The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-08-30
From Appleton's journal !
A Midnight Drama.
BY EDW ARD BELLAMI.

ers the gentleman in his shirt sleeves be
fore the mirror, had heaved that sigh ev-
cry night for ten years, simultaneously
| with the act OF removing from his head
the fine chestnut wig which conceals the
most complete deStitutlon OF the natural
covering. The grief is therefore an old
one, but an element of perpleXity has
mingled with this nightly sigh lately
namely, since having Woed and won An
| gle McLane i'll his wig he has been screw
ing up his courage to the point oI reveal
ing to her that it is wig, as he feels in
| fairness he ought to do. He has put it
off and put it Oft, never finding Just the
right opportunity fol the confession, until
now the wedding is but a month of, and
the task seems harder, more impossible,
| than ever. He is at present spending a
couple of days at the house OF the Nc
| Lanes in the country, with Il view to get
| ting acquainted with the family. For
the sake OF enjoying unalloyed the pleas
ure OF Angles society for this short time,
| he has compromised With his conscience
| by resolving 1T once on leaving To write
! to her and tell the truth, and by no means
| to procrastinate further.
Meantime the process of getting ac-
| qualnted with the family does not get ON
very prosperously. Bob is a poor match
| from the parental point OF view, and a bit
ter disappointment to the McLanes. Moth
| ing but Angles resolute character could
have eXtorted their grudying consent
| which their engagement had at length
| received. The family consisted, besides
| Angie, of her father and mother and two
| brothers, John and George. Mr.. McLane
| Kept his room, being a confirmed invalid.
John, strongWilled and arrogant in tenn
| per, ruled the family with rod of iron
! George being kinder tempered, but OF
less strength Of character. Angie was
| the only member of the family whom
john could not rule, and she had carried
the point Of her engagement against his
| bitter opposition. Mrs. McLane was a
mere shuttlecock between John and An
| gle, receiving IN impulse from one which
| lasted till the other got hold OF her John
| had accepted the engagement with an
exceedingly bad grace, and made scarce
| " Il decent pretenSe Of conceallnT from
Bob his contempt and hostility, and his
| desire to find any preteNt for forcing Il
| quarrel. This was particularly unplcaS-
ant and demoraizing to Bob, because the
injury to his own selt-respect by the sense
Of the tacit deceit he WAS guilty OF us to
| his wig left him unable to meet Johns
overbearing insoencc with the quiet dig
nifty he would have liked to assume.
After going to bed he lay awake a
couple OF hours thinking over these en-
| barrassing circumstances, and the de
| lighttul fact of Angles love, to which
| they We're offsets. In the course Of his
tossings he became aware that his seal
| ring was not on his finger, and instantly
remembered that, after using it for a for
| felt in a parlOr game that evening, he li;ld
| forgotten to replace it. NeXation at his
careeSsnesS instantly made him wide
awake The ring must be on the library
| table. Ii not, then he knew not where ;
and if there it might be filched 10y Il ser
| want in the morning. Associations made
| it invaluable, and he found himself 50 un-
easy about its safety that he could not
sleep. Perhaps the best thing he could
do was to quietly step down stairs in his
stockings without disturbing anybody
and make sure about it, He knew that
| he could even in the dark steer his way
straight to the library. In this seepless,
excited state Of his mind the slight tingc
Of adventure in his plan had an attrac-
| ton.
Jumping out of bed he put Oh il part of
his clothes, and softly opening the door
of the room went across the hall and
down the stairs to the ground floor. 1t
was quite dark, but he found his way
easily, having a good Topographic instinct.
| From the lower hall lie entered the dim
ing room and from that the library. The
sea coal fire in the CRATE was still flicker
ing brightly, Illuminating the sumptuous-
ly furnished room with a faint soft glow
Of peculiarly rich effect.
There on the table his ring gittered in
the titful freight, and as lie slipped it on
| his finger he felictated himself en- his
successful enterprise. The room was 50
challningly cozy that he felt it would he
a sin not to linger awhile. SO, throwing
himself on a sofa before the CRATE, he fell
into a delightful reverie.
just there, in that chair, Angie had
sat during the evening, and there he pic
turcd again, finally going and leaning
over it i'll Il caressing attitude, tondly
cheating himself. Over there had sat
Mrs NcLane, and the chair back at once
transtiXed him with two critical eyes till
he was fain to look away The brothers
were there and there.
Bob chuckled with coZy sense of
SurreptitiouSness us he thought how
they would stare could they see him now
The subtitle pleasure of candestine things
is doubtless partly the eXaggeration OF
the personality which takes place as the
pressure of other minds is withdrawn.
TO persons of Bob's sensitive mental at
mosphere that pressure is painful when
such minds are hostile, and often irksome,
even when they are friendly, if not in per-
feet accord. 70 that now it was Il posi-
lively voluptuOuS sensation that his per-
sonality expanded till it filled and felt
the whole room.
The fire burned and busily flew the
shuttles of his fancy, weaving once again
the often varied patterns of the future.
Those shuttles had little leisure nova
days, for all the web must be unrayeled
and rewoven, that through it all might
run the golden thread of Angles love
How rarely did it light up the fabric, be
fore SO duh and dark
The bronze mantel clock sounded with
silvery tinkle the hour of two, but the
sound fell apparently unheeded on the
ear Of the dreamer. 1t was full minute
before the impression reached his mind
There are times when the thoughts
throng 50 that each new sensation has tc
take its place in the cue and wait its
turn to get attention. Then he stirred
and reused himself, emerging reluctantly
from the warm, voluptuous atmosphere
of Imagination as one leaves an enerva-
ting bath. He had been lying thus a full
hour and it was high time to return to
bed. He left the library and started
across the dining room with hasty step.
Perhaps long gazing at the fire had