The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-12-14

The room where Dora was to keep her
vigil was for lawyers office, very at
tractive; there were numerous books, an
easy chair or two, some flourishing
plants, and across one side of the room
a cabinet of curiositics of considerable
value, which it had been the delight of
Mr.. Leonard's heart to collect and ar
range. The gem of the collection was n
cracked porcelain plate of the time of
Louis XI of France, declared by con-
Dora had not been ten minutes alone be-
fore aunt Matilda, her eyes big with ex-
citement, put her head in at the door
"Dora, there is man with the mon
keys declaring he will not be kept wait
ing a moment longer. | have promised
to drive in the park with Mrs. Graham,
and there is no one to look after Bob's
pets but you. would not send them
away; so told the man to bring them
up here. They have chains about their
nccks, and"
"But, Aunt Matilda, papa will be furi-
Gus at seeing the monkeys-in his Office,
especially He declared that Bob
should not send them to the house at
ALL"
"We must not disappoint the poor
boy, Dora. Kate will return from the
milliner's in half an hour, and | will
leave word that she is to take the ami
mails to her room then; so your father
need know nothing about it. They GER
tainly will do no harm alone in so short
time"
Further discussion was ended by a man
| IL, HI nv
without ceremony into the room. He
set a large basket On the floor, exclaim-
ing:
"There, you chattering varmints; it's
glad enough am to get rid of you! The
attintion those beasts attracted all along
the streets, mum, was enough to make
an honest man ashamed"
Two pairs of bright eyes pecped from
under the basket cover, as if begging for
! freedom, and the next moment two fine,
full-grown Singapore monkeys were
capering about the room as much as their
combining chains would permit.
Chain them to the fender, and they
will be sure to be out of mischief" said
Aunt Matilda, watching to see this COM
mand obeyed, and then following the
porter down into the street.
Dora, left alone with her unexpected
guests, tried to strike up an acquaintance
with them but they seemed dull and un-
responsive. They crouched down side
by side on the rug, and fell intoN kind
of doze; so Dora, relieved of all anxiety
as to their conduct, returned to her nook
in the window
There was thin curl of smoke coming
through the vine on the balcony, and she
could hear the rustling of the leaves of 9
book. 1t was pleasant to know that
Romeo was near, and it was also pleas
ant to have him aware of her presence
Could not Bob, when he came home, be
prevailed upon to extend friendly hand
to this dark eyed strangcr9 But his holi
day was so short, and he had so many
old friends to look up, that she wa:
afraid he would only make game of hel
fancy for Romeo.
Dora's reverie was suddenly interrupted
by Gathering of the fre-irons the
smaller monkey, released by the other
was carefully inspecting the glitteyine
poker and tongs, while the elder mon
key, without effort, unfastened his owl
chain and left it lying on the floor. HI
gave Dora a knowing look and started
on tour of investigation about The
room, the girl timidly following to rescue
whatever of value might come in his way
He at length spied, half hidden on thu
disuscd CRATE, the kettle of the spirit
lamp which served to brew Mr.. Leonard
tea, still partly full of water which hat
not vet cooled The thirsty monke,
plunged his head into the little kettle
which proved, alas, so tight a fit that i
} utterly refused to come Off Blinded
and frightened the monkey darted abou
the room, shaking and twisting his heaC
till the water flew in all directions. Thi
was the signal for wild frolic for boil
the monkeys, which Dora tried in vail
to quiet. While rescuing the ink
: stand from the clutches of one
the other tore in shreds as man,
as he could seize of the valuable
law papers scattered on the table TIL
/, elder monkey having finally freed him
self from the kettle, flung it with
crash into the court and then sprang t.
the cabinet, where the Louis ri. plat
was enshrined.
: Dora was horror stricken as she say
, the monkey dexterously undo the fasten
ings and take the plate from its velve
bed. She felt that something desperate
must be done to save the precious relic
The clerks were all dismissed, no servan
| was within call, and there was no one t.
help her. The monkey raised the plat
! above his head and began an excitin!
chatter with his mate Dora flew to tn
window, expecting every instant to hea
the crash of the priceless porcelain, and
leaning far out, with as steady voice a
+ she could summon
= "Do please come and help me; tn
monkeys are destroying everything -ther
is not a moment to loseln
In her fright Dora hardly realized tina
the long wished for interview wit
} Romeo had come at last. A far harde
c heart than Romeos could not have re
5 sisted those besceching tones or tn
petty, appealing look on the girls face
and in an instant the young man ha
swung himself from the balcony to tn
Il. l. I. ~ Al