The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-04-18
MISCELLANY.
A SURPRISE PARTY.

l always detested him, even before ever
set eyes ON him. In the first place, what
right has a man to be named Broadspoon
1t can't even be called outlandish, but it is
outrageous. Still this might have been
blind, unreasoning prejudice on my part,
as my wife said it was, but when saw his
face knew in a moment just what he was.
There Is saying to the effect that the
world is made up of fools and knaves, or
flats and sharps, as some one expresses it,
but know one man, at least, that is good
deal of both.
When Broadspoon came to me with that
amiable grin of his, long sight too amia-
Bile to be pleasant, / knew he was up to
some mischief, though, of course, it was
beyond human sagacity to fathom it at the
time.
''Gofng to surprise jerks to-night?''
said he, slapping me tamiliarly ON the
back.
1 moved away from him about three
feet.
'sSurprise jerks 81 said I, surprised my
self and very much puzzled. "How %
so, our crowd expect to go there to-
night.'' :.
Now, if there is one thing that despise
more than another it is surprise party.
Vulgar things at the best-and to be spoken
to as one of our crowd-Broadspoon
crayd4-was ahevond my patience. SO
blurted out, not so amiably as Br0adspoon
had spoken:
mo. hate such affairs. Besides, Mrs.
Jones has cold, and / wouldn't think of
taking her out at night, and Pm not quite
well myself
added that much for the sake of being
civil.
"Good morning. said he, and | saw a
very curious expression pass over his face.
did not understand it at the time, but it
meant something, as | afterward found.
You see, he had plainly told me that he
was going to jerks that evening. That is
my first point against him.
/ sent word to jerks that BroadspoOn
and his crowd were going to make a raid
upon him, and that he had better be pre-
paredfor them, and the whole thing passed
out ofmy mind.
That night Sarah Jane and [ were about
retiring. We had taken a bowl of onion
syrup between us and a foot-bath apiece,
and were wrapped in flannel up to our
noses,when we heard very singular noise
"a sound like the rasping of a file-appa-
rently at the back basement door. There
is an alleyway from our yard that leads
back to the next street, the gate of which is
always locked, but is only ten feet high,
and nothing would be easier than for a
man to climb it.
I hunted up an iron bed-key we have.
1t looks exactly like a pistol in its outline,
and opening the window | pointed down
into the yard, and called out:
who's there? Answer, or | fire ~
The noise ceased, and as it was showing
very hard, and blowing harder, Iretreated
in haste.
80, John, John, come ini'' called my
wife,. tugging at my-garment. ''We'l
be murdered in our beds. Wen be robbed
of everything. They'll set the house on
fire. They'll steal the baby.e'
What was / to do? | locked the doors
of the bedrooms, but all our valuables
were on the floors below. We were alone
in the house, our domestic having gone
out for the night. Pretty soon we heard
the ehink of silver and something fell and
shattered. The house was so still we could
even hear them whisper Hushi"
looked out of the front window, hop.
ing policeman would pass, but no such
luck. There did not seem to be sou
stirring.
sI must 60 for the police,n [ said.
"Don't leave me. Don't tleaye me, John
They'll kill me and the babyl" cried my
wife.
She couldn't go along. What was / tt
do? I put on the first things that hap
pened to come handy. They were, as
afterward discovered, a pair of India-rub
Der boots and my wife's water proof cloak
As for hat, my hats were on rack IL
the ball
S'I must leave you for a few moments
Sarah Jane" said. I" "only a few moments
will hasten back. Be bravel The door
are locked"
We embraced, and | went out on tn,
balcony. There is another balcony below
connected with it by iron-work uprights
and from that to the front steps is but
trif1e.
You'll fall" shrieked Sarah Jane; bu
I did not. reached the ground in safety
and the poliee-station in an incredibl,
short space of time.
had on my red flannel night-cap
which has, regret to say, dropping tas
sci, ,and I oppose was rather peculia
object, for some one at the station laughe,
at me-some one who did not know m,
cause for agitation and alarm.
II want police officer-two or three Q
then,' said I.
''Sit down and wait five minutes, . sal
Lheman smoke to-