The Penn's Grove record., 1885-09-26

some little thingl She will be killedI'
Starting from my seat, L seize the
hey of the gate and a large garden
broom which happens to be standing
near. and; needless of executions and
linen in possession" l open the gate
and rush out into the road; there to see
my poor little Tiny in the grip of a most
disreputable looking cur. My efforts
TO part them are at first %fru1tless; but
at last. after one or two vigorous pushes
with the broom, | succeed. Tiny is
rescued, but at my expense, for the
angry cur directs his wrath against me.
Terribly afraid, / turn to run, but my
opponent is too quick. He seizes hold
of my dress and shakes it as if 1t were
a rat. | scream to Jane for assistance,
but relief is at hand. A gentleman
rushes forward, and with n or two
smart raps of his stick drives the dog
away. | snatch up Tiny and make a
start for the garden before the attack
is renewed. Fate however is against
me. The horrId little dog has torn my
dress, and of course | must put my foot
through the hole and awkwardly STUN
BILE. a strong arm, outstretched in
time, just saves me from measuring my
length in the dust.
Don't be frightened" l hear a
pleasant cheerful voice exclaim; there
Is nc danger. The little dog has beaten
a ~retreat.n
"Bow.wow-wowl" yelps the little
monster i'll contradiction, as. executing
a cautious side.movement, he renews
the attack. There is nothing for it but
to run; and run do, not stopping till
reach the other side of the garden
gate, the little dog at full speed after
me. But MY deliverer is equal to the
occasion. He makes a rapid plunge,
and seizeS the dog by the back of its
neck-which unexpected attack so
alarms the animal that it suffers itself,
without a snap or bite, TO be ignominl-
ously expelled from the garden and the
gate closed upon It,"
"Oh, thank you'll hurriedly exclaiIn.
Il hope you are not hurt po
For the first time l look at my pre-
server, and meet a pair of merry brown
eyes looking at me with an amused
twinkle.
''Stupid fellowp' l say to myself.
81 wish he would not stare 30. Idon't
know what to say to him.
To add to my discomfort l feel my
cheeks getting crimson-I have such a
tiresome habit of blushing-and a tru-
ant lock of hair will keep blowing about
my forehead. | wish that he vas a
little awkward or bashful, | always
have plenty of self-possession when
talking to a shy person; their difidence
srINrng ma 0nVRraprn NlICh INV hoIr from
my forehead with an impatient hand
and, raising my eyes to his as he is
assuring me that he is quite unhurt,
| catch a glimpse of a blue, official
looking paper which has partially work.
ed its way out of his pocket. All at
once it flashes across my mind-the
''man in possession !" He must be a
bailiff, and l have let him in, and papa
will come back to find his home devoid
of furniture-everything seized. L
have no doubt he has plenty of assist
ants waiting outside.
81 am very much obliged to you'll
try to say it winningly, but fear and
indignation drive all softness from
my voice-"I won't trouble you any
longer" l continue. ~ am not at all
All dlu. E1lu l. IliobCA w bilO k0OO w
open it for his departure; but that
wretched animal, with revived courage,
is waiting outside, and, as soon as my
hand touches the latch, "Bow-wow-
WOW - 1t yelps, springing savagely at
the gate.
Jump back with a start, and the inn
pudent bailiff actually smiles; | suppose
/ must have looked very funny. See
ing my look of annoyance, he takes no
notice of my discontinue.
pardon me-" he says, politely rails
ing his hat-and l wonder TO myself
how it is that a bailitf car look and
behave so much like a gentleman-''is
not this Holmfeld, Mr.. Morton's
place 2"
"Yes," | reply with as much dignity
as [ can scrape together, ''this is Holm.
field, MIR. Morton's place; but papa is
out, and | do not know when he will be
back, so | do not think it will be any
good for you to wait. Perhaps you had
better cali again."
L wait, hoping that he will go. But
no, he hesitates; and then, slowly
taking some papers form his pocket, he
says
II should be very sorry to miss seeing
him. | have come some distance.
IL is about some legal business. Think
he has been expecting me;' and he
looks at me inquiringly; but l make no
response, so he continues-"With your
permission | will wait for him. /
can amuse myself very well strolling
round these nice gardens, IL you will
allow me to do so. But may / hand you
my card ?" And he takes one from a
card lease
| perslstently refuse to see it, for l
feel certain that he must be a bailiff.
His reference to papa's expecting him
and the legal business have removed
nv last doubt. Notwithstanding his
politeness, | determine not to take the
card, which l firmly believe to be what
Jane described as a warrant.
"As you please" 1 answer CURLY,
and, with a stiff inclination of my head,
/ hurry into the house in a great state
of terror, lest he should hurry after me
and force his way in.
| fasten the door, and peep out of the
side window. There he stands where |
left him. He is actually lighting a
cigar. What impertinence | feel
a trifie softened as my ose informs me
that the cigar is a good one. l like
the aroma of a good cigar about a place.
1t makes it 50 masculine. lam obliged
to admit to myself that, if this one is a
specimen of his class, bailiffs must be
very handsome men. How well his
sh~ooting.suit dts him 1t is so neat in
pattern and colour-a quiet gray, the
pattern so small as to be almost invisi-
ble-not a gigantic check like walking
window-panes. He takes of his ''deer-
stalkern to shade the fuzee from the
wind, and | notice that he has beautiful
brown hair, very thick and curly.
What a pity" | sigh to myself, that
such a nice-looking fellow should be a
horrible bailitf !"
But what am 1 TO dof l feel sure
that the stroll about the ground is only
pretence. No, he must be ~concocting
some ruSe by which to gain an entrance
into the house. | resolve to prevent
him. as not a woman a match in wit
and for any man I" | argue to
myself. "A bailiff after all is only a