Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-07-22


you ask EN- the simplest question. frs
they open their mouths and cape at you
When you've repeated the question twice
they shut their mouths and think for a bit
Then the idea seems to reach the thing
that does duty with 'em for brains, and
excites sort of reflex action, for. by jim.
go. instead of answering your question
they 90 and and ask yog one. And that
makes me 50 mad. Oh, they're very
| dense race, those Yorkshire people.
why, to open the safe you stupid said
|. w here is he:'
Don't We know says she.
l. Know | cried in rage What should
ask YOU for, if | did know?'
Didn't than know he were at tha,
house,:
All, so he was. Id nearly forgotten that
he was one of the guests at my wife's par
ty. Clearly. couldn't get the safe open.
and didn't like to leave the money In my
/ desk, so put 1t in my pocket, and took il
/ home, thinking Id give il to Cousins with
my Key. to put it in the safe, when he re-
/ turned.
/ \ nice mess l got into when | reached
/ home: for you see it had been arranged
that was TO 20 upstairs and dress before
anybody came; and that then our room
was to be made ready for the ladies' to take
their bonnets of-for they were not all
carriage people. Well, you never saw such
a thing. When got home aud crept up.
stairs To dreSs-the people had all come,
50 the servant said-there were six muffs,
and Tour bOnncts, and five pork-pie hats
! and half-a-dozen shawls on the bed: and
one lady had left her everyday curls
haugng over the looking glass Upon nv
word, | really didn't like 10 perform nv
toilet among all these feminine gear: and
there was no lock TO the door; and INV
dreS>-clothes were all smothered up
amongst these NUTS and thIngs.-But
got through pretty well, and had Just got
one OF my legs into my trousers, when
bang ng-atrop-dop-dop, such rattle at the
knocker, and heard my wife scutling
| away into the hall. They were the Mark
byS. our trump cards. who kept their own
carriage and everything grand.
50 kind of you, dear. said my wife,
kissing Mrs. Mark>by most aftcctiouately ::
could hear the report where stood
so delighted, Really, how nicely, how
beautifully you arrange everything, /
can't have things SO nice, with all my ser
wants and
Run upstairs, dear, do said my wife
YOU know the room-my room, right
hand AZ the top of the stairs
heard a iluttcr of female wings on the
stairs. What was | II do: III could have
managed the other leg, | wouldn't have
minded. but | couldn't. hadn't worn those
dress-things for a good while, and don't
get any thinner a grow older. No, for
the life OF me, couldn't dispose of that
other leg at such short notice. What could
| do: could only rush to the door. and
set my back against it. Did | tell vou this
was our house warming party: | think
not. Did tell you our landlord had alter
ca the house for IL, making our bedroom
larger by adding slip that that had form
ed a separate room? | think not. Aud vet
ought 10 have told you all these circum
i tncc1, TO enable YOU to understand the
catastrophe that followed. In word the
door opened outwards. I'd forgotten that
perullarlty-neyer having had 4 room 20
constituted beforehand never will again.
The door went open with a crash. and |
bounded backwards into Mrs. Markby's
arms. Smelling-salts and sal volatile. was
there ever such an untoward affair!
Rum- -tid-ltimity-t de, The music
struck up for the dances a hoped back
into my room | hid nv head amongst
the holsters aud muli,, aud almost cried:
tor / m such deliclte-minded man. Yes
II hurt me good deal more than it did
Mrs. Marhby for, would you believe it? p
-'4N A'ih tAt SUI \ uON u Dtlb" ~ the WilDlt
company. with pantomimic action. and
when showed myself at the door OF the
drawins-room, | was received With shouts
OF lneXtinguishalbe laughter.
| think | called the York shire people
dense just now, didn't /: Well. iii add
another epithet. coarse. dense and coarse
| told EN- SO; but they only laughed the
more.
The guests were gone the lights were
out, slumber had just visited my eyes,
when right into my brain. starting me up
as IL I'd been shot. came noise. a sort of
dull bursting noise. | wasn't really certain
at first whether had heard jnoi>e or on
~ dreamed OF it. sat up in bed and listen.
ed lhtently. Was 1t only my pulse thump-
lhg IN my ears. or were those regular beats
the tramp OF somebody's mutil-d feet
Then | heard all unmstakable sound
creak, creak, creak-a door being opened
slowly and cautiously. All in moment
the idea flashed into my head T,centy-t,r0
thousand Pounds. \ on see all this dane
Ing and junketing and laughing aud chat
inG. had completely driven out of my mind
all thought of the large sum | had in INV
possession. had left it in my greatcodt
pocket, which was han2ng up in the hall,
down stairs.
run gust of wind came through the
house, rattling the doors and windows:
ana then heard Il door slam, and n foot
step outside, OF some one stealing away.
Away downstairs | went like Il madman
my one thought to put my hand on that
greatcoat. Ii was brown greatcoat with
long tails, and two pockets behind, aud
little cash-pocket on the left-hand side in
front, and this breast pocket in which
had put the bag of money. This pocket
wasn't as is usual, on the left-hand side.
but on the right. There was no other coat
hanging on those rails. only my wife's wat
erproof. What, Whoop! made to get hold
OF that coat. Great heavens, it was gone,
had carefully barred ahd chained the
front door before seat to bed-now il
was untastened. | ran out into the street.
and looked up and down, hopeless ard be-
wlldered. 1t was dark, damp night the
lamp at the corner threw long sickly raw
down the streaming pavement, but there
wasn't soul To be seen. Everything was
still, and cold and dark
The money was clean gone-yes, it was
gone. l repeated these words mechanically
to myself. as | crawled upstairs. All the
results of this loss pictured themselves
clearly before me-dismissal from the bank
ruin OF all my prospects. utter ruin. in fact
What could l do? TO what turn? The blow
that had fallen upon me was so heavy that
1t had benumbed my faculties.
Then the thought came to me: Should
90 to bed and say nothing at all about
it! No one knew of my having received
that money, not soul but Black the man
who had deposited it. l had given no re-
cept for it. no acknowledgements. Black
had gone to America-a hundred things
might happen-he might never return; at
all events, here was respite. immediate re-
relief. | could go to the bank next morn
ing. hang up my hat as usual, everything
would go on as before. If Black return.
cd, my word was as good as his The
checks could never be traced home. But
l don't think l retained this thought long.
Do you ever consider how much resolution
and force of will it takes to initiate course
of crime and deception? I'd neither the
one nor the other; should have broken
down at once. | couldn't have met that
fellows eye and told him had never had
his money.
l woke my wife-she'd slept through all
ha