The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-01-09

| emons uuucE my HUNG, uOW KyrhtluR
with exultsnt motion that dumbly ex'
pressed the jubilee of uncomfortable
jollity; now whirling into somebody,
garden; now whisking round Q barber,
pole; now bobbing along the edge Of q
fence, till at last-at last had II.
Death could not grip harder than
held on TO that cratic brim. Ii was,
felt, q hat gifted with extraordinary
powers Of locomotion, and / did no,
mean 10 let II have its own sweet will
again.
pulled out my watch with one hand,
holding still to my hat with the other
II wanted one minute TO seven and the
depot was five blocks of. Hoping against
hope, set of on run, and at the cor.
ner OF the third block had the supreme
satisfaction Of hearing the final whistle
and the swiftthud and thu nder of the
departing train.
was baked, and gave my hat q saw
age pull as stopped to consider what
had beat be done. / apathematized hats
Of every persuasion, from the orthodox
stovepipe 70 the Quaker broad brim. To
have crushed the offending member on
my head ~ fiat ~ q pancake, and then
finish it with my penknife, would have
been balm TO my aggravated soul.
Turning my step, in the direction OF
my office, walked moodily on, q disap
pointed man. Instead Of the holiday
which had so fondly anticipated, the
merry greetings of friends, the sight OF
old, long. banished faces, was still bound
To the perplexities Of an interminsble
law case.
1t would be ~ well, perhaps. TO attend
TO business, | thought, with ruelul
visage; and prepared 70 resign myself
with the best grace possible.
My office was nearly two miles from
my house. After leisurely walk ar.
rived there Just rs the clock was striking
eight. Up | went, scattering straws and
papers, till | gained the cherries, un.
csrpeted passage and saw opposite my
own square Of painted glass and the card,
"Not In till tomorrow; and then
found that had left my Office key in
my other vest p" ket 4, my dressing
room wardrobe at home.
Clearly had begun tie day wrong
foot foremost, rs my old nurse used to
say when everything went swry. What
should do next? ] meditated upon
! the matter going down stairs, utterly
obivious Of q basket of oranges at my
/ elbow till the vicious scream Of the old
fruit peddler startled me.
"Sacre! ssre, you are no zhentle.
man"
I turned, thrilled with horror. The
oranges were racing pell.mell down
stairs, 10 the delight OF several street
urchins, and out into the gutter. I,
unfortunate wretch, had sent them there
with an unconscious movement Of my
arm As gesticulated TO myself.
Nothing stirs mutiny in a mans soul
quicker than the imputation Of not
being gentleman. A IS bill, however,
healed the noisy foreigners wounds, and
mine, too, for with one OF his most fan.
tastic bows the peddler repeated, "Sare,
/ was mistake; / see you air Won zhentle-
man."
There WAS nothing for II now but TO
go home again. ! pleased myself with
pictures OF Mrs. George busy over my
silver. make no secret Of saying that
like 10 see delicate, refined women ut
work. The bare, round, blue-veired
arms, temptingly displayed just below
the elbow; the pretty handkerchief
tied over fowing tresses; the stout linen
apron jeslously keeping guard from
throat TO toes; the quick, fine step; the
musical gurglc Of some sweet old favor.
ite song; the dash and spirit they con.
trive 70 throw into commonplace OBJ
servances; the mimic bluster when one
Of the stupid mssculines interferes with
their privileges, IL il Is only in trying TO
find the shoe brush, make up charm.
| ing aggregate, delightful TO one who has
never had more intimate acquaintance
than his housekeeper.
So should ! see Mrs. George, perchance,
| herself rubbing with those white, taper
fingers the old silver that my mother
once delighted 10 honor. II needed only
the experience, / felt, 70 make me a
willing slave-to send me in hot haste IN
Ball Il Blacks TO choose the finest, cost
lest solitaire to be found in their bril-
liant collection.
/ reached my home; ] mounted the
steps. There was strange silence about
the premises. No cheerful hustle, no
merry voice, no sound OF footsteps, no
ring Of gathering silverwsre-no any.
thing.
/ pulled the bell. Still completest
silence; not even Jip's CHEEKY yeip
warned or welcomed the solitary home
seeker. The parlor blinds were closed ;
tho basement shades were down; IL
seemed rs II there must be corpse In
the house. Again and again ] rang. The
bell, powerful one, jingled spitefully,
| IN tna al In hat
there was nobody ut home. i descended
the steps. j went round TO the back
gate and succeeded in loosening tho hook
that confined it with my penknife. All
was o. silent here a elsewhere; the SER
wants must be gone; Jip must be gone.
"Whst the deuce Is In 1t ut allH"
muttered impatiently.
Perhaps Mrs. George had postponed
her silver cleaning until afternoon and
had gone 70 a matinee; but where were
the servants2
There was, fortunately, window ut
the back part Of the house that could be
unfastened on the outside. The con.
trivance was one Of my own, and nobody
was in the secret but myself. opened
the window, and had Just fastened my
knee comfortably on the stone coping
when q heavy hand grasped my elbow.
al noticed something suspicious and
followed you, you rascal. Amt you
ashamed, q man looking like q gentle
man breaking into house like a com
mon theft"
The fellow held me in his grasp ~ II
Il were wise. ] looked over my shout
ders. A star blazed ON the wretch,
coated breast; there was q gilt number
on his cap; his breath smelled of-bui
We won't mention that; his nose was 9
turn.Np; his hair was q little reddish
this Is original-and the whole contour
OF the man told of his Paul Pry In
stinct. felt my eyes fash, my cheeks
burn, and ! mentally resolved, aftel
crushing and cutting, 70 put my unlucky
hat, that had led me into all thes,
scrapes, into the kitchen stove.
"What do you wish, sir 2" ! exclaimed
with m much dignity and severity a
my very peculiar and cramped position
would permit. "Unhand me-quick
STRIP / sm no thief, but the Lawful
owner Of No. LAO. My name n Rober
Haynes; 60 round and look at the doc
. plate"
"None Of that blather, young man,
said the officer sternly; "you've scrutin
lied that door.plate pretty thoroughly
, I've had my eye on you for some time
"You don't know what you are talk
. ing about. Let me get down, air" sale
| 6otly. 81 tell you ! am Mr.. Hayne
Robert Haynes, law Office on Coope
! street. I s:all not condescend TO ex