Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-08-17
KIND-HEARTED CREECHER.

and grave, tall, solemn-looking chap
comes up to my door, and calls out:
is Creecher here?' ~
That's me- says /.
oh, then,' says he, Jump in,' point
ing with his finger to nae to get up the
steps OF the carriage, where there was
tall tiunky holding the door open for
me.
Says 1, Master, where are you
bound %
oh, never you mind says he !;
you'll be well paid. Look sharp
But I'd like to beautify myself says
/, and nun tell the missis.'
With that, he took up my hat that
was lying on the counter, and bangs IL
ON my head, and pushes me into the
carriage, and away we went before you
could say Jack Robinson Eh, but
we did go rarely! 1t was dark night
and frosty; and we soon got out of the
lights of the town, and still the horses
galloped on; and 1 could see the stars
twinkle overhead; and then it grew
colder all of a sudden, and the windows
of the carriage were covered with ice
in minute, and I could see nOught
but the irside, where I was sitting
with the strange man. And he said
never a word. But still we galloped
on; and after a good bit, / heard the
murmnr and dash of river hard by
above the clatter of the hoofs, and we
crossed bridge. / think, for We went
up and down for minute, as if we had
been in a swing. And then the sound
of hoofs died away altogether, as If the
! horses we're galloping over gravel or
soft turf; and presently the carriage
stopped all of sudden. A foOtman
stood at the door; the silent man jump
ed out. Stay theren he cried as he
went, with gesture of authority
stay therep And there I staid, for /
were cowed-like, with being carried of
like that; and didn't know if my soul
were my own. 'What'H the old wO-
man say" 1 thought to myself. The
carriage moved on a bit, and stopped
again.
Now, then, my ladp says the foot
man, opening the door.
But / weren't going to be ordered
about by such cattle as he. Says l !:
Pm on thy masters business and if
thou doesn't speak respectful, I'll smite
thee in the ear-hole.' It's well to stand
on your dignity with those chaps, you
see.
'Oh, / beg your pardon;' says the
man, more respectful; but will you
step into the house-keeper's room?
And with that 1 fell off the high
horse I'd been riding, for, to tell the
truth, l were thinking for while l
were, perhaps, rightful son of lord as
as had been stolen in his youth, and
that they were taking me home 10 the
halls of my fathers, and happen were
going to marry me to the daughter OF
the usurpe, to make all square. But
says l.: 'I'll stick to the old woman
Not but the flesh is trecherouS, and
happen I'd have changed my mind
when I'd seen the young one. But,
however, all that was knocked on the
head when l heard the fiunky tell me
to go to the house-keeper's room. 1t
was only dressing job after all.
Well, before I'd got well inside the
door, an old chap dressed in black,
catches hold of me by the elbow.
'Creecher?' says he; 'Creecher
Yes, Pm Creecher,' says 1. What's
your pleasure?'
oh, you've to come this way Direct
lyr
And away he went along passages,
and up stairs, and down stairs; and
presently we came to a boarded corri-
dor beautifully carpeted, and the old
man tapped at door, and a young
woman opened it, and says she: is he
here ?'and the man says: Yes Come
in she said; my lady will speak to
you directly And 1 went into little
room as was beautifully furnished with
easy-chairs and sofeyes, and all the
luxuries of the season.
well, my DEAR says l to the maid,
'and so your missis is going to the ball.
But it'll be we'll nigh time to go home
before she gets there
'Hush,' she says, putting her finger
to her lips; and then 1 began to think
it was death job as had got on hand.
I've had such jobs afore now, when the
corpse has been young, and with beau
tiful hair. All and many time my
fingers has itched, for, says to myself,
it's pity such sight of beautiful hair
should go down to the worms, when it
might be going to enjoy itself atop OF
some other young woman's head-ah,
and L could tell you tale or twOabOut
that! But it wasn't a job of that kind,
1 found, as heard somebody moving
in the next room, and such soft little
moan, as it went to my heart to hear it
-ay, lad. And then somebody came
out--a tall, splendid lady, dressed in
black satin, as naughty as queen.
'Creecher,' she says, are you Creech-
err? Don't speak, but listen to what l
tell you. A lady has had an accident
has been severely burned. Remedies
have been applied-plasters, what not.
not. Her hair
Il understand, my lady; you want
me to take it off. I'll do it in a jiffy, if |
you'll lend me one of his lordship's |
razors, for was that hurried when /
came away, l left mine behind me. |
I've got my scissors and comb, my
lady, says I, pulling 'em out.
silence = she says, 'Creecherp look
ing at me quite disgusted; and beckon-
ing the girl, she says: 'Take the fire
shovel, and throw them things away
tools, so l claps 'em into my pocket, |
and buttons up mp my coat, and says
/: Now, your ladyship,' and she says: |
'Amelie, throw something over the
wretch
And with that, Amelie brought
white gown with sleeves, as smelt as
beautiful as a nosegay, and she wraps
me mp in it, and I caught sight of
myself in the glass, and thinks l you
might take me for parson when he's
agate at the seven commandments.
Now she says, .Creecher, hold your
tongue, and listen to me. Whatever
happens, she must not lose her hair;
you understand, it must be saved at all
hazards. Now, come, and do your
duty
En- but it were pitiful to see the
poor lassie, half-sitting, half-lying, in
state atween and easy chair and a
couch. All her face was covered over
but her eyes, and they seemed to burn.
Such sad and pitiful eyes 1 never saw