The daily gazette., 1876-01-05

AT TINS Juncture fllura DeGan 10 ScTedlu
q ch ana murder and in a marvellous
ly short space of time the street began
to fill with people, who seemed to spring
oat of the earth, and the usually quiet
neigh boz hood in which Phineas resided
was alive with excitement. No one SEEM
ed to take in the situation as it really
was, but all sorts of coniectures passed
from mouth to mouth. Some said that
there had been murder others that
man had committed suicide, and still
others that the house had been attacked
by burglars and the silverplate carried
off. All of this time Pbineas stood with
his thumb still in position, trying to
make his wife understand that If she
would give him the portion of the gas
fixture which she held in her hand, the
trouble would soon lie over.
" FIlura Filura !" he exclaimed at the
top of his voice, as the crowd surged
around the house with n constantly in
creasng noise "Glve me the pipe -
WHATS that he says 7" asked wo-
man with shawl over her head and a
crying baby in her arms.
'' He wants a pipe" said small boy,
who had crawled underneath the legs Of
the crowd until his body protruded half
way iuto the room.
son, the cold-blooded william an he
wantin' to smoke after murtherin' the
wife and childer," said man in overalls,
as he pulled his red beard, "Musha !
musha but this is quare country, any
way"
Suddenly the crowd began to divide
right and left, and two tardy policemen
brandishipg their clubs were seen ap-
preaching, and after hitting half dozen
inoffensive men Of small stature and re-
tiring disposition over the head, reached
| the window and inquired roughly the
cause of the trouble. Filura and the
maid of all work began to talk at once,
as they wiped the tears from their eyes,
and Phineas vociferated from the inte-
rior, violently gestlculating with his dis
engaged hand. By degrees the true
state of affairs began to dawn ON the in.
telligence of the guardians Of the pub
lie peace, and taking the piece of pipe
from Filura's hand one of the policemen
leaped through the window, and having
screwed it into its proper position turned
his attention to Phineas, who sat on the
ruin of chair nursing his right arm,
which seemed to weigh fifty pounds
more than its fellows.
You are smart un, you are," said
the man in blue. Don't you know bet
ter than to raise such disturbance as
this? I've a good mind to take you to
the station-house."
Phineas laboriously took from his vest
pocket crisp something, that rustled
like new greenback and motioning the
officer into the entry placed the some-
thing in his hand. The change in the
mans manner was well-nigh miraculous.
cts shame, SIR" he said, that an
accident cannot happen in respectable
family without crowd like this collect
ing. I'll have it dispersed Immediately,
sir"
Before the hourishing billy and the
hot words of tho policeman the crowd
gradually melted away, muttering that
that man IN the house ought to be ar
| rested, for he was Misunderstanding
fellow any way, and altogether too many
murderers had escaped recently. Mean
while Filura had returned to the house,
| the windows had been shut, the blinds
down, the gas lighted, and husband and
wife sat looking at each other. while the
servant gathered up the fragments.
1t wasn't my fruit" remarked the
| Niohe-like Filura.
"Then Isuppose it was mine" aaid
| the disconsolate Phinas.
| "Yes, if you hadn't gone to the supper
Of that horrid Mushroom Club you
| wouldn't have been in bed and | never
would have been asked to do man $
work. It's horrid old fixture, anyw ""
Phineas was about to reply, but just
then the cry of an infant was heard.
Good heavens )" they exclaimed stimuli
taneousiy, as they rushed to the stairs,
tumb bling over each other in their rapid
| fight upward. Lysymachus Adolphus
Phiggins had been entirely forgotten in
the excitement, and the remainder of
| the night was spent by the husband and
wife in administering soothing cordials
to that blessed baby.