The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-05-20

lose q watch, go to the matchmaker; !;
find key, go to the locksmith.'
"And will you kindly let me have my
kcys'
"Ai, in good time, in good time. 1t
isn't here, my boy; hadn't pocket big
enough. l should have been obliged to
hire a coach to carry it; ha, ha! You
must come and fetch it, that's the fact.
Come, and crack bottle with me, you
and your gay young friend; jolly dogs;
ha, HAP
81 was little disposed to turn out; but
my new friend was so pressing in his in-
vitation, and being anxious to recover
my key, l was persuaded to accompany
him. We called upon my friend, who,
being rather a gay young fellow, and
fond of wine, made no objection to a bot
tie; and so we accompanied the old gen.
tleman home in a coach which he hired,
to his house, full of life and merriment
all the time.
"'The old gentleman's house hardly
corresponded in appearance with the
character of its owner. 1t was decidedly
dark and gloomy, in low-lying neigh
| borhood, somewhere near the river.
But the old gentleman had boasted Sc
much of his cellar, and had given US in
his conversation such glimpses of his
hospitable ways of life, that we did not
doubt we should be we'll entertained, not
withstanding the unpromising look Of
| his abode.
"'Now, my boys he cried, pushing
us in before him, first door to the right.
And I'm away to the cellar to geta bottle
of my very best. In the meantime re-
| fresh yourselves with pinch of snuff.
He gave US candle and his snuff box,
the identical little box l now hold in my
hand, and left US in a low-roofed, vii
lainous-l looking chamber, its walls black
with the dirt Of years, festooned with
cobwebs and furnished with only a few
broken chairs and table.
"An eccentric, evidently said my
friend, when the old gentleman had left
US alone; rich, too, I'll be bound. Per-
haps, as he seems to have taken fancy
to us, the old fellow will make us heirs
=" He kept us waiting so long that we
began to be uneasy-late at night, in a
strange place, the aspect of which was
not reassuring; and yet we could not
doubt the respectability of the little old
gentleman. Presently we heard his voice,
as he sang and shouted merrilY, and he
returned, carrying in one hand bottle
and in the other swinging on his finger
my key. AS he entered we noticed for
the first time tremendous scar below
his right eye, the result, as it seemed, of
some old wound.
"Now, my lads, won't. leave you in
this old lumber-room any longer; come
into my own little snug and we'll crack
bottle and make merry night of it.
We've got the key, we've got the key
and we won't go home till morningp
shouted the old gentleman, in the most
hilarious voice, snatching up the candle
and leading the way through a door at
the further end of the room that opened
into narrow passage. Just as he en-
tered the passage the old gentleman, as
if by accident, dropped the candle, so
that everything was in profound dark
ness.
"'Come along, come along; we shall
find light at the other end,' called the
Old gentleman, merrily. Give me your
arm, young sir, give me your arm
"I was following HIM without thought
or hesitation, as was my friend, when all
of a sudden heard, from what seemed
the bowels of the earth, just in front of
me, the barking of dog; it was Bingo's
bark among thousand. Back, backr
/ cried, recoiling with such force that |
dragged the old gentleman several PAGES
backward; he lost his hold; heard a
cry, splash. Back, backP thrusting
ray friend into the room we had quilted.
The door behind US had not swung to,
for Jackson had not passed quite through
into the passage, and there was such ter
ror and warning in my voice that he
sprang back instinctively and regained
the room we had left. The door went to
with a bang; it closed with spring
lock and there was no means OF opening
it. We stood together in the darkness,
our arms clasped together, not daring to
move to one side or the other lest some
pitfall might open beneath US. We saw
at once that we had been entrapped into
this house to be made away with. We
had been lured into an oubliette, from
which we should hardly escape with
life. We had been hunted down by the
body -snatchers, whose safety demanded
our destruction.
"At this moment light appeared be-
meath the door by which We had first
entered, and presently the door itself
was opened and face appeared, pale,
CHASTITY and drawn up by strong emotion.
A dog ran forward, barking loudly. Next
moment the dog began to jump and
fawn upon US.
cha, Bingor l cried in voice that
tried to make calm and assurant:
{ Where's your master, Bingo? Where's
the purveyor?'
The man stepped into the room sud
denly and flashed his light upon US. 1t
was Blackstock. What! Mr.. Wilson,
he cried, MIR. jackson! All! l never
dreamt it was you. Pray, what are you
doing here?'
We have come here by invitation,
l said unconcernedly, to drink bottle
of wine with little old gentleman
"Ahp said Blackstock, with forced
kind of laugh. L know him. Have you
been in there with him?'-pointing to
the passage.
"No,' 1 said; no. He left us just
now, and hasn't come back
Blackstock looked first at me, then
at the dog, which was wriggling and
fawniEg and my feet.
"'Ah, he said, you were always kind
to Bingo, sir. Step this way
ave followed him, cautiously enough,
down flight of stairs, at the bottom of
which he flung open door, which led
into the street. How delicious was the
breath of air upon our cheeks!
Goodnight, gents said Blackstosk.
You'll keep your tongues between your
teeth, know, for your own sakes, anoth-
er time. Don't you mention names, sir.
You've been precious near kingdom come,
gents, this night. Good-by'
"We never saw anything more OF