The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-08-02
III is Q cIIan nc O III 8.
Love and Burglary.

Our family had suffered good deal
through the law, and it must have been
from some spiteful purpose to avenge upon
society the wrongs we had endured that my
uncle, in the main Il kindly man, put me
under the tutelage Of old Tangletongue.
Old Tangetongue had daughter Had
she been as ugly as her father, what a world
of trouble it would have saved me, as the
sequel proved. But she was not. lie would
have passed for hideous among the Yahoos
she for beauty among the angels.
NettiG Brown and had fallen in love in
our schoodays, and had been engaged ever
since the time | thrashed Bill Bradd for
presuming to spell word she had missed
But as lesser luminaries become invisible
when the sun shines, so, in the presence OF
Miss Tangletongues dazzling beauty,
Nettie's more modest charms suffered
eclipse.
forgot my vows-fo forgot everything but
Madge Tangletongue, and mad schemes to
win her, from the first hour when she and
l casually met. | sought an early oppor-
tunity to declare my feeling, but she only
laughed, advised me to be good boy, and
mind my books.
In the fullness of my heart made a con-
fidant of Stephe Slye, fellow student in
the office. Stephe promised to stand by
me. He had known Miss Tangetongue a
long WHILE and undertook to speak good
word for me.
The result ofhis kind offices soon became
manifest. Madge ceased to laugh at me,
allowed me to talk seriously of my passion,
and when, one day, clasped her hand, and
implored her to pronounce upon my fate, |
felt so emboldened at her sweet, maidenly
coyness that l eagerly wont on to unfold
my plans.
knew how hopeless my appeal to her
father would be. Rich, and Il worshiper
of riches, he would never consent to his
daughters union with an uniledged aspir-
ant after success in the most precarious OF
all professions. But we could run away,
and trust TO forgiveness afterwards, and il
it never came, were we not all in all to each
other? | had already talked the whole
thing over with Stephe Slye and had the
details planned. A rope ladder, n carriage
and very dark night were all that we
wanted.
My persuasions at last overcame hel
scruples. A night and hour were agreed
upon, and radiant with victory / returned
| delight seemed almost equal to my own
fairly Rugged him in my transports, call,
ed him the best of friends, a very Damon
brick-all of which he bore modestly
On the night appointed it rained, rained
rained, till the very heavens, as Stephe ex.
pressed it, seemed going into liquidation
But all the better for our purpose, for such
| darkness was never seen out of Erebus.
Stephe, like the true friend he was, agreed
to have carriage in waiting at old Tangle.
| tongues back garden gate, thinking it best
not to trust any other driver. The ladder
had been conveyed to Madge before, with
| instructions how to use it, and at the time
| fixed l made my way through the dripping
shrubbery and gave the preconcerted signal
Madge's window was gently raised, and
| the ladder quietly let down, and soon my
treasure was in my arms.
"Come, dearest |" whispered.
All at once she stopped.
1--WE forgotten my bonnet box" she
murmured.
| "For heavens sake leave it !" urged.
"But my best bonnet"
"Quick there's no time to be lost"
"But my bonnet" she persisted, how
am I to be married without it ?"
| BE married as you are" said, "you're
an angel, bonnet or no bonnet"
"You must 90 up and get it," she an
swered firmly, not needing the tlattery.
l almost swore at such obstinacy. But
seeing no help for it, though tancied
heard noise as OF some one stirring with
in, dashed up the ladder, and in few
seconds was in the room Madge had quit
ted. had hardly entered it, when ole
Tangletongue, light in hand, rushed in
shouting at the top of his cracked ole
voice, whose tones fairly made the window
panes rattle:
"Thieves robbers burglars !n
sprang towards the ladder, but in my
haste the hook that held it got dsengagcd
and the ladder dropped outside.
ats you, is it, you young scoundrel,'
roared old Tangletonguc. Come to rol
the house, eh9 2"
| By this time the servants were rouset