Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-03-27

about your business? What do you
think of yourself, sir, to be intruding
upon the privacy Of my room at this
hour of the night sir"
He leaned his head back upon my
bright worsted tidy, and laughed fit to
kill himself.
"No harm is intended you, my
charming woman he said. 81 swear
it-no harm is intended you!"
And saying this, he laughed louder
and longer than ever.
600 you come into nay house to
make game of me before my eyes?" |
asked, my temper pretty much stirred
up. eff you were gentleman sir
This was too much for him.
ga gentleman? Oh,aw--that's too
good If professed to be gentle
man, you'd stand a good chance of
geetting 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!"
"You needn't have gone on that
way to prove it, l said tartly.
"Well, you are sharp old damsel,
arnt you 2" turning his big nose upon
me, and twisting up his mouth in a
comical way, which never shall for
get. 81 swear you'd be pretty good
looking if you didn't wear such a
wide ruffle on your night cap. Jolly,
it's a lunker-big enough for grave
yard fence.
"Sir!' l said looking very savage.
"Ma'am y he answered, initiating
my voice and tone to perfection.
ooh, if l only was out of this bed,
SIR began.
"And pray, madam, what is there
to hinder you from getting out, I'd
like to know?"
"Do you intend to insult me, you
good forl nothing creature ?-Oh, if
the wind would only blow you away"
"If one goes, the other is sure to 90
too," he, said stolidly.
eff brother Joe would only waken."
l said.
He cooked his eye knowingly.
"You want to make me believe that
he is in this house somewhere, eh {?
My dear madam, you are as transpar-
ent as air. Had he been under this
roof you would have screamed blue
murder long before this time"
ooh, oh, you varment!" i groaned
in pure agony of spirit. "What do
you want 2
"Well ma'am, since that is a fair
honest question, | will attempt to
answer it. To begin with, my fnan-
cial affairs arc in complicated condi-
ton, money, I have but little Of
credit. none so | am forced to levy
trihing tax upon my friends in this
and other neiohborhoods, to eXtlicate
me from my disastrous condition. AS
soon as | collect a certain amount |
intend leaving this country for France
or Italy, never, perhaps to return. Do
not shed any tears at this dear madam;
for wherever my footsteps tend, your
image-luffled night cap and all---will
remain forever imprinted upon my
heart!
"You old goose!" said.
"Please do not interrupt me madam;
l have but a few moments longer to
stay, and 1 must be to business at
once. / have learned that you have
deposited in a trunk in adjoining closet
forty dollars and eighty cents. The
forty dollars l would like to borrow Of
you for an indefinite length Of time
The eighty cents | do not care any
thing about. You can retain that as
a trihing evidence of my generosity in
this great emergency of my life.
"You are a robber, a thief, then!'
l said, spitefully.
"Either, at your service, madam,
rising and making a bow for all the
world like a French dancing master
"Now, the money, if you please"
He wasn't joking now. There was
a determined look in his eyes ant
about his mouth.
'He that giveth to the poor lendetl
to the Lord" he said, speaking JUS
like preacher.
"And he that steals from the poor
what of him p
"My Bible does not dispose of hi'
case, especially, madam
"And you came here to rob me
me, a poor woman?"
81 came to borrow of you for an un
certain length of time"
/ saw it was useless to waste word.
with him, besides | didn't altogetheI
like the look in his eyes. | closed my
lips tightly together resolving that
would not speak again.
off you've no objection, maam, II
look around Bit" he said taking W
the lamp as he spoke. '1fI hear an!
noise from you, my dear, or if | SCI
that you are in any way becoming
nervous, | shall be obliged to keel
you quite by the use of -
He held up a small vial.
"Chloroform!" l gasped.
"At your service, madam"
at would be the death of me-
moaned
81 should be sorry to bring such
loss to the world, but believe me, al
that rests in your own hands. Thi
door leads into the closet where th'
trunk is, l believe" he said, maxim!
straight for the closet where my fort.
dollars were put away for safe keep