The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-10-17
Hop1cy and the Graphic Balloon.

HopIey and the Graphic Balloon.
One of those distressing accidents which
no amount of preparation can guard against
occurred on Pine street yesterday. Mr..
Hopley, the insurance agent, intended go
ing to New York at 9:45 p, NJ. to see the
Graphic balloon. A friend suggested 1t to
him Just about half hour before the tram
would leave, and Mr.. Hopley fastened
home to change his clothes and tell his
wife. When he got 20 the house he found
If vacant, but hoping that his wife would
come in before he departed, he got out his
Sunday suit and began disrobing.
He had got on his clean shirt and was
adding the collar before drawing on the
pants, when he remembered that his sleeve
buttons were in the stand drawer in the
dining room, and he cautiously moved in
there after them. He found the buttOns,
and secured them, when the hall door
opened and his wife's voice and the voice
of feminine friend were heard approach
ino. He would have fed back to the bed
room, but he could not leave the apart
ment he was i'll without being seen by
them. For one instant it seemed as If he
would drop dead and run into the carpet.
The next, he perceived the open door of
the china closet, and Immediately bOlted
in there and closed the door. Mrs. Hop
ley and the lady friend came into this
room and remarking on the heat, drew
their chairs close to the open window and
brought out their sewing. Then they fell
to talking about the weather, and Mrs.
Robbins black corded silk, and remedies
for worms, and other topics of engrossing
interest Mr.. Hopley hung to the door
with awful tenacity, and perspired and
thought. The darkness was intense, and
to add to the unpleasantness, a mouse or
rat was heard in among the papers on the
floor. Mr.. HOpley was not a timid man,
but he was bare-legged and bare-footed,
and when a man is thus situated a mouse
is about the last thing he wants to think
of. Still the voices outside continued and
greater grew the heat in that china closet.
Mr.. HOpley did not dare to make the least
noise to alarm his wife, because of the
presence of the other old lady, whose
voice he could not recognize. How he did
curse that balloon and the man who sug-
gested going to see it, and Prof. Wise, and
how bitterly he regretted that he could not
think of that other aeronaut's name don
aldson) that he might curse him too. But
still the two ladies glided on through the
mazes of the neighbols' affairs, without
the least sign of abatement. He heard
ha Sf fril lrn faT1 al oil
or twice the mouse came quite close to his
feet, starting the perspiration afresh, until
he could feel it trickle from his chin and
down his body. Then he moved his foot
to rest himself, and it struck against some
thing soft, and he uttered a half stif1ed
shrek and jumped up, striking his head
against shelf, and bringing piece of
some kind of crocllery to the floor. His
wife sprang to the door in alarm, but Hop
ley caught the knob, and clung to it with
the grip of death. Mrs. Hopley tried in
vain to open it. Then she thought of a
burglar being concealed in the closet, and
screamed for help, still clinging to the door
to prevent the ferocious intruder from dash
ing out and Draining both of them, and
Jul nh ~ IuC uOuSS 11cI SCIGdIIlS, dOu-
ed to those of the female friend, alarmed
the neighborhood in an instant, and anon g
those who dashed in:was old Mr.. Stockton
with a double barreled gun. AS soon as
he learned the trouble he turned the dread
full weapon full upon the door. There
was stunning report, chorus of femi-
nine shEieks, mingled with a terrific howl
from the other side of the door, and the
next instant the unhappy Hoplcy, with
both legs full of shot, was writhing on the
floor of that closet. The door was opened,
the women pushed up to get sight, got
it, and immediately dispersed with an
other shrek. Hopley was put to bed and
DR.. Myers summoned, who picked out the
shot, which had merely pricked through
the skin, and applied the needful RENE
dies, and the patient to-day is quite COM
Portable, and viii be at his Office again this
week.-DaB5ury NeacS.