these signs and wonders which have Tnentioned?"
 "What do you say to the Rochester knockings and the Stratford mysteries and the Mormon miracles ?" iza9
 "An deceptions, or works of the Devil. affirmed the Doctor, without a moments hesitation. s.e e1sk
 "Excuse me for smiling, replied '1t is pleasant to observe what quick spirit you have for discerning the true wonders from the false." HeT "You will see, you will see, he answer ed, and relapsed into grave .si- | lence. We reached New Haven and took rooms at the New Haven Hotel. I had antici- pated little nap before going out on our expedition; but had not made allowance for the proselyting zeal of Dispensation- ists. My poor bewildered friend Potter uttered something which he sincerely meant to be prayer, but which sounded 1 to me painfully like blasphemy. Next l they sang queer hymn of theirs in dis cordant chorus After that, Mir. Riley rolled up his sleeves and his eyes, flung his arms about, wept and shrieked un- known tongues for twenty minutes. Then the butcher, the baker, and candlestick- maker, had combined convulsion on the l floor, rolling oyer each other and upset 1 furniture. By this tune the hotel was reused and the landlord made us call. ''What the Old Harry are you about?" he demanded, anerily. Don't you know ! it's after YnidniOhk9D
 We are holding a Dispensary, said MT: Riley, solemnly. r
 Well, I'll dispense with your company, 1 If you don't stop it., returned mine host. 1 ''There's nervous lady in the next room, and you've worried her into fits
 "Let me see her" cried the Doctor, eagerly. 'It may be that the power of our faith is upon her. Which is her door?"
 "You're drunk, Sir" returned the land- lord, severely. ''Keep quiet now, or I'll have you put to bed by the porters"
 So saying, he shut the door and went muttering downstairs. This untoward incident put an end to our exercises. A whispered palaver on Dispensationism fol- lowed, during which I tilted my chair back against the wall and stole pleasant little nap.
 It was about half past one when the Doctor shook me up and said, ''It IS time" We slipped downstairs in our stockinged feet, got the front-door open without awakening the porter, shut it carefully after us, and put on our boots outside. MT. Riley immediately started up College Street, which, as all the world IS aware, runs northerly to the Canal Rail road, where it changes to Prospect Street and goes off in half-wild state up coun- try. At the end of College Street we left i the city behind us, struck the rail-track, forsook that presently for desert sort of road known as Canal Street, and kept mp in northwesterly direction for half n mile farther. It was dark, cool, and clustering night, such as the New Eng flanders are very apt to have on the second of April. The wind blew violently down the open country, shaking the scattered trees as if it meant to wake them instantly out of their winters slumber, and screech ing in the murky distances like tomcat on the housetops, or rather like conti- nent of tomcats. The doctor lost his hat, chased it few rods, and then gave it up, lest he should miss his burglars Once l halted and watched, thinking that saw two or three dark shapes dogging us not far behind, but concludedthat l had been
 
 | Night, and hastened on after my crazy comrades. Presently Riley stopped, point ed to 8 dark mass on our right which seemed about large enough to be story and-a-half cottage, and whispered, "Here we are, brethren"
 ''No doubt of that" said I, but what the mischief is to come of it?"
 ''Oh! let's go back and call the police" urged the baker, in tremulous gurgle.
 ''Too late!" returned Riley. Ut is given to me to see the burglars. They are in- side. They are taking the silver out of the closet. There will be murder in five | minutes
 eff there must be murder, why, of course we ought to have hand in it." | suggested. "Our motives at least will be good"
 "Rightr said Riley. "Come on, breth- ren! We must prove our faith by our ! works. "
 But the baker came back in most | dough-faced fashion, while the butcher and the candlestick- maker encouraged him in his cowardice. At last it was agreed that this unheroic trio should wait l in the yard as a reserve, while Riley, the Doctor, and went in to worry the bur glars. Leaving the weaker brethren in a
  1 forlorn-hope, stole aronnd the house to get at back-door which Prophet Riley had plainly seen in his dream, and which | he foretold us we should find unlocked. l was not much amazed to discover q l back-door, inasmuch as most houses have one, but l really was surprised to learn l that it was unfastened. My astonishment at this circumstance, however, was over- balanced by my alarm at finding that tho ! Doctor still persisted in his intention of entering; for I had hoped that at the | last moment his faith would give way. and let him slide down from the elevation of his rediculous and reckless purpose. "But you are not really going in?" I whispered, jerking at his eoat-tails. Certainly" he replied t'.The robbers are surely there. The door was un- "Mere carelessness of the servants. l Stop! Come back! Nonsensel Madnessl You'ln get into a scrape. Respectable family. Good gracious, what pack of fools!'
 While I was rapidly muttering these ! observations. he was pulling away from me and stealing into the house after his prophet. Finding that there was no stop ping him, I followed, in obedience. per haps, to that great and no doubt beniicent. but as yet unexplained, instinct which causes sheep to leap after their bellwether. We were i'll basement, or semi-subterra- mean story. l felt the walls of a narrow passage on either side of me, and I can swear to 8 kitchen near by, for smeIt 1 it's cooking range. walked on the fore most end of my toes, and would have paid five dollars for pair of list slippers. Rather than take another such little prom enade as l. had in that passage, I would submit to be placed on the middle sleeper of railroad ebridge, with an express-train coming at me without a eowcatcher. Presently overlook the Doctors coat tails again, and found that they were as- cending staircase. At the top of the stairs was a door, and on the other side of the door was 8 room, the uses of which I won't undertake to swear to, for I never saw it, although was in it longer than \ ko1 4@I l. s- "A