The Penn's Grove record., 1885-05-02

rible clamor from the interior of the
black case.
The mau in charge of the box dropped
1t with a positive shrek of terror, the
spectators scattered in alarm. | felt a
determined grasp tighten upon my
shoulder, and resigned myself with the
calmness of despair to the next phase of
the ridiculous drama.
One word. repeated several times,
came to me distinctly out of the o N
fused Babel of sounds. 1t bore a sort
of German-cousinship to the English
word dynamite, " and flashed a sudden
illumination into my Dewildered and ex-
asperated brain. l was supposed to be
a 'Edynamltard "and poor aunt Martha's
innocent relic a Nihilistlc or Fenian en-.
CINE of destruction, which had missed
fire for the moment, but might presently
fulfil its deadly mission.
A movement on the part of an indi-
vidual who carried a long pole was zoo
suggestive of an intention to drop the
dangerous importation into the harbor
to be calmly borne. Reused to the de-
fence of my charge, l sprang forward,
shaking of the OBTAINING grasp on my
arm, and seized aunt MaTtha's precious
treasure.
''Idiotsl Foolsl" l exclaimed hotly.
Can't you see-"
Ny indignant glance rested at this
Ju%nctuTe, not upon any blue-coated gem
darme. but upon a brown-robed slim
girl who, hanked on either side by a
half-grown lad, stood on the edge of the
crowd of spectators. Her face was
sweet and fresh as an English rose, and
the lovely gray eyes which met mine as
| stood, harassed, hunted, desperate,
we're so compassionate and sympathetic
that, moved by something's do not
know neutrality-suspicious. affinity" L
Supposed instinctively raised my hat.
The young lady colored deeply, and,
pulling one of the lads forward with
her, took a step nearer to me, and said,
in a very trembling and timid voice
"Can we explain anything for you?
You cannot speak French perhaps /;
Charlie WILL"
But Charlie, whom she had evidently
been holding by main force, would not.
He t'backed" contumaciously, and left
her alone, covered with confusion.
"You are very good" l exclaimed
eagerly. II shall be immensely obliged
if you will tell these fellows that this
box of mine, which seems TO alarm
them so much, contains nothing more
formidable than an old clock"
With a brave effort she rallied her
courage and spoke some sentences in
French to nay prosecutor. The man
seemed to know her; he bowed politely,
and listened a~ttentively. The hand
which he'd her sunshade trembled per-
eeptibly, and the color came and went
in her cheeks-such an exquisite c0lor
tooi-yet she held on bravely.
The official eyed me keenly.
"OuUrezi" he exclaimed, Indicating
with a dramatic gesture the unlucky
AUS of all my troubles.
"Would you mind-that is" STAN
mered my interpreter, she asks you to
open the box. 1t is necessary, you
know. Everything is opened now a.
the Custom House here"
Il have not the faintest objection |
ans wered, producing the key at once.
IF we bad only arrived at this under
standing sooner, it would have saved a
great deal Of trouble. l am more
obliged to you than l can say. and |
must apologize very sincerely for the
trouble / have given YOU"
She murmured some inarticulate words
as she retreated hurriedly, and disap-
peared-after the %recreant Charlie, no
doubt, in the crowd.
The band Of officials still held aloof
suspiciously as [ advanced to the pros
trate object of their horror and pro-
dnced the contents for their inspection;
then a peal of irrepressible laughter-in
which | Joined heartily. in spite of my
self-echoed along the pier. The indi-
vidual in command raised his hat with
| what | understood TO be u polite apol-
| ogy, a dozen oficious hands were ex-
tended to relieve me of my burden, and
| proceeded, IN what vas now changed
to a sort of triumphal progress, towards
the nearest cab stand.
l was speedily set on my way to the
English Consul, from whom l o
learned the address of Mrs. John Nor
timer, the aunt with whom Miss Mot
mer resided. 1 was determined to rid
myself at once of my compromising
charge, and so drove straightway to the
abode OF the Mortimers.
A trim white capped maid, who re-
stored my self-esteem by responding i'm
mediately to my necessarily brief in
quiry-in French-for madame, !" an
| swered the little bell which l found at a
door on the first floor, and ushered me
into a salon bright with gliding and
sweet with flower scents. A ladylike,
graceful woman came forward to receive
me, and, after my few words of explain
alton, called softly through a door-one
of several which l had thought led into
cupboards-
"Phyllis, come here, dearl'
There was a little rustic of feminine
garments, a quiet footstep, and my in
terpreter of the pier stood before me.
Then there was, after all, something
in mysterious affinity"
"London, March Oath, l8-.
my dear Nephew,-It Is now a fort
night since you left here, and | a v had
nothing more from you than the very
short note in which you announced your
arrival at CALAIS with the clock and told
me that YOU had succeeded in hnting