The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-01-02

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Mrs. Brown laced too tightly not to
have a temper, but still she must have a
woman's heart beating somewhere. and
surely in a Christian country-but | anti
cipate, if that can be called anticipation
which is the very reverse of what one has
ventured to expect.
My letter ran as follows:
DEAR MIR. BRowN:-In thu addressing
myself to you, / know | am relying upon
our relations as friendly neighbors, and by
no means urging a legal right. In the
eye of the law an Englishman's house is
his castle, and he can, if he pleases, fire
royal salutes from his b~attlement, night
and day. Unfortunately, | am so consti-
tuted that noise utterly destroys my power
to do literary work, in which Gas you are
alvarez | am of necessity engaged from
seven to ten every evening. Your dear
little daughters piano playing is quite
wonderful for her age This was very true;
no full grown demon, | should have
thought, far less an imp of her years, could
have created such discord but if you would
kindly contrive that she should pursue it
during the daytime instead of between the
hours aforesaid, you would lay me under
an eternal obligation.
Awaiting your kind consent, for which l
thank you beforehand,
| am yours truly,
CHARLES JONES.
I was in such a state of anxiety and ex-
citement, the hideous cannonade continu-
ing all this time without one instant's ces-
sation, that | wrote upon the envelope,
s'Bearer waits" and babe my messenger
bring back the answer. 1t came quickly
enough, but put an end to my suspense
only to substitute for it an agony of de-
spair. 1t was, as l guessed in a moment
from the handwriting, all sloping like the
ears OF a donkey in a state of obstinancy,
the female Brown who addressed me as fol-
lows:
DEAR SIR-My husband is from home,
but your application is one which | have no
hesitation in answering in his name in the
negative. You are, as you very properly re-
mark, urging no legal claim whatever, and
you must forgive me for adding that
your request is preposterous. 1t is not con-
venient for my daughter to pursue her
musical studies except between seven and
ltlI. III loalc- 90 iitiCbpAtfN. ohS "'H
confine them,
Yours truly, ABIGAIL Brown.
Late as it was, | clapped on my hat, re-
paired to the house agent of whom | had
purchased Eden Lodge, and procured from
him an advertisement board which | stuck
upon a pole in front of the house that very
night: This villa residence to be sold,
with immediate possession; no reasonable
offer will be refused.
After that I walked about the streets till
ten o'clock, and returned home little com
forted. My wife assured me that the noise
had ceased precisely at that hour. but the
echoes of it seemed to be still ringing
through the house. felt that | was on
the brink of a nervous fever, and wrote to
to my employers to say that my return to
business must for the present be uncertain.
(until seven o'clock, so as to miss no
chance of anyone calling to bid for it, till
thai house was disposed of.
The very next morning a card was sent
in to me with ''Mr. Joseph Plumlin' on it.
He was a thick-set man, of bynomeans arts
tocratic appearance, but | welcomed him as
if he had been one of the royal family.
His manner was curt in the extreme, but |
thought he looked an honest man, and the
city side of my character assured me at the
first glance that he was the sort of person
-. b,e;nocc
81 see this house is to sell" he said. Il
am a builder, and know when a house is
worth buying; if we can come to terms
| mean to buy Eden Lodge; now, what do
you want for it?"
| mentioned the sum | had fixed upon as
a reasonable one, but, in truth, | would
gladly have taken half the money rather
than not nave got the place off my hands.
ssToo much" he said, shaking his solid
head-s.too much by a hundred pounds.
III had been a Frenchman should have
got up and kissed him on both cheeks;
being an Englishman with half my time
devoted to the main chance), | concealed
my Joy, and shook my head almost as re-
solutely as he had done. The house is
cheap" | said, sat the sum | have put up
on it,
mo doubt it is; | know that as well as
you-indeed a deal better" he answered
coolly. but a man don't put with inn
mediate possession on his notice boards
unless he has reasons for wanting to quit.
Now. look here am a man of action. am
sorry to say he used an aspirate.] lam al
ways for settling matters off the reel. | will
split the difference between us, and give
you your money less $50. I'll draw you a
check for it, if you like, this very mo-
ment." And he actually produced from
his breast-pocket a large and g~reasy-check
book, and threw it open, like a front door.
my dear SIR | answered with eflusion,
'sthere is no need to be SO precipitate; a
letter from your lawyer tomorrow will be
quite sufficient, but, on the terms you
mention, the house is yours"
"By immediate possession understand
that | can come III at once. pursued Mr..
Plumlin-"say in q week."
nodded assent; | could hardly prevent
myself from saying: Come this evening,
which would have been fatal indeed; if he