The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-04-19

man didn't object to the tratement, lie
should"
The servant thus informed her mis-
tress, who was looking through the key
hole into Mr.. Dowley's room, and the
mistress gave the order for the door to
be broken in. Crash, smash and Job
Dowley recalled his abused feet, finding
them very convenient to stand upon
when confronting the excited crowd that
blocked up the doorway.
"Id like to know what's all this" ex-
claimed the matron-" the perlice COM
in to this house -
81 will return your question:" said
her boarder, fercely. eff you can't per-
NIT gentleman to pare his toe nails by
moonlight, why, madam, there are other
boarding houses in the city-that's all. )"
The threat was effectual !; the land
lady withdrew her forces, tittering as
they went, and Job was alone with his
disappointment. He strobe up and down
like tiger in his cage.
cts no use," he muttered, ga man
could never enjoy sickness, be it ever so
severe, in this abominable pest of busy
bodies.
Suddenly he paused. "There, 1 know
what I'll do; at last I've hit on the very
thing. I'll get garroted-blame me if L
don't! If that doesn't fire her heart it
must be incombustible.
He dressed himself and rushed down
stairs and into the street. How terrifcally
cold it was !! He felt all over like an ice
house, but his feet especially, from their
previous discipline, were SO horribly stiff
and clumpy he could have bantered n
Chinese female to swap, and afford to
pay boot. They appeared to operate on
the rotary principle, the instep perform
ing for the sole as often as any way. They
slowed around like boys sled, and Job
had hard work to tell which way he was
coasting
The intense cold had frozen the streams
of humanity in their beds-or other in
door refuge SO that, being almost alone
on the street, he stood an excellent
chance of getting served to garrote with
out unreasonable delay-except, indeed
which might Heaven forbid the gar
roting fraternity themselves should be
frozen in likewise. In the latter case he
would have to give up fever and CARROT
ing altogether, as alike infeasible.
His beaver was beaten down hard over
his eyes, SO as to resist the rude snatches
of boreas. A large pocket-book, plump
ed invitingly out with yellow paper, was
carried i'll his hand, and appeared to be
used as balance weight in helping its
owner maintain the perpendicular along
the slippery sidewalk.
But reaching corner and coming sud
denly in contact with the full force of
the windy current, Mr.. Dowley was
swept off his awkward feet and fell. The
edgestone, having no conscience in the
matter of not hitting man when he's
down, gave him free blow across the
forehead and nose, and the effect was
like pul ling the cork out of bottle of
claret and turning it bottom upward.
Groaning with pain, but soothing him
self with the murmured name of Marion,
Job struggled partly up, slipped again
upon his hands and knees, falling hard !;
his coat-t tails flew up in the wind, which,
using them for a sail, drifted him into
the middle of the street. There, after
sprawling a moment, he succeeded in re-
covering his base
A cold Judging world is extremely
liable to cOnfOund faults with misfor-
tunes; it is fortunate, therefore, when We
are not obliged to let the world into our
personal and private affairs unreservedly.
Our hero recognized this truth in look
ing around to see whether anybody had
witnessed his predicament 1t just then
occurred to him that here was capital
complete for his enterprise-in palmer
terms, that he had been sufficiently gar
roted for all practical purposes, and his
nose would furnish the evidence. The
thought was cheering.
As L have said he looked around to
see who might be looking. People al
ways do when they slip in the street. On
either hand he saw rows of lighted man
siOns, carefully drawn curtains separat-
ing their inmates from the scenes with
out. A single human figure appeared in
sight, and that only a queer, muffied up
little thing-some homeless beggar-
shrinking at the foot of flight of steps
leading to one of the carved and orna-
mental portals. Our hero congratulated
himself, and applying his handkerchief
to his wounded cOuntenance, staggered
over to the pitiful little wanderer, who
shrank closer in the corner of the frozen
granite at his approach.
"You poor sis, would you like to earn
a shilling2"
"a shilling, sir?" shiveringly.
"Yes, a whole shilling. Does it seem
SO much ?"
81 can't remember when anybody
ever gave me that sum-" she replied,
bending lower over her poor hands and
trying to warm them with her breath.
"I'm an orphan-I've neither father nor
mother"
"Nor any home, suspect. Never
mind, want you to do an errand which
will take you only few minutes, and
here's shilling for your reward. Do
you know the streets about here %
"Oh, yes, sir. Are you much hurt %
"Confoundedly." With look at his
blood stained handkerchief. 81 wish
you to go to No. 40 -, and ask for
Miss Orville-don't let the servants turn
you away, and don't consent to do the
errand to any one else, but persevere and
see the young lady herself, and tell her L
have been garroted."
Have you ?" astonishment mingled
with fear in her voice. "But who shall
say you are ?"
Job Dowley-you won't forget the
name ?"
"No, 1 wont-Dobe Jowley," return
ed the beggar. "And I'll go quick"
AS to that" said Dowley, "I want
time to get home. wouldn't like the
young lady to arrive at my boarding
house first. Now remember-Miss Or
Dowley garroted. Make no
He dropped the shilling on the child's
lap, and with all the impetus at COM