Daily globe., 1880-03-28

scarcely stand and when dinner was over
1 made motion as though to retire to my
room, for if ever in my life 1 was thorough
ly exhausted in all senses Of the word, it
was at that time.
Col. Montgomery however, placed himself
before me, and said:
"Ah so you think that because you are
with your old uncle and aunt you can throw
off politeness rs you would an old garment.
! No! No how is it about our regular after
dinner game of billiards. That is sacred
my dear nephew. You owe me revenge
for last evenings work.
But am really So"
ooh no butts !" responded my gentle un-
Gle, passing me cue, "there, shoulder-r-
arms, present arms. There, the first shot
is made; SO on, take your turn"
Well, it seemed absolutely necessary to
sleeping standing" as the phrase is. But
the buoyant Colonel noticing it, gave me a
few vigorous taps in the ribs with his hor-
rible cue, after which he compelled me to
swallow, one after the other, three cups of
the strongest coffee. The remedyswas he
roic, for 1 never take coffee, and few mill
utes afterwards had not only forgot my
twenty mile walk and my painful joints,
but 1 few at the billiards as q panther
seizes his prey, and in ve-y Snort time
had beaten my uncle in three straight
games, feat that my usual laziness or list
lessness, had made me hitherto wholly inca
pable of performing.
Towards midnight, according to the rule
of the house, we parted, each for his bed.
tried to close my eyes. 1t was much cas-
ier said than done. At least I could not
keep them closed. That tremendous dose
of pure coffee was too much for me. It de-
veloped all my forces, mental and physical.
So rolled over and over again in my rest
lessness, and tossed here and there in so des-
perate manner that L determined would
have no more of it. So 1 lighted my candle
thought, for something about law or for a
volume of "Patent Office Reports they
will be sure to bring on q brilliant attack Of
somnolency. Then I reflected Ouckily
enough) that if read anything it might as
| well be something interesting, and sudden
| ly called to mind the ''Souvenirs of the
Marquis of Rochejaquelin," that had COM
menced the evening before and had left on
one of the tables in the drawing-room.
Two o'clock had just sounded from the
old homestead time-keeper at the head of
the stairs, and the whole mansion was
wrapped in silence most profound. open
ed my door and listened not noise, with
| in or without.
The parlor was at the end of the corridor.
So went out very softly to get the book,
"Here it is, said to myself ''no, it must
| be there. No? where could have left it?"
Then went on tip-toe over to the extreme
end of the drawing room, where L was sure
l had last seen it on q stand. No! it was
not there. Then slight gust of wind
came through the half-opened door and I
was wholly in the dark. But groped my
way toward another stand where l hoped it
might be, when I brushed rather awkward
| ly against the slight piece of furniture, and
crash, smash, bang, rumble, tumble, bing,
| and down came the stand upon the floor
| and me with it. Smashing an enormous
porcelain vase into thousand pieces, and
| shivering the encaustic pots of bulbs and
glass flower stands into smithereens. The
noise was horrible. 1 arose Immediately
and attempted to pick up the fallen table,
when I heard the door softly pushed wider
open, and, my eyes having become used to
the darkness, could not but observe the en-
tering figure, which in the shadow seemed
more like a ghost than anything else.
But furiously enraged with myself for this
absurd and bungling accident, 1 precipitat-
ed myself towards the door of the saloon,
in order to regain my chamber as quicklyas
possible.
stopped abashed. A food Of light had
suddenly Illuminated the room. The Col
onel and Madame Montgomery appeared,
lights in hand he in his night-dress armed
with a suggestive-looking revolver, and she
in night-gown and night-cap holding the
lights.
They stood before me like two terrible
phantoms-straight stern, menacing; SOL
emn, majestic, imposing, stupe6ed and
stupefying.
At the other end of the saloon stood my
beautiful and well-beloved Grace, modest
but bewildered, and dressed in the embroid-
cred night-apparel of a young beauty, just
withdrawn from sleep-her eyes filed with
wonderland emotion.
Neither Of us could say word, and it
was very well, as it happened, that we did
| not.
It all passed in an instant, of course, but
it seemed an age before Grace on seeing her
father and mother, and perhaps more es-
pecially her cousin, so peculiarly dressed,
| gave little woman-scream of fright, and
flew to her nest like terrified canary.