The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-01-31
4 NIGHT ADVENTURE.

u NlVHI ADVENTURE
WILL tell YOU about an affair-im.
portant as it proved to me; but YOU
must not hurry me. have never been
in a hurry since then. and never will.
Up 10 that time inclusive l was ALWAYS
IN a hurry; my actions always proceed
ed my thoughts; experience was of no
use. and everybody would have sup
posed me destined to carry Young
head upon old shoulders to the grave.
However. was brought up ut last with
Il round turn l was allowed a certain
space for reflection and plenty of ma
,erials, and if it did not do me good it 8
apity.
My father and mother both died when
was still 4 great awkward boy; and l,
being the only thing they had to be-
queath. became the property of dis
tant relation. do not know how it
happened: but had no near relations.
was kind of waif upon the world
from the beginning. and I suppose it
was owing to my having no family an
chorage that | acquired the habit of
swaying TO and fro and drifting hither
and thither at the pleasure of the wind
and tide. Not that my guardian was
inattentive or unkind-quite the re-
verse: but he was indolent and care
less. contenting himself with providing
ablndantlv for my schooling and my
pocket, and leaving everything else to
chance. He would have done the same
thing to his own son. if he had had
one. and he did the same thing to his
own daughter. But girls somehow
cling wherever they are cast-anything
is an anchorage for them; and as Laura
grew up she gave the care she had
never found. and was the little mother
to the whole house. As for the titular
mother, she had not an atom of charac-
ter OF any kind. She might have been
a picture. or vase. or anything else
that is useless, except to the taste or
the affections. But mamma was indis-
penSablc. 1t IS vulgar error to sup
pose that people who have nothing in
them are nobody in house.
II is no wonder that l was always in
hurry, for l must have had an in
-tinetive idea that had my fortune to
look for. The governor had nothing
more than a genteel independence, and
this would be good deal lessened after
his death by the lapse of an annuity.
Blu, Sister Laura was thus provided for
well enough, while had not shilling
in actual money, although plenty of
hypothetical thousands and sundry cas-
ties in the air. 1t was the conscious
ness OF the latter kind of property, no
doubt, that gave me SO free and easy
an air, and made me SO completely the
master of my own actions. How / did
worry that blessed old woman! how
Laura lectured and scOlded! how the
governor stormcd. and how was for
given the next minute, and we were all
as happy again as the day was long!
But at length the time Of separation
came. had grown great hulking
fellow. strong enough to make my bread
as porter, if that had been needed; and
50 a situation was found for me in a
contingencies at Barcelona, and after
lecture and a hearty cry from Sister
Laura. a blessing and kiss from man.
ma, and a great sob kept down by a
hurricane laugh from the governor,
went adrift.
Four years passed rapidly away. I
had attained my full height, and more
than my Just share of inches. already
enjoyed fair modicum of whiskers,
and mad even made some progress in
the cultivation of pair of mustaches,
when suddenly the house which l was
connected with failed. What to do?
The governor insisted upon my return
to England. where his interest among
the mercantile class was considerable.
Laura limited mysteriously that my
presence in the house would soon be a
matter of great importance to her
father, and mamma let out the secret
by writing to me that Laura was going
10 "change her condition. Twas glad
to hear this. for knew he would be q
model of fellow who was Laura's hus-
band; and. gulping down my pride,
which would fain have persuaded me
that it was unmanly to go back again
like the ill-sixpence, set out on my re-
turn home.
The family, 1 knew, had moved to
another house; but, being we'll ac-
quainted with the town, l had no diff
Guilty in finding the place. 1t was a
range of handsome buildings which had
sprung up in the fashionable outskirts
during my absence; and, although it
was far on in the evening. my accus-
toned eyes soon deserted through the
gloom the governors old-fashioned
door-plate. Twas just about to knock
when a temptation came into my way.
One of the area windows was open,
gaping as if for my reception. A
quantity Of plate lay upon table close
by. Why should l not enter and ap-
pear unannounced in the drawing
room, a sunburnt phantom of five feet
eleven? Why should 1 not present the
precise and careful Laura with q hand
full OF her own spoons and forks. left
SO conveniently at the service of any
area-sneak who might chance to pass
by? Why? That is only = figure Of
speech. l asked no questions aboutt the
matter; the idea was hardly well across
my brai.l when my legs were across the
rails. In another moment l had crept
in by the window; and, chuckling ut my
own cleverness, and the great moral
lesson | was about to teach, l was stuff.
ing my pockets with the plate.
While thus engaged. the opening Of
a door in the hall above alarmed me,
and, afraid of the failure of my plan,
stepped lightly up the stair. which was
partially lighted by the hall lamp. AZ
was about to emerge at the top. a
serving-girl was coming out of room
h. u