The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-11-22

he minutes dragged on, one by one, till |
Ewo more hours passed by.
At 6 Mr. Wrinkifeld came in alone |
md sat down to the solitary meal which
Barbara, the active little maid, had pre-
obliged to crouch as low as possible In
the darkest and most uncomfortable cor
ner OF the big closet to avoid being
discovered by the little maid as she
brought ont and replaced the tea things.
Patience now, thought Patty. 1t
cannot be long now before the guests be-
gin to drop in. =
Little Barbara put coal on the FIRE, ad-
iusted the curtains and withdrew.
Left alone, Mr., Wrinkfeld lit cigar,
thrust his feet into slippers, took book
from the centre-tabie, drew his arm chair
mp to the stove, and having fixed him.
self in a comfortable attitude, proceeded
to read.
Will he not soon go to his room and
ished Miss Patty. sI had no idea he
would take things SO coolly.
The clock struck seven-eight-nln
ten-still no guests. Mr.. Wrinkheld
read and smoked, turned paper after pa
per. book after book, uninterrupted,
while Miss Patty grew more uneomfort-
ably anxious and fgety.
The clock struck eleven! Mr.. Wrink-
field dropped his last paper, stretched
himself, yawned sleepily, arose from his
chair, walked across the room to the
china closet and locked the door OF the
same as his wife was accustomed to do,
turned out the gas, left the roo-l and
went slowly mn stair to bed
To her utter CONSERVATION Miss Patty
found herself consigned to solitary i'm
prisonment, In utter darkness.
As soon as Mr.. Wrinkfield had un-
folded his morning paper, on the morn
ing following, the little Barbara came
| running to him, breathless and fright
ened.
's0h, sirr' she painted, there are GER
| tainly thieves in the china closet. There
is something in there making an awful
noise"
ssBut the door is locked" said Mr..
Wrinkfeld, 'tand / have the key in my
/ pocket"
Then they must have been in there
/ since yesterday" suggested the little
| maid. "Oh, my, the noise is really ter
rible. Won't you please come and see
I " tksse ~ 40
Mr.. Wrinkfeld armed himself with q
revolver and carving knife, marched
boldly into the dining-room and IN
locked the closet door.
There, crouched in one corner, sat
Miss Patty with her handkerchief pressed
i to her face, swaying her body to and fro
and moaning with severe neuralgia.
ssThe deucer' he calculated, hardly
knowing whether to believe his eyes
aYou here, Miss Pry?"
"I-I was locked in here by some
oversight, yesterday" moaned the
wretched woman. PLEASE let me ont
At the same moment feet battered OF
She stairway. 1t was Mrs. Wrinkfeid and
the children.
81 The little woman flew to her husband
arms.
Il "Oh, Charles, she sobbed, u couldn
sleep all night, for thinking how l LEI
you here under espionage"
'sEspionage?" screamed Miss Patty
no spies here; nothing but rats and mic
and big black bugs that nearly fright
ened me to death. / think it's rea
shamer'
! oh, Miss Patty! when you know yo'
Miss Patty was rapidly growing hys
terical from pam and shame, and coul'
, contain herself no longer.
.sIf 7 had known you were such
weak, pitiable creature, Mary Wrink
field, I would never have consented t
assist you in this"
..I don't want your assistance, Pc
torted Mrs. Wrinkfeld, growing eour
ageous. ''Get a husband of your own
, you want to play the spy. IBwon't alloy
you to spy upon my husband again"
Miss Patty tore out Of the house in
rage, vowing she would never agail
, speak to such weak fool of q woman.
II IT know was right, she said. Me-
are all alike, every one OF them. 70 b
sure, Wrinkield entertained no com
/ cany ON that particular evening. Blu
/ that was not my fault and I'm not t
blame.
sThat ungrateful woman! To think c
) the terrible hours spent cramped up i
, | that miserable closet for her sake, an
! such thanks as I got for it! What bas
ingratituder'
| But Mrs. Wrinkfield's confidence i
/ her old friends superior sagacity had dt
j clined fully fifty per cent.
/
' A pretty shabby looking man wake
/ into the Office of Western newspaper
{ and approaching man in q red shirt an
top boots, who had his feet on 9 desk an
are you the editore -,
q am, sir; put maven June " 'sln
|. II you nave anything TO say, DOH IL uoW