The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-02-17
MARGARET'S BURGLAR.


to Claire last summer, do you, girls?
Who'd have thought that timid little
dove we used to dOmineer over 50 un-
mercifully would have given us the slip,
and got married! Yes. married; with
still at school and likely to be here for
some time longer. But she's from the
South, and Southern girls often get
married at sixteen; but sixteen ,oas pre-
posterous considering that it was Claire.
Why, she's nothing but baby!
was invited 10 her wedding last Sep
TENDER, but could not 60, so when the
summers vacation came, she would take
40 refusal. must come. and make the
acquaintance of darling Max-her hus-
band, Mr.. Gordon-and see Linwood,
the prettiest home in the world, and the
holidays must be spent with her.
Papa shook his head. Mamma tossed
hers, and said, ut is impossible, Mar
garet, to think of sending YOU all that
distance without a protector.
But disposed of these objections.
Claire had written that her unc'e, MIR.
Lockwood. 1.-the incest old gentleman
in the world" who had gone north on
business, would stop in Clinton for me,
on the homeward route. So the domes-
tic rock was scaled, and was ON the
cars, and rushing south almost before l
had time to think.
could hardly realize that it was real
ly me, on my travels, about to visit
strange countries, and to see the dear
est little girl in the world. l always
loved Claire, you know, though I did
have to scold her about her ridiculous
cowardice. could never have bit of
patience with her. when she went into
a fright if q mouse ran across the room.
or bat few through the window. But
I've learned lesson since that time.
only Mr.. Lockwood was just the incest
of escorts. At every station he got me
fruit and cakes. and he had any number
of new magazines for me to read. We
were nearing Linwood when he said to
me, laughing:
do you know. Mis-. Bradford, we
will reach Linwood the day before we
are expected. 1 only just found out
that I was mistaken in the day of the
month. and that this is the eighteenth
instead of the nineteenth. There will
be no carriage for us. and the station is
at least five miles from Linwood, and
six from my home--you know 1 am
Claire's nearest neighbor."
"What will we do p asked.
"Oh, we will probably pick up a
vehicle of some kind near the station.
Friends may be there, or the farmers
around have goo spring-carts."
There was a carriage waiting at the
station for friend of Mr.. Lockwood 8,
who did not come on the train. and
Mr.. Lockwood appropriated it.
"What a delightful surprise it will
be to Claire, Miss Bradford. There
she is, in her hower-garden, now" he
said. As we approached the house.
looked, and there was Claire, sure
enough, prettier than ever. l never
saw such look of surprise and delight
in any ones face as when she turned
and saw me. She gave a scream, and
flew to the carriage, and between us
both we managed to knock Mr.. Lock
wood Hat to the ground. as he stood
ready to assist me from the carriage.
{" After that terrific assault I'll get
away he said, laughingly. as he
jumped into the carriage and was
driven to his own home.
30. darling, I'm so glad you've
comer' Claire cried; 'but to think
that uncle could have made such
stupid mistake, and no carriage there
to meet you. And oh. Max isn't here
He went to the races to-day and won't
be back until late in the night, and per-
haps not until morning. He wouldn't
have gone for the world if we had
known you were coming"
"How do you like being left alone?'
asked. IF you're as timid as you
used to be, it must be terrible"
''Oh, really believe L m worse. That
is the only thing Max ever scolds me
about. He saws I'm little goose. and
that some foolish fright will kill me vet.
He's heard all about you, and how
brave you are. and how we called you
Captain Fearnaught at school. He ex-
poets no end of good from your visit
here. But l am coward through and
through, and it isn't q bit of use to think
of reasoning me out of it,
l did not think there was much in
trying to make Claire brave. 1t could
hardly be done unless her whole ma
ture was changed. That would have
been a pity, for a sweeter, more Iowa
bic little fairy never lived. Since her
marriage, too, she had put on funny
little airs of matronly dignity. which
made me think of mocking-bird
curving its neck and sweeping about
like swan.
What delicious day that was! We
roamed about, inve ,tigating everything,
and l admired Linwood to the delight
of its little mistress. She led me to my
room, beautifully furnished. with flow
er-garden just below. at which gazed
with rapture.
l tell you. girls. you can only fully
realize the effect of color when you see
one of those semi tropical gardens.
The whites are so rad ant. the GRIM
sons, scarlets and vellows so vivid. that
they dazzle you. Somehow they seem
to smile your vision as if they were real
fiame-lances. Then suppose the sun
and sky have something to do with the
dazzling effect.
Nv room was in the second story,
and the windows, looking out on q
small balcony, opened to the floor. l
leaned out over it, admiring the gor-
geous crimson flowers of vine-a spe-
cies OF Aristolachia which ran up to the
balcony. and twined around the balus-
tiers. 1t was q strong. large vine, like
a cable. and by . strange freak of ma
ture had twisted itself in and out, till it
looked exactly like q ladder, rounds and
all.
''Behold my fire-escape!'' 1 laughed.
$50 you even provide that for your
visitors, Petitee Now if you manage
to set fire to your establishmente
which you are certain to do some night,
with your bad habit of reading in bed
shall be. no doubt, in the safest room
In the house."
But Claire didn't seem to enter into
the joke at oil. She peered over at the
vine and seemed disturbed. IL declare
to yon l never noticed this BEFORE"
she said. "Don't You see how easy It
would be for any one. to climb up into
the house? Those dreadful tramps are
swarming all over the country, and the
servants cabins are ever SO far from
the house. But even II they heard 70