The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-27
VOLUME XI.


trousers pockets, There WAS none of
that CHEEKY Jingle Of small change in
them with which Dick WAS wont IL play
,ully salute my ears. This silence was
ominous. "Where 10 So tot" added
Dick, after long, Portentous pause,
Going 10 look for business,
"Ah r.
"Dick. how Won talk Put your hat
ON straight, and walk along. Every
boiy's looking at us,
MY dear" says Dick. facetiously,
and laughing now and showing his white
teeth, "that remark OF mine h. which
you take exception was prompted 10y the
fact that I'm ont Of a job myself. Sup
pose was in quarrelsome mood after
leaving the old lady 8. for when Lawyer
Gudge set upon me about neglectiug
the correspondence, copying. and the
like slayish business, l turned upon the
old brute, and we had a hlow-up. Tn
ont ON the world, dear, with a capital Of
twenty-five cents 20 begin on.
For two homeless waits that sum was
not extensive. took my purse ont Of
my pocket, never a heavy one az any
time; but now-O fate q evil, careless
fate "A hole revealed itself in the silken
tissue, through which had slipped noise
lessly a nursling of gold piece which l
had cherished there. wrapped in a bit Of
paper, for a whole twelvemonth.
/ looked in my friends face blankly. l
was no princess, 1t seemed, coming 10
his rescue with golden gifts, but an
added weight about his neck.
Dick, faltered, meekly, " I'm in
tending TO work for living"
"Of course, was the answer. Might
| inquire what at p
"You know l can 10 most any thing
Dick
Jenny, child, said my companion,
looking down upon me benignantly,
and stopping short in his walk dick
always awed me when he assumed this
elder brother aspect)-" Jenny, child,
it's hard-driven sort Of world you've
put your tiny self into-a place where
It's very hard matter to get a footing,
and where, if your foot slips, you re sure
to be carried out into deep water.
Dicks ace darkened ~ he looked ut
the tile of people "Whatever's fel-
low {, ao?" Winding up his discourse
thus abruptly, my friend pulled Hrs hat
down over his eyes, and glowered from
under il like q highwayman.
/ listened 10 this talk OF Dicks, hu-
inflated and Ill at ease. Was l, then,
n mere aimless waif-a mere bit of drift
wood afoat in this human torrent? Even
Aunt Margery's chatting and chiding
were better than this nothingness. l
began 10 feel very weary. A remem-
brance Of my quiet room and Of the bios.
soming apple bough that hung over the
window came to me vision-like.
"Dick, said I, abruptly, I'm going
back.
"All right, little one," patting me
patronizingly on the shoulder: the
very best thing you can do.
" Not TO stay, Dick, said |, vexed at
the alaerity with which he accepted
the proposition. "No; I've an idea in
my head.
Look so, " responded Dick, senten-
tiously.
Dick, listen TO me- -authoritatively.
4" l shall sleep at Nurse Catterby's to-
night, and if you meet me there, I'll
have something 10 help you
my darlingl" cried Dick: but l re-
PEELED this later exhibition Of affection.
"Put me in the cars, my friend; I'm
hungry, you know, but there's no time
TO lose.
In my feminine fertility of resource I
felt myself infinitely superior 10 this
helpless, good hearted lump Of Dick,
and 1 nodded my head 10 him gayly at
parting, without thought of failure.
In my room at Aunt Margery's there
hung a grand old-fash:oned time-keeper
with a gold coin attached 10 its heavy
chain, and big seal wherein gloEed a
ruby. Secretly / REGARDED this as my
own, for it had once been my mothers,
an heirloom Of the family, the source OF
endless disputes, as l had heard, be-
tween the grasping elder sister and the
Younger. NV mother was OF high
spirit, and finally, in a fit of utter weari-
ness and ve1ation, flung the watch, with
all its glitteriug appendages, at her
sisters feet. Aunt Margery had never
returned it-that was not her way-but
it had never been wound up since that
day, and long after my mothers death il
hung silent and shining in the room de-
voted to my use-perhaps q supersti-
tious offering 10 the vexed spirit Of the
departed. / had determined TO 60 back
without being seen, if possible, and get
this watch, appropriating it, as / felt
sure my mother would approve, 10 aid
myself and my friend in our sore need.
The ride seemed long one; the road
wound about in q manner l had never
observed before, with persistent dodg-
ing at the end, that gave me ample time
for revolving ways and means for carry
ing out my scheme, till fnally the moon
shone out on the last evolution; and
leaving the cars trudged on afoot until
the sentinel poplars guarding Aunt
Margery's gate with their long black
shadows came in view.
II was with beating heart, notwith-
standing my bravery, that took the
key of the side door from my pocket,
and entered the familiar domicile at
night-fall like a shadow.
II was easy enough TO obtain access
to the inner part of the house from here,
for most Of the doors were carelessly
latched, and l was not likely to meet
any servant at this time in the evening.
l remembered a certain wide window-sill
ill the hall, cropping toward which / sat
down 10 rest myself, with curiously
scared and hunted feeling, which had
not entered into my calculations when /
planned this audacious expedition.
Then, removing my shoes, l slipped
softly through the long, deserted pass
ageway to my own room. The door
opened with a treacherous creak that
seemed bent 10 betray me. 1t appeared
an age before I was fairly within.
This was my own pretty, pleasant lit
tie room, the shelter where / had so
often betaken myself from Aunt Mar
gery's rasping voice and incessant fault
finding - where l had dreamed day.
dreams and revelled in nightly
visions. This cherished and familiar
! little nook had chilled to me in one days
absence. 1t had given possession TO a
/ horde of shadows that, mocking and
/ gesticulating, fitted to and fro in the
uncertain light Perhaps the breeze
blown branches Of the elm outside played
me this trick but it confused me
strangely, and rendered my search for
| the watch long one, till it seemed as If
some tricksome elf had f1lched il 10 dis
tress me. At length, however, my
bands touched and grasped the treasure ;
the heavy chain glided with snaky cool
ness through my fingers, and I thrilled
from head to foot with a new and strange
sensation. For at that very moment
I heard the door shut with snap. This
noise in itself was not startling no one
was likely to hear it save myself but il
| anuounced that vaa framed n prisOn-