The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-02-22
BEHIND THE sHUTTER.

BEHIND THE SHUTTER.
Most houses have a story; I don't mean
the architectural division designated by
the word, but the narrative of some cpl
sode connected with the inmates past or
present. / know mine has, and though
it deals neither with q crime nor with
any incident of q thrilling sensational
character; yet I think it worth telling,
and sit down to do 81 in q moment of
leisure, with nothing of graver purpose
to hinder me.
The house in question, occupied by
me and mine, Is situated in London.
The building is an old one. No stucco,
swiftly ''run-up'' enterprising jobber's
speculation, but q good solid brick-and-
mortar ediice, reared with care, and
meant to endure. It was built, I should
say, not only when George Ill. was
King, but a young King, too, and long
before fashion had dreamed Of migrat-
ing so far west as Belgravia.
The event I am going to relate hap
pened some three OF four years after I
had settled myself cozily in my new
abode. / had returned one afternoon
somewhat earlier than was my custom,
for the purpose of celebrating my second
boys birthday and sat at home in my
easy-chair like Goldsmith's good old
Vicar, surrounded by my young hopefuls
of both sexes. Unlike him, however, ow-
ing to the din of romping and ~clatter, l
entertained serious doubts as to whether
Ishould not have been better off had I
continued single and only talked ofpopu-
lation, instead of marrying and en-
deayoring to bring up q large family.
Suddenly one of the children, who was
at the window, attracted my attention
by q remark.
20, do lookt" she said-it was Min
ME, our youngest but one, who had not
a. yet overcome certain difficulties with
regard to pronouncing of her '.r's"-
lido look at the old man in tine steet!
He's just like old Father Cwithmas, and
keeps looking up here"
Where? whereof" said the rest, rush.
ing to the window.
| mysef-as great q baby as any of
them-glanced out, and, to be sure,
the little thing was right. There was an
old gentleman to be seen-a very old
gentleman, with a long, snow-white
beard, who stopped very much and
steadied his feeble gait by the aid of 8
stick-a real Father Christmas, but by no
means q shabby one, for the black
clothes he wore seemed to be in ex-
cellent condition. My house appeared
to be the object of his attraction, and he
looked at it, hesitated, and then looked
at it again.
"He's coming to the doorI'' cried my
little ones, Father Christmas is COM
ing to the doorI"
'sComing to the door!" said I. 'sGood
gracious, so he is! Who can he be, I
wonder. and what can he wantP"
He was too respectable and venerable
for a tax-collector; and the manner in
which he approached the entrance of the
house showed apparent timidity and
difidence. Surely he was making some
mistake; I did not know him, and ex-
pected no strange visitors.
He knocked at the door, and I Just
peeped out of the dining-roam, where
we were sitting, impelled by a certain
curiosity to learn what his motive might
be singing us out.
"Does Mrs. Smith still live herep, he
asked the housemaid, who ran up to
him.
..Mrs. Smith, sira No, there amt no
such party living here"
" All, gone, as 1 supposed" 1 heard
the old gentleman say, as though speak
ing tohimself. "Itis many years ago"
There was a pause after this, and I
could see that Mary, our girl, was doubt
full as to what she should do next. The
old gentleman did not seem disposed to
go, but stood al the door rejecting in
silence.
Can I see the present owner of the
house?" he said at last. s.Here is nv
card; I should desire If it is convenient,
a few minutes interview"
So there was nc mistake, after all.
Father Christmas had marked us for his
own. l looked at the card which the
girl brought in to me and read-Count
P0gliano, Brescia.
''Count Pogliano, Bresciap' I thought
to myself. "That sounds Italian. What
a a Count want with meP' However,
the movements of the old gentleman had
excited some interest in me, so decided
upon seeing him.
Take him upstairs to the drawing
ROOM" I said to the girl. "I will be with
him directly"
Ipacked the children off to the nursery.
and, having informed my wife of the
strange VISITORS appearance. hurried Up
to wait upon him.
He had taken q scat, but rose on INV
entering. AID DO we'd with grave courtesy.
Faee to face with him, I saw q man who.
when young, must have been strikingly
handsome, and to whom age gave a sin
gularly distinguished and pa~triarchal
appearance. But for the stoop of his
hndu ha vy0r1Id haua loo- ---- "
average height of men; his nose was
well cut and slightly aquiline, and his
eyes had not lost their lustre. A truly
venerable old gentleman, whom it was
impossible to mistake for anything else
excepta gentleman.
"fray be seated, SIR" I said, noticing
that his great age-he looked over eighty
TO . certainty-made him rather feeble
upon his legs.
He sat down again. and then glanced
at me timidly, as thought at loss for
suitable words with which to expre his
thoughts.
:" / scarcely know how to explain nv
intrusion" he began at last, speaking
with a slight foreign accent, but other
wise perfectly clear, and employing even
well-chosen phrases. "My reasons for
strange"
nodded my head in silence and waited
for him to continue.
"The fact is-that I lived in this house
many, many years ago"
Indeed. sir" putin, observing that
the old gentleman was growing more
nervous and difident.
Yes, sir. A Mrs. Smith was the oc-
cupant at the time; butperhaps you have
no knowledge of such a person."
mo, sir, l cannot say I have" 1 re-
piled. "My tenancy is Of quite recent