Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-03-15

along the wall and at length found my
self upon the level floor. There was
but one door on that side of the hall
the door which led TO the area-room,
and it was with inexpressible relief l
reached it in safety and grasped the
knob in my hand. The knob turned
but the door did not open; it was locked;
it was my fate to be thief and, after
a moment of new dismay, turned dog
gedly, reached the stair and re-entered
the apartment had left.
1t was like getting home. 1t was
snug and private. had a chair there
waiting for me. thought to myself that
many a man wouldta take adeal Of trouble
to break into such n house. | had only
sneaked. wondered how Jack Shep-
pard felt on such occasions. He would
make nothing of getting down into the
street from the window, spoons and all.
tried this; the shutters were not even
closed, and, the sash moving noiselessly
had no difficulty in raising it. |
stepped out into the balcony and looked
over. Nothing was to be seen but a
black, yawning gulf beneath, guarded
by the imaginary spikes of an invisible
railing. Jack would have laughed at
this difficulty; but then he had more
experience in the craft than |, and was
supplied with all necessary appliances.
As for me, l had stupidity forgotten evon
my coil of rope. The governors house
found had either no balcony at all or
it was too far apart to be reached.
Presently heard a footstep on the side
walk little way off. 1t was approach
ing with slow, measured pace; the
person was walking as calmly and
gravely in the night as if it had been
broad day. Suppose | hailed this philO-
sophical stranger and confided to him,
in q friendly way, that the baronet,
without the slightest provocation, had
locked me up in his house with his silver
spoons in my pocketP Perhaps he
would take the trouble of knocking at
the door or crying fire, and when the
servants opened it might rush out and
so make my escape. But while | was
looking wistfully down to see if | could
not discern the walking figure, which
was now under the windows, sudden
glare from the spot dazzled my sight.
1t was the bulls eye of policeman,
and with the instinct of predatory
character 1 shrunk back trembling,
crept into the room and shut the Win
dow.
BY this time l was sensible that there
was little confusion in my thoughts,
apd by way of employing them on prac-
tical and useful objects | determined to
make tour of the room. But first it
was necessary to get rid, somehow or
other, of my plunder-to plant the
property, as we call it; and with that
view laid it carefully, piece by piece,
in the corner of sofa, and concealed
it with the cover. This was a great
relief. l almost began to feel like the
injured party-more like captive than
a robber; and l CROPPED my way through
the room with sort of vague idea that
l might perhaps stumble upon some
trap-door or sliding-panel which would
lead me into the open air, or, at worst,
into secret chamber, where l should
be safe for any given number of years
from my prosecutors. But there was
nothing of the kind in this stern, pro-
sale place; nothing but few cabinets,
and tables, and couches, and arm-chairs,
devotional-chairs, footstools, lamps,
and statuettes, and the elaborate giran-
dole hung around with crystal prisms,
which played such an interminable
tune against each other when | chanced
to move them that | stumbled away as
fast as l could and subsidized into u
tauteuil SO rich and so deep that felt
myself swallowed up, as it were, in its
pillows of swans down.
How long | had been in the house by
this time 1 cannot tell. 1t seemed to
me, when looked back, to form con-
siderable portion of lifetime. Indeed,
did not remember the more-distant
events of the night, although every
now and then the fact occurred to me
with startling distinctness that all |
had gone through was only preliminary
to something still to happen; that the
morning was to come, the family to be
astir, and the hOuse-breaker to be ap-
pretended My reflections were not
continuous. 1t may be that | dozed
between whiles. How else can | ac-
count for my feeling myself grasped
by the throat, to the very brink of suf-
location, by hand without a body?
How else can l account for my sister
Laura standing over me where l re-
clined, pointing to the stolen plate on
the sofa, and lecturing me on my hor-
rible propensities till her voice rose to
wild, unearthly scream which pierced
through my brain!
When this fancy occurred | started
from my recumbent posture. A voice
was actually in my ears, and II living
form before my eyes; lady stood con-
templating me with a half-scream on
her lips and the color fading from her
cheek, and, as l moved, she would
have fallen to the ground had l not
sprung up and caught her in my arms
1 laid her softly down in the chair 1t
was the morning twilight. The silence
was profound. The boundaries of the
room were still dim and indistinct Is
it any wonder that l was in some con-
siderable degree of perpleXity as to
whether l was still in the land of
dreamsp
Madam" said l, If you are a
vision, it is of no consequence; but if
not, wish particularly to go out"
"Ofler no injury" she replied, in a
tremulOus voice, "and no one will mo-
lest you. Take what you have come
for and begone."
THAT is sooner said than done. The
doors and windows below are locked
and bolted, and beneath those of this
room the area is deep and the spikes
sharp. l assure you have been in
very considerable perpleXity the whole
of last night" and drawing chair
sat down in front of her. Whether it
was owing to this action, or my COM
planning voice, or to the mere fact of
her finding herself in a quiet tete-G-tete
with house-breaker, can't tell; but
the lady broke out in low, hysterical
laugh.
How did you break in?'' said she.
81 did not break in; It's far from be-
ing my character, assure you. But
the area window was open, and so |
just thought | would come in"
"You were attracted by the plate!
Take it, for Heavens sake, desperate
man, and go awayr'
~ did take some of it, but with no
evil intentions-only by way of amuse-