Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1882-11-23

arian, wholly intent on the conviction Of his
peccant junior. in whose impending discom
| iture he could not help feeling grim and
| righteous satisfaction. At the back the
| Captain sat crouching on the step, desper-
ately concerning his measures.
| "lmpudence! stand nv friend through
| this scrape." he mentally calculated. "Per-
| haps all is not lost vet" When the carriage
turned into --Street and the bank ap-
peared in view, he Jumped lightly down.
aud under the friendly cover Of night. ran
to the small wicket gate in the lane. Most
/ luckily he had taken the key with him, and
hurriedly letting himself in, he passed
swiftly through the court. and came up with
| the sentinel inside the great gate. while the
carriage was taking the longer curve which
led up to the front. How he blessed the
/ chance impulse which had induced him To
take that key!
| The Conel', there" he said breathlessly.
! "Don't be too quick in undoing the chain.
! Give me as long as you can. And say,
| Dickson" he added anxIously, "mum's the
word. YOU know--if you can"
"Ay' ay sir" mutiered the old sentinel
as he shuifled slowly along He very
1 partial to the Young man, and not so much
so to the Colonel.
1 The Captain passed hurriedly within.
/ Just then the bell Of the great gate rang
out long. resoundlng peal.
I The sentinel clanked the cham nOlslly as
be hooked and unlocked It, fumbled with
the key IN the lock. and made such JudIcious
delays as enabled the officer on guard to
compose himself in attendance at his post,
before the heavy doors turned their
hinges to admit the Colonel
Where Is Captain Kendal ?" he asked, as
( be alIghted, "a s;entOrIan tones which Vi
bra,ed strangely through the silence. sirh
sort OF angry expectant note Of triumph.
"On guard, sir - answered the soldier
eurtly.
I What ?" cried the Colonel, in the .hrill-
est Of accents. lie was too utterly taken
aback to say another word. The sentinel,
adopting his usual stolid dcmeanor. took no
notice OF his evident asionishRent. Cap
tam kcndal heard the inquiry from within,
and came fora ard Rcprcssing any inward
trrmurs he might feel. he resolved TO put a
I bold face on the matter.
Here, SIR; do you require me ?" he asked
cooli,.
The Colonel stared al him His face with
It's expression of mingled stcrnucss and en-
tire bcwtldcrment, would have been no mean
/ study for a painter.
[ lie could hardly believe his ewes. krculy
scruunixIng the Younger man. Who did not
/ quall bcior, h,s gaze. be said ,lttiy. after
Z pause Of some seconds
Il certainly thought. sir. | saw you at
/ the bali IN u -- Street jus, nov
/ Me SIR ?" replied the other audaclously.
"Wh,. | am on guard, SIR.
[ at Is very singular resumed the Col
I onel, without relaxing hl, scruuu! and
I slightly RAISING his VOICE. Il could have
/ sworn thai saw YOU there -
VERY singular indeed. s,r, re,oTird the
4 delinquent. gaming bo.dness from tie very
I extremity ut the STRAIT 10 ~hlch he iound
I himself reduced since nan can't be IN
t~o places At once, and YOU have found ne
/ here. \ case OF mistaken iIvntIty perhaps.
I sir'
I The two men stood .tlll eycing each other,
I one krenly eager to detect, the other
I eagerly seeking tu avoid detection. The
I Colonel Was completely baiticd. The man
[ Was there before hlm-that certain
/ but nov having left him. a. he felt surv hr
/ had done, among the guests at the ball. he
{ came To be there uow, vas IneNplIcablc.
( Not having wings wherrwIth to i,, nov on
earth had the fellow got there Could he
/ have been mistaken, he wondered for a mo
/ ment. But no, he knew he had not.
! lie shifted the form OF MS Interrogation
Then YOU were not al the hail 2 he
asked very polniedl,.
The Young officer worthy Of all con
/ demnatiou for having torsaken the post Of
/ duty. Bat though he had acted lnexcusabst,
/ he stIll a gentleman, aud he would not
1 polluie ms lips with lis. lie hesitalrd for
a reply; then parried the question With an
other
| "Ho~ could be At the ball when YOU
/ find me here, T2" he asked.
Z le-. now that Was the ysIeTy the sin-
/ pie st.uuun oi winch vas the turtue.t IN
| the World from presenting Itself 70 the Col
/ onrl brain. Tie kneS that 1t was quite
| impossible for another carriage to have ar
I rived before his own. HIS coachman had
| driven quickly enough TO satisfy even his
| impat4rnoe, and be could not have failed TO
nuucv 1t another vehicle had preceded or
/ followed MS through the deserted streets.
/ lie could not in the least understand It.
Silent, but wholly. unconSincrd, ne sat
4 down 10 the hall TO think shat Il might be
/ hoosr him To say or do next, while the Jun
/ ,or officer bustied about IN restless fashion,
setting refreshments before HIM, and aWk-
wardly endeayoring 10 turn the conversation
| into another channel The Colonel answered
AT random for has thoughts we're perplex-
| ing.
Mystiied, and righteously set on convict
! ing the offender ss he doubtless vas, he
could not help, nevertheless, feeling per-
/ ceptlon OF the cumical side OF the question.
/ lie felt, too, that however fully persuaded
ne might be in his own mind Of Captain
hendals otiense, 1t would perhaps be u diff
/ hcult matter to prove II. At length ne
cleared his throat portentously, and returned
to the charge:
Look mere, Captain Kendall" he said, in
accents which somehow had taken a mIlder
sound from the bent of ms cogltatIons, its
no use beating about the bush; | could
stake my existence that saw you at the
| ball. But now YOU come to be here now Is
another matter, and don't pretend TO un-
dersland how you managed 1t. You had
better make a clean breast Of it, and though
it would be my duty TO take proceedings
against you-yet If YOU will explain, II is
possible that | may just for once consider
ing the peculiar features OF the case, be m
duced to Take lrnient view Of a very grave
misde amor, SIR
Thus encouraged. the eulprit, who de-
tected a kindly twinkle IN the usually stern
grey eye which was fixed upon him, made Il
full and free confession OF his fault, and OF
the causes which led thereto.
The Colonel, though well advanced in the
vale of years, had not outlived the memory
of youthful hopes, and was kindly man,
though a strict discipiinarian. Inc young
lady whose fair image had lured the lover
from his duty, was rather a favorite with him,
aud considering as he had said, the peculiar
! features of the Case, he consented 10 over
look the offence. and inflicted no worse pun
shment on the delinquent than reprimand,
which was received in dutiful silence, and
| with all due contrition. Six months later
the Colonel made an eloquent speech at the
wedding of two happy young people, on
which occasion Captain Brereton acted as
bes, man. Then two sweet blue eyes
looked playfully into his, as the pretty bride
thanked him, in a mysterious whisper for
the solitary and memorable occasion when
| he had consented, for once in his life, to
overlook and condone signal breach Of
discipline Temple Bar.
A Coop INyEsTMENT.-Oneo Of our prom
| inent business men said to the other day:
I'm the spring my wife got all run down and