The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22

breath, could no more get at his victlm
than if the Thames flowed between
them. He occasionally attempted
stroke across the table, but never once
hit Wade; all he did was to upset and
break two or three of his own glasses,
which did not add to his good humor.
ssThe boy began to reflect, however,
that his enemy would probably soon
call for assistance and, although one
man cannot catch boy with long
table to defend him, it is as easy as pos
sible for two men to do so. Therefore,
Wade first contrived to lead the Doctor
to that side of the table which was OPP
posite the door of the room, and, when
he himself was close to the door, he
suddenly bolted, slamming it after him.
In an instant he was in the playground,
though he had to descend staircase
and open two other doors, but he took
care to shut these also.
Suddenly bright idea entered Wade's
brain, under the influence of his excite
ment. There was large copper in the
wash house to boil linen in, fixture,
built round with brick, and having q
fireplace under it. The copper had
also a wooden lid. What if he were to
get into the copper? Would it be big
enough to hold him? The Doctor was
now within few yards of the wash
house, and if the copper was to he tried
at all it must be tried at once. There
was water in it two feet deep, but this
did not prevent Wade getting into the
copper and carefully drawing the lid
over his head. An instant after, the
Doctor was in the wash-house, followed
by two of the servants.
"I heard a noise in this place just
nowI said DR.. Templeman. '' He
must be herep But, though he and
the servants sought with the very great
est care, they found no Wade for it
never occurred to them to lift up the
lid of his hiding place.
"About in the afternoon the
hoHsekeeper and scullery-maid entered
the wash house together. Patty, said
the housekeeper, 'iust you make fire
under the copper, while I sort the
liuen.'
''' Must I put any water in the cop
per?' Patty inquired.
No, not drop. It's a more than
half full already, and if you were to put
in any more it would take too long to
heat
"Wade heard Patty busy herself
about lighting the fire. Water and
metal are both excellent conductors of
sound, and every scratch of the shovel
and poker came up magnifed in his
ears. Well, this is pleasant 7 he
thought, now I am to be boiled like a
lobster 7 However, on reflection, it
occurred to him that it would be quite
time enough to get out of the copper
too much of good thing. Certainly ii
would be good thing in moderation,
as relief from the terrible cold that
had become almost past endurance.
"The first sensation of increasing
warmth was a luxury to James Wade,
and the luxury became more and more
agreeable as it grew more distinctly
perceptible. At length it reached such
point that it was positively delightful.
Like summer succeeding to wintry
spring, it bathed him in genial
warmth all the more heartily apprecia
ted for the wretched cold that had pre-
ceded it. But the stateof perfect bliss
if ever it is attained by mortals, is vel
known to be a very transient state, soo1
succeeded by troubles and miseries o
some sort or another. He was nov
in the full comfort of an Eng
lish July, but he would not re
main there long. He resembled tn
passengers on board a vessel bound fol
the antipodes, which gets every hou
near to the Torrid Zone. But it i
amazing what an amount of heat tn
human body is capable of supporting
when it is brought it by slow degrees
Wade in his present position was a re
markable example of this, and, if an.
scientific person had been present witt
| q thermometer, who knows but Jane
Wade might have become an interest
ing subject of discussion by the Roya
Society or some other learned body?
''The heat was still bearable, bu
only just bearable. Wade was almos
suffocated by the steam, and the pei
spiration ran from his face like th
dropping well at Knaresborough. a
> length he came to the uttermost imi
of human endurance. can bear thi
NO longer he thought, I must ge
out.
J, "Patty was iust putting another sho,
Q elful of Goals into the fire. when the
of the copper suddenly stirred, the
] slipped over the edge Of the coppe
. and fell to the ground with lou
j noise. Her amazemenS at this une,
$ pected phenomenon was much increase
L when MIR. James Wade jumped out /
IS his bath and stood erect on the floor
q the wash-house, streaming Like ella
sical r1ver-god.
/ "Patty screamed, and would
o doubt have tainted if she had belongs
'e to polite society and had nerves, b
]. the housekeeper did neither the one n