, 1873-03-23

what Might Envo Occurred Faad tho
Other Enn Neen u Policeman Eu-
stcud OF Il burglar.
lhe hour at which he was to call WAS o'clock.
but the impatience which possesses nearly all
mon Under such circumstances caused him to
anticipate tie time, and he reached the house
about half-past IL. Looking through the parlor
windows, be cav that the family we're still up,
and consequently, he tiptoed of, and
walked up and down the streets, STOP
ping occasionally at 1a,np-posts to seo
what time it VAS After doing thia
Kind OF thing for some time he returned to tho
| house about half-past l, and very stealthily
went up the front steps, opened tho door, which
"as unlocked. Then ho began the accent Of tho
stairs. AL who have been out late at night
and have tried to steal up to their rooms un-
| heard, kno" tho treachery OF stairs, and how
they vii bet1ay ono, just when the haven Of
ne tne landng u noar. But in this case nothing OF
the knd happened The stairs were we'll bred,
and said nothing: Possibly they had had prac,
tice When the lover stole along the passnge-
! way moro softly than--any poetic comparison
VII serve: Be had reached the and Of tho cor
| ridoz, and bis lland WAS On the knob, ready to
turn Il. when be heard slight noise
He stood still aud listened. Soma one was |
opening tho front door. The sound was verv |
slight, but he could distinguish 1t. Then this !
second conner moved along Us softly as he had |
done and began ascending the stairs. Hallway
up he stopped The lawyer fonnd himself in . |
most vexatious position. There was = serpent |
among tie rose roses With vengeance. Nothing
sSs vas eaaler than to turn the knob. Doubtless
the lady was waiting sleeplessly for him, and !
wondering why he ta1ried. Perhaps she had
heard him, and could not understand the coy
ness which kept him on tho wrong side of her
chamber door. Perhaps-horrible thought!-she
TODD him for fool, a low-bred fellow. 10 re-
memoerea the expression about there being no
Ssae s1a5 ,hy 1hhsy Lnan woman scorned, and specu-
1aisu "has tais particular speclrnsu would do.
bu: then the man on the stairs, tho man who
renamed there halfway up, neither retrea.ing
nor adTanclng. Why was ho theTo There wero
putt put three 3 explanations. 80 might be anothor
.qror. It u Aas lady love might hare two OF more
1ako N tho assignments. But that would have
aoemed more plausible to an outsider than to the |
lover, who diabelieved it, not since it was
on the character Of the lady, but since
1t would nave beo0 au insult to himself In tho /
eocond place: he might DO thief, and third md !
most likely, he might be policeman who. hav
ng seen the hero enter, had followed him to ind
what he WAS after.
aaF1og fine ego for consequences. became
."are OF the peculiar pickle in which be- yas. r.
nc man was policeman, he would wait there | l
n tae stalrs for him for it was pleasanter sitting
nao would 10 convinced that he was burglar.
nd would carry him OF to the station. Ha
ouid not explain why he was there, since. in the
rss place, tue lady would deny it, and, IN the =,
on-thst is, to make other people think hor
otter than she was. So he nobIy resolved that
would make no noise, and when the ineritahlo -
:rest came, ne would quietly go along, and moet
He waited yet little while longer. ntuot ot I
10 wall, holding his breath, divided In thought
't"een the c1pectant woman in the bed-rnor
70 70 the expectant policeman on the stairs At
81 no gos s'G9 OF that, and determined to do =
netting. He moved noieelcss1y back to the
I'D OF tho stairs, and stood there in ths ancIe -
tue val. Presently the man below him began r,
adually ascending. When he reached the top. I nj
9 so doyer Jumped forward, seized him tight By u
'rd* Then he quietly pushed and showed him ~
Nn atalrs and out into tho street. 6till L.
aiming a1a go. hfs bold, he Walked along tho
esi 1ed YIN 1'ia h'% 1En,+ lttle lit way snd then
re: ;7e Tue unknown replied generally that he EPu1
as much business there as tho other which ~
lawyer denied Ihoy walked along together, e
!, "a istter re induigtng in general observations az
hls business there, and trying to draw out the -~
or u order to learn Just how he ehould ox- =
in his presence u
Z last the stranger carna out with it. "Why,
md h,no ne .! ha1 aoT t}o yoa5 la and vent
and; !n-1 thief, who had soen him enter -.
admitted tired him On similar Or /:
;one in the f';,o took tho cuo aud finally =
onfa1g lns tef a,s2en soa das s. thief and had
,apueaod to be loang mt thaf nf ne erEsnd' pa
osRea 1s syffn snG sns ss' 1e evening
So % had s. secro.ed himself in the e ana and had
he vated bis retnzn Mhen h he hsIn esnp b,ep daq
had followed him IN tho mousse TO usAP ta1I We
1I..ra the nroceeds ThereupOn the tTo sud +
III friendly parting, and the lawyer wont to htzr'
room. to sleep OF to think.
lie has not Jet told what ho said TO tho lady
This story is Of no particula1 value, except go
far IS it teaches young men hon to act undor
similar circumstances.