The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-01-18
the temptation, shook hands with Mrs.

the temptation, shook hands with Mrs.
George, and left the house.
"Straws show which way the wind blows" ("
says the old adage. 1t is my opinion that
hats occasionally do that little favor for
mankind. At least mine took the liberty TO
do SO that morning.
the B station. The depot was only a
few squares distant, and l was walking as
comfortably as l could, bracing myself
against the wind, when sweeping gust
came round the corner Something was
lifted from my head it was my hat.
My first impulse was to look round to see
if any body was laughing-I always laugh
myself at flying hat-and then / betook
myself to sport. The hat only ambled;
was sure to catch it. 1t lodged against a
gas-post my hand was almost on it, when
the twin to that other gust came racing
along, and off went my hat 1t was very
early, and there were but few people abroad.
| heard now and then a faint laugh; a
scurvy little urchin sang out, go it, boots,'
a Hibernian maid, carrying q large parcel
in small paper, cried, "Shure that hats
leading that man chase " but on l went,
breathless, chagrined, and mad. Up Oak
street. down. Green. across Maple, and
through Cherry that confounded hat led me !;
now doubling and futtering almost under my
nose; now gyrating with exultant motion,
that dumbly expressed the jubilee of uncon-
trollable jollity; now whirling into some
body's garden; now whisking round a
BARRIERS pole; now bobbing along the edge
OF fence. till at last-at last l had it,
Death could not grip harder than | held
on to that erratc brim. 1t was, felt, a hat
gifted with extraordinary powers of locomo-
ton, and | did not mean to let it have its
own sweet will again.
| pulled out my watch with one hand,
holding still to my hat with the other. 1t
wanted one minute to seven, and the train
was five blocks off Hoping against hope,
set off on a run, and at the corner of the
third block had the supreme satisfaction of
hearing the final whistle, and the swift thud
and thunder of the departing train.
| was baked, and gave my hat savage
pull as stopped to consider what had best
be done. l mathematical hats of every
persuasion, from the orthodox stove-pipe to
the Quaker broad-brim. To have crushed
the offending member of my own head as
fiat as pancake, and then finished it with
my own penknife would have been balm to
my aggravated soul.
Turning my steps in the direction of my
office, | walked moodily on, disappointed
man. Instead of the holiday which | had
so fondly anticipated, the merry greeting of
friends, the sight of old, long -banished faces,
| was still bound to the perplexities of an
interminable law case.
1t would be as well, perhaps, to attend to
business, thought, with a rueful visage !;
and | repaired to resign myself with the
best grace possible.
My office was nearly two miles from my
house. After leisurely walk l arrived
there just as the clock was striking eight.
Up | went, scattering straws and papers,
till | gained the cheerless, uncarpeted pas
sage, and saw, opposite my own square of
painted glass, and the card " Not in till to-
morrow" and then found that l had left
my office key in my other vest pocket in
my dressing room wardrobe at home.
There was nothing for it now but to 90
home again. / pleased myself with pictures
of Mrs. George busy over my silver. I
make no secret of saying that l like to see
delicate, refined women at work. The bare,
round, blue-veined arm, temptingly displayed
just below the elbow; the pretty handker-
chief tied over flowing tresses the stout
linen apron jealousy keeping guard from
throat to toes the quick, fine step; the
musical gurgle of some sweet old favorite
song the dash and spirit they contrive to
throw into commonplace observances; the
mimic buster when one of the stupid mas
culines interferes with their privileges, if it
is only in trying to find the shoe brush
make up charming aggregate, delightful to
one who has never had a more intimate
acquaintance than his housekeeper.
SO should l see Mrs. George. perchance,
herself rubbing with those white taper
fingers the old silver that my mother once
delighted to honor 1t needed only this ex-
perience, felt to make me a willing slave,
to send me in hot haste to Ball & Blacks
to choose the finest, costlest solitaire to be
found in their brilliant collection.
reached my home; mounted the steps.
There was strange silence about the prem
ses. No cheerful hustle, no merry voices,
no sound of footsteps, no ring of Gathering
silverware, no anything.
pulled the bell. Still completest silence;
not even Jip's little CHEEKY yelp warned or
welcomed the solitary and disappointed
home-seeker. The parlor blinds were closed,
the basement shades were down it seemed
as if there must be a corpse in the house.
Again aud again Irang. The bell, power
full one, tangled spitefully, as if it took pleas
ure in insisting that there was nobody at
home. / descended the steps went round
to the back gate, and succeeded in loosen
ing the hook that confined it with my pen
knife. All was silent here as elsewhere !:
the servants must be gone; Jip must be
gone. What the deuce is in it all?"
muttered impatiently.
Perhaps Mrs. George had postponed her
silver cleaning till afternoon, and had gone
to a matinee but where were the servants? !?
There was, fortunately. window at the
back part of the house that could be un-
fastened on the outside. The contriyance
was one of my own, and nobody was in the
secret but myself. l opened the window,
and had just fastened my knee comfortably
on the stone coping, when heavy hand
grasped my elbow.
"I noticed something suspicious and fol-
lowed you, You rascal. Amt you ashamed
"a man looking like a gentleman-break-
ins into house like Q common theft"
The fellow held me in his grasp as if it
were a vice. l looked over my Shoulder.
A star blazed on the wretch's blue-coat
breast; there was gilt number on. his cap |;
his breath smelled of-but we won't mention
that his nose was turn up. his hair was a
little reddish this is original -and the
whole contour OF the man told OF bis Paul
Pry instincts. felt my eyes Fash, my
cheeks burn, and mentally resolved. after
crushing and cutting, to put my unlucky