The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-01-27

| nad myself been SItt1ng) and all right
no, not quite all right In our little black
hall or vestibule, where, upon the round
| table the very largest and thickest pair
| of navvy's boots I ever saw were stand
ing between my wife's neat little UNI
brella anda pair Of her gardening gloves.
Even in that awful moment remember
the sense Of contrast and incongruity
struck me almost as forcibly as the pres
ence of the boots themselves, and they
astonished me as much as the sight oil
the famous footprints did Robinson
Crusoe, and for precisely the same rea-
son. The boot and the print were moth
ing in themselves, but my intelligence,
now fully awakened, at once flew to the
conclusion that somebody must have
been there to leave them, and was proba-
bly, in the neighborhood, and, indeed,
under my roof at that very moment. If
you give Prof. Owen foot Of any crea-
ture Gust as Of less scientific persons we
say Give them an inch, they will take
an ell), he will build up the whole ami
NAL out of his own mind; and something
of the Professors marvellous instinct
was on this occasion mine. I pictured
to myself (and as it turned out, COR
rectly) a monster more than six feet
high, broad in the shoulders, heavy in
the jowl, with legs like stone baIus-
trades, and hands, but too often
clenched, of the size Of pumpkins. The
vestibule led into the pantry, where, no
doubt, this giant, with his one idea, or
half one, would conclude the chief part
of our plate to be, whereas it was lying
unless he had already taken it-a terri
BILE thought that flashed through my
mind, followed by cluster of others,
like comet with It's tail-under our
bed.
Of course I could have gone into the
pantry at once, but | felt averse to be
precipitate ; perhaps upon finding moth
ing to steaD this poor wretch would feel
remorse for what he had done and no
away. It would be wicked thing to
deprive him of the opportunity of re-
pentance. Moreover, it struck me that
he might not be thief after all, but
only cousin considerably removed y
of one of the maid-servants. It would
have been very wrong of her to have let
him into the house at such an hour, but
it just possible that she had done so,
and that he was at that moment supping
in the kitchen upon certain cold grouse
which knew were in the larder. Such
state of things, repeat, would have
been reprehensible. but most sincerely
hoped that it had occurred. A clandes-
tine attachment, however misplaced, is
better than burglary with possible vio-
lence. Coughing rather loudly, to give
the gentleman notice that I was about,
and to suggest that he had better take
himself off in my temporary absence, I
went up to the attic to make inquiries.
And here I am tempted to digres-
sion concerning the excessive somno-
lency of female domestics. As regards
our own, at least, they reminded me,
except In number, of the Seven Sleep
ers. / knocked at their door about
quarter of an hour before attracting
their attention, and it took me another
quarter to convince them Through the
keyhole) that it was not fire. If it had
been, they must all have been burnt in
their beds. Relieved upon this point,
they were scarcely less excited and "put
out by the communication I was COM
PEELED to make to them, though con
veyed with the utmost delicacy and re-
finement of which language is capable.
| asked them whether by any accident
one of them CHANGED to have male rel
ative who wore exceptionally thick high
lows and if he was likely to have called
reeently-thatvery evening, for example.
They all replied in indignant chorus
that they had never heard of such q
thing-by which they meant the sug-
gestion; and that no cousin of theirs
ever did wear highlows, being all 70
males without exception.
Satisfied as to this (and greatly disap-
pointed), I felt chat it was now incum-
bent upon me to purst my researches.
Candle in hand end istol in pocket,
therefore explored the pantry. To my
great relief, it was empty. Was it pos
sible that the thief had departed Ii
so, he had gone without his highlows,
for they stood on the vestibule table as
large as life, and, from the necessity OF
the case, size or two larger. Their
build and bulk, indeed, impressed me
more than ever. Was it possible that
one burglar had come in those boots?
l entered the kitchen not a mouse
was stirring on the other hand. there
was legion of black beetles, which
scuttled away in all directions except
one. They avoided the dresser-beneath
which lay the gentleman I was looking
for, curled up in space much too
small for him, but affecting to be
asleep. Indeed, though previously
had not heard him breathe, no sooner
did the light from my candle fall upon
him than he began to snore stertorous-
~. 1 felt at once that this was to give
me the idea OF the slumber that follows
honest toll. I knew before he spoke
that he was going to tell me how, tired
and exhausted, he had taken shelter I'M
der my roof, with no other object chow
ever suspicious might be the circum-
stances of his position) than nights
rest, of which he stood in urgent need.
"Don't shoot, sir" he said, for took
care to let the handle of Edward Johns
pistol protrude from my dressing gown.
81 am poor, but honest only came
IN here for the warmth and to have a
snooze."
"How did you get in2" I inquired,
sternly.
"I just priced up the washus win
der" was his plaintive reply, "and laid
down ere"
"Then, you put out your boots in the
back hall to be cleaned in the morning,
[ suppose ?"
At this he grinned dreadful grin. 1t
seemed to say, GAS you have the whip
hand of me, you may be as humorous
as you please; but if it was not for that
pistol, my fine friend, you would be
laughing ON the other side of your
aouth reckon
"Come, march" said I. "Put on
your boots"
He got up as wild beast rises from
his lam, and slouched before me into
the hall.
Though he looked exceedingly wicked,
felt grateful to him for going so peace
ably, and was moved to compassion.
"Were you really in want that you
came here?' I said. "Are you hun
gry?"
"Not now" he answered with leer
OF course he was intimating that he
had supped at my expense, and at the