Nebraska advertiser., 1876-08-03

These words were spoken in low,
hurried tones, for the old woman was
close behind them, muttering the
most uncomplimentary epithets.
The moment they were outside the
gate, she slammed and locked it.
"a pretty thing" she muttered as
she hobbled into the lodge-'a pretty
thing that couldn't leave the place
for few minutes, just to go to the
cellar to get a bottle of wine, but
what two great hulking fellows must
have the impudence to walk in! Old
Jacob Crime, indeed "a nice sort OF
fellow he was! l remember you, too,
Master Jack Bilge-a nice rapscallion
you was! Sarah's son, too-Sarah s
son ! l don't want anything to do
with the ungrateful wench: to 60
away in the manner she did, without
ever telling me where she was going,
or even saying goodbye! And that's
Sarah's son dear, dear, how like he
is to what Master Robert was at his
age! l wonder what them chaps
wanted here? And where's that girl
got to. wonder ?-got out with the
chaps, l s'pose, and left the place TO
take care of itself!"
And so she maundeIed on.
When Charley found himself in the
road, he could no longer control his
veXation.
II wish I had spoken to herr' he
said, irritably. II would not have
been put off so easily; would have
offered her money, and"
Il dare say you'd ha' done won
ders," sneered Bilge. "Do you think
you'd ha' gotten over Mother Candy ?
you know you wouldn't. Well
like mother, like daughter. The
harder you'd ha' tried her, the more
wixenish and obstinate she'd ha' got.
"Well, then, suppose we may as
well turn round and walk back to
Holly HILL" said Charley, sulkily.
"Stop o bit, and let me think; you
youngsters want everything in such a
hurry"
AS stimulus to thought he lit his
pipe, and then sat down upon the
road side bank.
II don't like to be done by that old
catamaran, he said, pulling hard at
the damp tobacco that would not
light. About a mile further up, if 1
don't mistake, there's a lane that
leads round to the back of the grounds
where there's no wall, only wooden
palisades, that must be precious rotten
by this time. Now, perhaps we
might manage to crawl through some
hole, or pull stave out, for the mat
ter o. that. Once inside, we might
manage to find one of the lower win
dows unfastened, or even open, and
then"
1.-The very thing!" cried Charley,
excitedly, and not waiting for the
completion of the sentence. Come
along, and don't let US lose any more
time"
1--WE should look pretty If we was
catched," said Bilge, as they walked
up the road. They'd have us up
hfore the bench for poachers or
thieves :"
II should quickly tell them that l
believed myself to have the right of
entering that house, " replied Charley,
BiIge stood still, stared at the youth,
took his pipe out of his mouth. and
gave long whistle.
"Well, my young rooster, you're
beginning to crow early, and no mis-
take!" he said. "If you was to talk
like that to old Parson Ball, if he's
still alive and on the bench, he'd give
you three months extra for impu-
dence, as he did the man who, when
he was asked why be pulled turnip
up, said it was because he was starv-
ing; blessed if the old parson didn't
clap three months extra to his sem
fence, for impudence !"
Bilge's Typographical knowledge
lad not deceived him. They found
he lane and the palisades, just as he
lad described. The palisades were
rotten and broken away, and after
cautiously around to see that
10 one was observing them, they |
'orced q way through an opening, |
md through some bushes, and found /
in an orchard, among the |
rees of which, at short distance off,
hey caught sight of the house, which
hey now approached with great eau
ion.
Bilge tried several of the windows,
md found all fastened and shuttered.
1t last they came to the door, out of
which they had seen Mrs. Miller is
ue. Pushing it mechanically, rather
han with any hope of finding it un-
astened, to his surprise it yielded to
lis touch. He pushed il open. The
icy had been turned, but the lock
lad not caught.
It was very dark within; the air
truck damp and chill even on that
warm summer noon, and was laden
With on odor of decay. Bilge struck
match, and by lis feeble light they
aw themselves in long stone pas
age. Along this they proceeded, by
he light of more matches, until they
anne to door, turning the handle of
which they found themselves in an
ther passage, which ran at a right
ngle with the one they had just
uitted. A small window at the fur
her end admitted a dim light. by
,hich they perceived several doors on ,
ach side.
"If we could only find our way up