Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-01-29
A 81 NslDand'S Trick.

you see Marina got Ill the haDlt OF
sitting up for me at an early age, and
she can't break it of. I couldn't per-
suade her to 60 to bed and mind her
own business, so studied on the mat
ter. We live in one Of the center hous.
es of 4 block of FIVE story and attic
buildings. There's scuttles in the
roofs Of all Of them, and 1 persuaded
Mr., Greenup, who lives in the adjoin-
ing house, to let NE in his house about
l clock last night, and / went up
through his scuttle and over to mine,
and 80 down into our bedroom. l could
see Martha from the head of the stairs
sitting in the front room cycling the
clock with look that was very tart
chrome. But undressed ard quietly
got in bed, and there l lay waiting de-
v+lopments. Every now and then I'd
hear Martha give a short, tidgetty
cough. Then Id hear her get up and
prance around the room little, and by
and by 90 to the window and Slam the
shutters.
After I'd lain there about All hour
beard her get up and 60 stand out on
the front steps for good five minutes.
Then she came in and slammed the
door and locked it and commenced
coming up stairs. Every other step
she'd say "Oh, the wretch, won't
give it to him! l know where he is! l
know where he is. He needn't think to
deceive me! Bout the time she had
nearly got to the landing l think she
must have seen the light streaming out
of the door Id left open. l could hear
her stop, and then | commenced to
snore was afraid to look, you know,
but l could hear her cautiously come
up to the door and look in. Well, sir
I'd have given my pension from the
war of 1776 10 have seen her about
the time she saw it was me. I'll bet it
was fun. But | was afraid to do any
thing but snore. Then she came into
the room. I knew by the way she
breathed and stood around. had
nearly to bite my tongue off me- to keep
a straight face on me. | could feel
that she sat duwn in Il chair and was
dumbfounded. | never let on but kept
on snoring like thunder but when she
kicked over a chair turned and pre-
tended to wake up, kind of dazed like,
and says:
"Why, Martha, dear, amt You come
to bed yet?'
Jarphly said she, awful slow and
solumn like, when did YOU come in::' y
"Why, must be four or FIVE hours
ago. Don't you remember when | told
you not to go to sleep in the rocker, but
to come to bed?' and l turned over and
professed to 60 to sleep again"
"She never made any reply, but act
ed in dazed, bewildered sort Of a way
and when she got to bed I could tell
she didn't sleep a wink for three hours.
"This morning it WAS fun to watch
Martha. l could hardly keep Il straight
face At the breakfast table, and all
the time was about the house, she'd
eve me when she thougt wasn't look
ing; then, when noticed her, she d
turn away and be awfully busy at some
thing. She caught ME kind Of GRIMM
once, and, by George, I thought the
the explosion was about to come But
it diln't, though the look Of blank, uu-
fathomable suspicion she wore Oh her
face all the time was the greatest show
on earth. 1t nearly broke me up, and
I've laughed till my ribs ache ever
since. know it won't last. know
there's day Of repentins coming, and
the thermometer is going up clear out
of sight in the Jarphly family. But
who's going after trouble? It'll come
soon enough without hunting it, and
I'm going to enjoy that scuttle in the
roof until the explosion comes"
l. a.. u. Il. ~,., IL ,,,;r.o &c II+ob