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

barton VIII Hllu, anu Iueu Wo ohdii NC
all right" [ think that a real lawyer
must prove more than any balliff can
withstand.
The evidences Is a wild deserted
spot at one end of the grounds, and
far from the road. 1t has been allowed
to run wild on account of It's pictur-
sequences. A broad, fussy stream falls
over some rocks to a depth OF six or
seven feet, making a terrible noise, and
widening into a small lake on the bank
of which stands a mock ruin covered
with ivy. 1t consists of q solitary tow
er with two or three narrow Sits for
windows, and r~ejoices in the name of
the keep. l remember with joy that 1t
has a stout oak door with a very strong
lock.
L creep out softly through the con
| s~ervatory, locking the door after me,
and dodge between the scrubs until l
have placed IA safe distance between
myself and the fiower-garden, where |
hear my victim walking. In a breath
less state of excitement | reach the
Keep. l push the door open and enter.
Ughl What a nasty, damp, miserable
place it is-just like a dungeon in some
old castle | There is nothing inside bu-
a spade and a rake and an old gardent
s~tool-these | carefully remove. Ihesi-
| tate over the stool, but compassion is
tout you must goi Ii he is tired, he
must sit on the ground. You would
be too handy a a batterlng .ram"-and
[ throw 1t out after the spade and rake.
My next proceeding is to carefully
examine the lock. This nearly foils
melt IS SO stiff that l can hardly turn
it. l am at a loss what to do, when L
catch sight of a small bottle of oil
and a feather standing on a little ledge.
l joyfully seize them. ''Just the
| thing /" | cry. The bottle is very
dirty and sticky, but l am too excited
to heed such petsy discomforts, SO pull
out the feather and begin to oil the lock.
1 make myself in an awful mess, and 1t
is such slow work getting the Oil into
the lock through the keyhole.
"Oh, you nasty. tlresome thing III
cry, passionately stamping the ground.
stWho-I or the lock ?" and turning
round, 1 behold my victim regarding
me with slightly astonished yet amused
look. | am too much n~onplused to
reply.
"Can l assist you ?" he inquiries; and,
without waiting for my permission,
the bottle and feather are taken from
me. and my voluntary assistant, heed
less of the dirty moss-covered step, is on
his knees busily working away at the
lock as if he had been a locksmith all
his life. He works ON quietly for a
| little time without speaking, while |
- ~, ao-frua1Iu fryinr RI thInH Of
some means by which l can trap my
game There is the prison, and there
is the prisoner; but 0 is he to be put
inside itp What a strong lock this
is l should not care to be behind it
! without a crowbar, :" he remarks.
answer nothing, but l am ready to
| cry for yexation. l wish that l was as
strong as an elephant, so that l might
push him in noIenS Uolens.
ST think you will find it all right now.
1t is still a little stiff, but you Will be
able to turn t." and, rising from his
knees, the victim faces me with a grave
face, which all at once breaks into an
Hfepressible smile of amusement that
he valnly strives TO conceal.
flush angrily at what l consider his
i~mpertlnence. Afterwards when l see
myself in the glass, my wonder Is re-
moved-my dress. all tumbled and
creased, is smudged all down the front
with green moss and rust, while across
my forehead is a great streak of dirty
oil. / suppose l must have used my
greecy hand as an impromtu HAIR. brush,
without thinking of the improvement
l was adding to my beauty. My volun-
1 $780,, ID, 1e;afn,f otnnno 70 aInan hia hanAG
and, as he is wiplng them on his hand
kerchief, l notice a very handsome
antique ring on the little finger of his
right hand. Seeing my look, he re-
marks
81 am rather proud of this ring; 1t
has been in our family for generations.
1t is very much admired by connoIs-
seurs;'' and he holds it out to me for
inspection.
Idecline to look at it, coldly observ-
ing that / am not an antiquary; and
smile to myself at the idea of a bailif
talking of generations" as If he had
had an ancestry. He turns away as if
to return to the garden. Now or
neverl" | say to myself; and with a
rapidly beating heart | begin
"Aheml Would you not like to go
inside our ruin ?" l try to speak in an
msinuating tone, while my stupid heart
thumps so that | wonder he does not
hear it.
SIS it really a ruin Y" he asks.
am obliged to admit that 1t is only
an imitation one; and then l confusedly
mutter something about people liking
to see such things.
"Thank you all the same, - he says,
shut ! think l Will content myself with
an outside view; | dare say it is full Of
earwigs and spiders, very unpleasant
creatures to have tumbling about one
don't you think so ?"
YES" l slowly assent, adding
quickly, as l am seized with a likely
idea, ''Oh, yes! am so terribly afraid
of them; and papa will make me keep
my gardening tools in there, so thar |
am always prevented from gardening
unless William is here to get them for
me. l wanted to do a little gardening
now" | continue glancing at him tim
idly; ''but | suppose l must wait till |
can find William;'' and | try the effect
of a little sigh.
"SuccessI My fish mbbles now to
land him
Can't 1 act as Williams substi-
tute?' And. without waiting for my
permission, the unfortunate bailiff
braves the earwigs and spiders and en-
tiers the trap.
Thank you'll" cry, e~xcitedly. "You
will find them in the recess behind the
doorl"
Hastily following him, l pull to the
door, turn the key with a desperate
wrench, and, covering my ears with my
hands, | fly like a hunted deer towards
the house.
Poor Jaue's wits are nearly scaret
away when | relate to her my adyea-
lures. She declares that bailiffs always
hunt IN couples, and that there is sure
to be another lurking about the place.
So, to prevent a surprise, we carefully
lock and bolt all the doors, and, not
withstandlng that it is early In the
afternoon, close and fasten the shutters
to all the windows on the ground