The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-12-27
A Terrible Intruder.

A Terrible Intruder.
We were alone in the house-Maudc
Chaplain and land did not altogether like
the position.
While the daylight lasted, and there
seemed 50 much life about the farm, il
seemed very pleasant to have the house Ia
ourselves, to be able to wander through the
quaint old rooms and 10 talk on the subjects
very dear to both of us, without the dread
of being Overshadowed by the London fe-
male cousins and the registering youths
who had come to spend month of the
shooting season beneath our roof.
For time we reveled in our comparative
solitude, and pitied the female cousins, the
eager sportsmen, poor papa, and the rest of
the household, who had been beguied into
accepting an Invitation TO Mrs. Rattletrap's
picnic at the Scrubs, piece of moorland
some eight miles distant from our house.
We were all expected, but my old school-ie
low, Maud, pleaded headache, and 1 was
not sorry to have an excuse to stay at home
with my guest.
We had met but seldom since we had left
the primary school at Taunton; and al
though Maud had already been with us
week, what with the noisy clatter of our
friends, the croquet Journeys, the lawn
dances, and the other pleasant ways in
which our evenings were spent, we had,
hitherto, had no opportunity of joining in
those mutual condolences so dear to women
who are in the blissful state known as Gen
gagged" There was particularly tender
bond of sympathy between us, inasmuch as
was in biweeklv correspondence with
her brother John, to whom signed myself
"yours anectionately," while her betrothed
was Harry Somers, who had been visitor
to our house from his childhood. Ere they
drove away that afternoon the other girls
had twitted us rather severely for not Join
ing them, and it seemed a general opinion
that Maud's headache was nothing more
than sham. But the gentlemen said but
littlej in my opinion their hearts would
have been gladcned had all the party alb
stained from attending picnic, their inclina-
tions tending toward the wheat siubble in
"Five-acre field" and the adjacent turmp
patch, whore fine covey had sought shell
ter the night before. But as the girls were
resolved to go; the males of course were
obliged to act as escorts. By-and-by papa
was induced to join them, and thus it was
that Maud and were left alone.
So engrossing was the subject of our con-
versaton that we were surprised when the
hoh9cmaid brought in the tea and dropping
a courtsey, asked if Sarah, the cook, might
so down with her to the village, until ten
o'clock to join tho festivities with which
Farmer Ashcombe was celebrating his har-
vest home. II then occurred TO my memory
that the servants had asked me for this holi-
day fortnight previously, and that had
given a halt acquiescent response. In the
hurry of my domestic duties, and the ex-
| citement occasioned by house full of COM
pany l had, however, forgot the circum-
stance until now.
"Whcrc is Benz" inquired, referring to
one Of the carriers who inhabited a snug lit
tie cottage on the farm,a was consequent
ly required to place himself at our service
when required.
Tho domestic dropped another courtesy,
and announced thai that individual had
gone to Wells with load of barley, and
would not be home until late.
"And the boy smith?"
'Please, IN, master told him he might 60
whom he 'ad ted the poultry and fastened
them up for the night, and he has been
gone this quarter of an hour"
81 hope he made sure the turkeys and
geese were all right for papa saw fox cross
the meadow this morning.
"Oh, yes, IN, he is a careful lad is Smith,
and he's got 'em all right enow, I'll be
bound" responded the maid.
hesitated a moment as to whether is was
altogether safe to be thus left alone; but as
I had given half promise to the girls, and
knew it would be a sad disappointment to
them not to go, dismissed my apprehen-
sons, and told them they might leave the
tea things and be of.
Noticing that after a while Maud became
less conversational, I inquired the reason
but receiving naught but evaslve answers.
questioned more closely.
"You are not afraid, are you, dearP"
81 shall only be confessing the truth when
! tell you that l was very sorry to hear you
give your consent to the servants leaving
us. Suppose any person has been watching
the house, and was to seize the opportunity
Of committing a robbery ?"
"My dear Maud" responded, "nothing
of the sort ever happens in these PARTS. Liv-
ing as we do, some distance from any town,
we know all the persons resident within
radius Of, say, four miles"
"But how about tramps? Are they not
dreadful people"
"Perhaps, Maud, even they are more sin |
ned against than SHINING. At all events
tramps seldom, if ever, come near us. You
see we live of the main road. The lane
leads to the larm, and nowhere else"
"But,' pursued Maud, "tAat fact would
be all the worse lor us IT q tramp should
come Aoge."