The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-05

could do no harm, either; and he did SO
wish to know who that man was
The more the Squire thought about it
the more convinced was he that 1t was
Mr.. Grimp but then may be it wasn't.
He acoatEd find out He became more
resolute then, and looked about for some
aid to his purpose. This, after some
search, he found in a small ladder, which
he placed against the kitchen and began
| to ascend. He got up the ladder without
trouble, but found the roof SO coated
with ice that he had to move with ex-
treme caution. However, the window was
reached at Last, and, looking in, he saw
only the widow and Tom Harwood sitting
by the fire.
| gust after making this discovery at
never thought of him! Why in Sam
| Hill didn't remember he was here, and
saved all this trouble? Nearly spilled my
best clothes, too!'
| He turned about and was preparing to
| go back, when movement down In the
| shrubberv arrested his attention and
downward progress at the same time.
| For q minute or two he remained per-
fectly still; then he peered carefully over
the roofs edge. He saw a man standing
below among the trees, but who he was
the Squire couldn't make out. Howbeit,
whoever he might be, he seemed to be
scanning the upper front window very
closely Indeed, this view did not seem
to satisfy him, and like his "llustrious
| predecessor" he, too, passed round back
| of the little kitchen. The Squire became
alarmed. He would be discovered now
certainly! What should he do2 He
glanced about hopelessly until he caught
sight of the chim1ey-a large, old
| fashioned one, running up from the
/ IL
| of the main building. With a quick
movement he scrambled to his feet into
the shadow of its deep corner and stood
| close against the wall.
Maybe" he thought, &c the man will
go way pretty soon, confound him -
But the stranger seemed in no hurry
to leave; on the contrary he moved about
a few minutes, and then, to the conster-
nation of our friend on the roof, he be-
gan to ascend the ladder. IF ever Squire
Butterfeld perspired in his life, he did
then. Although it was cold night, he
was in profuse sweat from head to foot.
He gritted his teeth, clenched his hands,
bit his lips until the blood came, but
nevertheless the intruder made his way
slowly but surely up the slippery incline.
Goodness gracious! What in Sam
Hill shall doa" murmured the Squire
in his desperate fear. t'Id give any
thing, yes, anything, if was safe at
home. / wish all the widows were in
| Guinea. wish
But the sentence never was completed.
| The ice-alas the treacherous ice on the
roof Unexpectedly, suddenly, without
premeditation or malice aforethought,
| the SQuire's feet shot forward from
under him, and with accuracy of aim
and swiftness of motion seldom surpass-
ed, he bore down upon the stranger.
That individuals hold was very weak and
uncertain at best, and he was lily pre-
pared for such an onslaught. Therefore
when the Squire struck him, he, too,
assumed an unexpected momentum, and
both passed over the roof together, the
stranger descending feet foremost into
| the rain barrel and the Squire making
sad havoc with the widows grapevines
! and arbor.
For q moment the stranger remained
within the barrel and the Squire among
the vines where he had fallen, both too
| amazed and confounded to know what to
| do. But only for moment; then they
! extricated themselves and stepped out
/ into the moonlight, the Squire with coat
torn clear to the back, and the stranger
very wet and dripping. And thus and
/ there, face to face, they met.
60 Brother Buttertield !"
''Mr. Grimp!"
There was a momentary silence after
! these exclamations of astonished recog-
milton. Mr.. Grimp was the first to
break it.
| Brother Butterfeld, what you were do
ing on the roof of my house at this late
hour?"
''Sartainly you may, MIR. Grimp. /
/ came-because- isl came to sarve
that writ of yourn, - answered the Squire,
relieved to find some excuse.
"Ahi'
"Yes an I'd like to know what bust
ness you had up there, Mr.. Grimp2"
''I came to see you serve it, " said Mr..
Grimp, with a peroeptble Tightening of
his thin lips.
"Wen, i said the Squire, rapidly re-
covering his composure, &c if your writ
don't stick better'n you did on that
ere roof, it won't amount to nothin' /,
that's all"
What reply Mr.. Grimp would have
made to this request is not known, for
just then the door opened, and Tom
Harwood and the widow, alarmed by the
noise, came out Both the Squire
and Mr.. Grimp would gladly have
avoided an interview indeed they
late. The widow recognized them at
once.
'Why, Mr.. Grimpl and Squire But
terfeld, tooi' she exclaimed with the
most charming of smiles. ssWhy,
thought it was burglars, or horse thieves,
or something, and was SO frightened.
And, why, MIR. Grimpl You are real wet,
aren't youa Is it raining or showing q"
And she held out her little hand to catch
the falling drops.
'No, marm, faint snowin', or rainin'
either. Ye see, MIR. Grimp was Jest
shown me the scdtcr 17rivilegcs about
the place, an tryin' to see how much a
rain barI would hold,' responded the
Squire sarcastically, pointing toward the
aforesaid barrel
ss Brother Butterield, will you be so
kind as to attend to the business on
which we camel" said MIR. Grimp
sternly.
s' Sartain1y win. Here, Widow Bar
ney, is writ from MIR. Grimp, notifyin'
you TO give up these ere premises. -
g. will take charge of that, said
young Harwood, rather haughtily. "I
will call upon you to-morrOw, Squire,
and settle the matter. I would say, also,
| Mr.. 9rimp. that the time for redemption