The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-03-04
A NOCTURNAL ADVENTURES.
WHAT OCCURRED TO A YOUNG MAX WI
STAYED OUT LATE AT NIGHT


you think Fred has spent his evenings for
some time?'
The lady addressed looked up, somewhat
surprised at Kate's question, but she an
swered;
'In his room, poring over those old vol
umes of ancient history"
You are much mistaken, Miss Lucy" re-
piled Kate, her eyes sparkling with mischiev- /
Gus humor "He would not be studying /
those musty, dusty old books while there is |
so pretty young lady as the widow Mars
toms daughter ID the village"
''What has Fred to do with Annie Mars /
ton 2" inquired Lucy, as she endeavored to |
read the puzzling expression that rested upon
her cousins good humored face.
1t was some moments before she received
an answer to her question, when Kate, with
a slight laugh, replied;
''Why cousin, he is in love with her"
'Tn love with Annie Marston? don't be-
lieve ii, exclaimed Lucy, in tone of sur
prise and curiosity.
"Wen, I'll tell you something, and then
you may believe it or not, just as you please,
Lucy" returned Kate, with serio-comical
air. 'Night before last, it was rather late
when we retired, you recollect, and L was
suffering with severe headache. You were
soon asleep, but was unable to rest from
pain, and with the hope that the night air
would cool my burning brow, left the house
by the back way, and walked slowly down
the garden path.
"By some means chanced to turn my
eyes in the direction of the widow Marston's
dwelling. l could plainly see two figures
A. ~. I
was Annie, and the other, young gentle
man, was sure l didn't know. They stood
there a few moments, when Annie entered
the house, and her companion, whom l i'm
agined looked like Fred, walked down the
street. AS he came nearer, was sure it was
Fred.
''He entered the garden and as / conceal
ed myself behind the rose bushes he did not
see me. He cautiously approached the win
dow from which 1 had made my egress, step
ped in, and then closed it. In a few minutes
more | returned to the house. / knew that
the person ! had seen on the steps with An
ME was your brother, and no one else, and l
was sure, also, that the old volumes of his
tory had not been disturbed that evening"
"And do you really believe that Fred
/ spends his evenings with Annie Marston %
asked Lucy, as Kate ceased speaking.
/ Certainly l do. Last night l watched
/ him as l left the room after tea, and I saw
that he slipped out and in a few moments
/ was at the widow MarstoD's. 1t was nearly
midnight when he returned, for ] heard the
/ window opened and shut just before the clock
struck that hour
"What motive can he have in being so Sc
cret about his visits 2"
'He knows we would be continually teas
ing him about Annie, and, doubtless, prefers
to keep his secret safe from US"
'TheTe can be no other reason" returned
Lucy, laughing in spite of herself.
eve must punish Fred for doing SO, Lucy,
as her cousin seemed to comprehend the af-
fair, ''and think we can prevent him from
STAYING so late with AnRie, wasting fires
and lights for nothing" as Uncle Joe would
say"
GLOW do you think we can punish him Sc
vereIy enough to keep him at home 2"
Il do not think we can prevent him from
visiting Annie, but we can, 1 think, prevent
him from staying later than ten in the even
ing indeed, 1 am quite sure we can"
How"
Ka1e bent her head and whispered for a
few moments in the ear of her cousin, and
after few more merry words, they both
sprang up aad left the room.
That night. just as the clock struck twelve
Fred Lawrence parted with his ''ladY-love'
on the steps of her mothers dwelling, and
with light heart turned his step in the di
rectiOn of his own home. To tell the truth
dear reader, Fred was in love with Annie
MarstOn, and it is no less true that Annie wa:
in love with him. He dreaded the mischiev
Gus teasing of his cousin Kate Myrtle, and
feared it, too, more than the displcasure of q
king; and the cutting sarcasm of his SiSte1
was by no means pleasant. He had deter
mined to keep his engagement to Annie un
known to them, if possible, until he felt bet
ter prepared to endure their persecution.
1t was but short distance from the wild
ow Marston's to his own home, and he wa!
soon standing at the identical window a
which Kate had seen him enter some even
ings before He slowly raised the sash. bu
ere he had succeeded in getting it to the re
quired height, a difficulty occurred-the sasl
would not move up another inch, and sup
posing it had struck something accidentally
placed there, he renewed his efforts to rails
it. To his surprise and CONSERVATION, as b.
pressed hard upon the sash, down fell bras
; kettle, several tin pans, and the shovel an'
tOngs, upon the floor, with ringing crash
loud enough to wake everyone In the house
Fred started back and turned pale.
How could those things have gottel
there7 muttered he, as he listened atten
, lively to ascertain If the noise had arouseC
} any one. The sash was now easily raised
and he sprang into the room, but not with
out kicking against one of the pans in hi
haste, and sending it across the floor, max
ing considerable noise. Intent upon reach
ing his chamber before any one shoul drise {
discover the cause of the uprOar, he hastene'
through the room and quickly opened tn
door leading to the next one. Unfortunate
ly there chanced to be couple of large chair
f placed near it, and as it was hastily throw
open, they were upset, and being full of til
dishes, spoons, knives, and everything tha
would make noise, you may know tha
there was a crashing.
''The deuce take it % muttered Fred, as b
rushed through the room, upsetting chairs
work stands, and he knew not what in hi
flight At length he reached the stairs lead
ing 10 the chamber, ana was in hopes that hi
trials were now at an end He sprang nj
two or three of the steps, when his hea
} struck against something which had bee
, hung from the ceiling above. Ring-s-tin
, went the big dinner oell, and the SCUM
echoed through the house, making NOR
noise than anything vet had done Ere