The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-03-01


Is near to every woman
With baby on her breast.
-Apptetons' Journal.
Aunt POlly's Adventure.
III
Oh, my, but didn't the wind blow! When
wen around the house that night, locking
doors an windows before going to bed there
was lust breath of breeze flying about
nothing more; but by the time mad iairiy
pumped upon the pillo8, the gaze was solnS
f. mad When I first came to this western
country. used to be surprised at the quiet,
unceremonious way storms had OF coming
upon peorle-half the time, it seemed to me,
out of clear, innocent looking sky.
In nv old home I prided myself upon
reading the signs of the sky; but here, good
ness me, when / thought it would snow, IL
was sure to rain, and when could nave TAKEN
a solemn oath that the clouds were gong 70
pour, why, whisk they'd go, and tne sun
would shine out as though it was IN hign gee
At having fooled me. So I gave up being
weather prophet, and took it just as it came.
That night everything out of doors seemed
tn be in commotion. The loose shingles on
the house clattered up and down, the win
dows shook, the blinds rsttled, and half the
time it seemed to me that the bed on which
Law would be blown through the side of the
house. know Pm foolish old woman, but
at the thought I couldn't help setting my
rufled nightcap straight, and smoothing back
my hair, because if 1 should go, there was
Deacon Albee's house opposite, and-but
Lord bless me, what am saying?
Well, naturally was lonesome enough,
without chick or child TO speak to, but [ did
very well until somehow got it into nv head
that burglars always choose such nights to do
their mischief in. After that 1 started at
every sound, and as there were thumps and
clatters on all sides, and in every direction, it
isn't to be supposed that L got much rest.
didn't stop to reason that there was very
little in my poor house to tempt evil doors.
know I had forty dollars and eighty cents
laid away in my poor departed Jason's old
wooden chest and felt that to lose that
would be terrible thing to me.
The house was a cottage, with a hall run
ming the length of its two rooms-an ''L'
being built beyond. My room was at the
back, opening into the hall and the front
room adjoining. So my eyes went first from
one door to the other, lingering, must say,
with more dread upon the one leading into
the hall.
'Tt 1 should be robbed of that forty dol
lars and eight cents" said to myself Just
then a blind went whack, and springing up
in bed, / began to say the prayer my mother
taught mellow lay me down to Sleep"
though Pm sure it looked good deal more
as though was sitting up to sleep than "
"What an old fool you are, Polly Quinn
byp' began to say, aloud, trying to get up
my courage by the sound of my own voice.
At that moment I was sure heard step in
the little hall, and before had time to move
from my place, the door latch lifted, the door
swung back, and there he stood, the very
object that had been dreading, Mr.. Burglar
himself
"Good evening, ma'am," he said, in such
apolite way, that found myself in the mo-
ton of bowling back and saying good even
ing, too.
He was midde-aged man. with NOUS
tache and whiskers, and he had the brightest
eyes ever saw in persons head. The hair
on his temples was quite gray. All in all, he
looked like respectable Christian gentle
man, and not a midnight thief 20
"Qaite windy evening, ma'am,'' he went
OIL, as he stepped into the room. ''You must
be lonely here by yourself"
Somehow this touched my temper. for
got who was speaking, and 1 answered back
as tart as could be.
81 prefer to choose my company, STRIP
He laughed and shrugged up his shoulders.
"You do, indeed! So do /. In this case
have my preference-not YOU"
Then he sat down leisurely in my rocking
chair. and stretched out his feet as though he
intended to stop awhile.
"Will you be SO kind, sir, as to go about
your business? What do you think OF your
self sir, to be intruding upon the privacy of
my room at this hour OF the night, STRIP
He leaned his head back upon my bright
worsted tidy, and laughed fit to kill himself
mo harm is intended you, my charming
woman" he said. Il swear tho harm is
intended youv'
And saying this, he laughed louder and
longer than ever.
DO you come into my house to make game
of me before my very eyes?' + asked, my
temper pretty much stirred up. If you were
a gentleman sir
p This was too much for him. okla
"A gentleman? Oh, aw-that's too good
III protested to be gentleman you'd stand
a good chance of getting your throat cut
without so much as, by your leave, ma'am,
to begin with. A gentleman? With all my
faults, thank Heaven, that is not among
them r. Z
You needn't have gone on that way to
prove it, said tartly.
well, you are a sharp old damsel, aren't
youP' turning his big nose upon me, and
twisting up his mouth in a comical way,
which 1 never shall forget. Il swear you'd
be pretty good looking if you didn't wear
such wide ruff1e on your night cap. Jolly,
it's lunker-big enough for grave yard
fence .s2T7 f.~. i - re
'Sirr I said looking very savage
'Ma'amp be answered, initiating my voice
and tone to perfection. t.
yTfOh, if l only out of this bed, sir be-
gan. 7e n4 :a
And pray, madam, what is there to
ind won frnr
know ?"
DO you intend to insult me, you good for
nothing creature ?-Oh, if the wind would
only blow you away
. IF one goes, the other is sure to 90, too,'
he said stolidly.
IF brother Joe would only waken.' I
said.
He cooked his eye knowingly.
You want to make me believe that he is
in this house somewhere, Ell? My dear
madam, you are as transparent as air. Had
he been under this roof, you would have
screamed blue murder long before this
time.'
b 'Oh, oh, you varmintv groaned in pure
agony of spirit. What do you want?'
well, ma am, since that is fair, honest
question, l will attempt to answer it. To
begin with, my financial affairs are in COM
plicated condition, money, have but little
none 80 am forced 10 levy a
trifling tax upon my friends in this and other
to extricate me from my dis
astrous condition. As soon as 1 collect a
certain amount intend leaving this country
or France or Italy, never, perhaps to return.
Do not shed tears at this, dear madam; for
wherever my footsteps tend, your image
uff1ed night cap and all-will remain forever
upon my heart! -...tA
"You old goose!' said.
'tPlease do not interrupt me madam; l |
ave but few moments longer to stay, and |
must be to business at once. l have learned |
hat you have deposited in a trunz in an adj
lining closet forty dollars and eighty cents.
he forty dollars I would like to borrow of
on for an indefinite length of time. The
ighty cents do not care anything about.
,ou can retain that as trifing evidence of
~ generosity in this great emergency OF my /
You are arobber, thief thenP' / said,
,,a Either, at your service, madam, u rising
T sro nsaking bow for all the world like a
1 you please' -'0o"' ' 'iio fi D-''
o. ne wasn't joking now. There was a de-
mouth. Eyes anu ABOUT MS
'He that giyeth to the poor ,eraat,, - a.
iOrd.V he said. sDeakinc iSnuCtH w Guc