The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-09-16
A NIGHT OF ALARM.

NV sister Julia was always courageous
In our youth the country was wilder than
now; but it might be said of her that she
was not brought up in the woods to be
scared by an owl. She would traverse the
most unfrequentcd paths, wondering at
my timidity.
There was nothing masculine, however,
in Julia's appearance; she was simply a
sweet. joyous child, with an absence of
fear in her character and a consequent
clearness of perception in all cases ofsup-
posed or actual danger.
When l was sixteen and Julia was
eighteen my father hired a laborer named
Hans Schmidt, a Hessian, who had been
in the British service and who, at the
close of the war, had deserted from his
regiment.
He was powerful man, with heavy,
imbruted countenance, and both Julia
and myself were struck, at the very first,
with an intuitive dread of him. The
feeling in Julia hardly took the charac-
ter of fear, but was one rather of lOath-
ing.
One evening she read of horrible
murder that thrilled our blood, and upon
turning her eyes from the paper they en-
countered those of Hans Schmidt. There
was something terrible in that glance and,
from that moment, she resolved that the
villain should be turned away.
As her wishes and opinions were al
ways of much weight with father, he gave
Hans his discharge.
Soon after this Julia and l were left
alone in the house, both father and mother
being absent upon visit until the follow
ing day, and we happened to be without a
servant at the time (for we kept more than
one).
AT night we went up to bed and had
to the window.
IL declare" she said, "the evening is
so pleasant that it is pity to remain in
doors. Idon't feel a bit sleepy; let's 60
down on the lawn"
We descended the stairs. How little l
imagined what was in Julia's heart!
Harry Irving came up just as we reached
the lawn. He was only casually passing
the house.
Julia engaged him in conversation and
he joined us. My sister was more than
usually lively.
"Where are Tom, and Edgar, and
WIFI" she asked.
ooh" replied Harry, " they are over to
my unclc's. They will be coming back
soon
The three young men soon appeared
upon the road; and, to my SURPRISE Julia
arose ut their approach and called us
aside from the door.
Now, Mary, you need not be nerv-
ous,' she said. Keep quiet, and do not
speak above your breath. There is man
under our bed-there, there!" and she
clasped her hand over my mouths
man under our bed, and the young Irvings
are going to secure him."
They all provided themselves with
heavy sticks and then, guided by Julia,
assembled the stairs.
As to myself, could not follow them,
but remained trembling and leaned upon
the doorsteps. Never did experience q
greater sense Of relief than when the as
sailing party descended, looking partly
ashamed and partly amused, having found
nothing to justify their sudden arma-
ment. go.
Julia was in an agony of modification
and wept piteously for, although but half
convinced that her approximations had
been groundless, the idea that she, who
had never till now feared anything, had
placed herself SO ludicrously in the eyes of
those men was insupportable.
The man, she said, must have taken the
alarm and fed out the back door, for she
coAld not have been SO deceived.
Our young friends, more in pity for her
modification than from any belief in the
reality of the night intruder, offered to re-
main in the vicinity till morning; but she
would not listen to the proposition and
they took their departure.
was sorry to see them 60 and watched
their forms till they were out Of sight, for
the affair of the evening had almost
frightened me into Mysteries.
Julia, however, at once rushed to tho
chamber and flinging herself on the bed,
continued bitterly weeping. She had ex-
hibited herself in character which she
despised; and her man under the bed
would be the talk of the neighborhood.
followed her, but neither Of US could
sleep. 50
The clock on the mantelpiece struck
eleven; and then tick, tick, tick" it
went on for the next dreary hour. Julia
at length ceased wesping, and lay in
thought only an occasional sigh bertyins
her wakefulness. 80
Again the clock struck, but It had moi