The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-03-25

condition of their owner, and was obliged
to decide that he was not the man /
wanIed / must let him pass and wait for
another. But the feet staggered up to
me and stopped near me- whilst voice,
Jolly, but like the feet unsteady, cried
"'Nother teller worsh than mel Can't
get on at all-eh, old chap? Comfort t.
think some ones headl ache worse than
mine tomorrow
Can you tell me the way to Warpole
street," | asked, standing erect to show
nim l was sober.
'Walpole strest-course can-closhe
by-third to the left, l think"
eli you are going that way would Won
lead me to the corner of it. Unhappiliy
am blind and have lost my way."
Blind, poor beggar = not screwed
then. Guess I'm in nice state to lead
any one. Blind leading blind-both
tumble into ditch. 1 shay, though, !" he
added, with drunken gravity, make a
bargain-I lend you eyes, you lend me
legsh. Good idea. Come long.
He took my arm and we went warming
up the street. Presently he stopped.
"Walpole street." he hicc,lpped
"Shall take you to your house?"
mo, thank you. Please put my hand
on the railing of tie corner house. I
shall be all right then
''Wish 1 was all right Wish I could
borrow your legs to take me home, said
my bibulous conductor. Good night
Blesh you.
heard him tack away, then turned to
complete my journey.
was not quite certain as to which end
OF Walpole street / started from; that
mattered little Either sixty-two OF
sixty-fve PAGES would leave ne in front
of my door. / counted six33f- ! 70, and
then for the entrance between the rail
ings: not finding it, l went on step OF
two until / came to it. | was glad to
have reached home without accident,
and, to tell the truth, was beginning to
feel little ashamed of my escapade. l
hoped that Priscilla had not discovered
my absence and alarmed the house, and
L trusted / should be able to regain my
room as quietly as had quilted it. With
all my elaborate calculations, was not
quite sure that had hit upon the right
house; but if they were incorrect Icould
only be door OF two away from it, and
the key in my hand would be a certain
test.
Invent up the doorsteps-was it four OF
fumbled for the keyhole and inserted the
Iatchkey. It turned easily, and the door
opened I had not made O mistake. I
felt an inward glow of satisfaction at
having hit upon the house at the first
attempt
sit must have been a blind man who
first discovered that Necessity is the
mother of Invention, l said, as / softly
closed the door behind me and prepared
to creep up to my own room.
i wondered what the time was, All
knew was that it must be still night,
for was able to distinguish light from
darkness. As [ had found myself so
close to Walpole street l could not have
walked for any length of time in my
ecstatic state, so l fancied it must be
about two o'clock.
Even more anxious than when [ started
TO make no noise which might awaken
people, l found the bottom of the stair
case and began my stealthy ascent.
Somehow, blind as l was, the place
seemed unfamiliar to me. The balustrade
was touching did not seem the same.
The very texture of the carpet under my
feet seemed different. Could it be pos
sible that l had entered the wrong house
The are plenty of instances on record of
q key having opened a strange lock-
Could l, through such circumstance,
have strayed into neighbors house? L
paused; the PRECIPITATION rising on my
brow as thought of the awkward situa-
ton in which would be placed if it were
So For a moment resolved to retrace
my steps and try the next house but
could G, not be quite sure ! was wrong.
Then L remembered that in my own
n h1soO Of nj
upon it, hung near the top of the stairs.
l knew the exact place, having been eau
toned many times to keep my head from
knocking against it. L could settle all
my doubts by going on and feeling for
this landmark so on went.
[ ran my fingers softly alone the wall,
but no bracket could l find. My hand
touched the Intel of a door instead. Then
L knew; for certain, was i'll the wrong
house. The only thing to be done was
to creep out as quietly as L had entered
and try my luck next door.
AS turned to grope my way back [
b ard the murmur of voices-late as it
was, there were people talking i'll the
room, the door of which my fingers had
so lightly touched
I could not distinguish words, but
was sure the voices were those of men.
L stood irresolute. Would it not be
better to knock at the door and throw
myself upon the mercy of the inmates Of
the room? could apologize and explain.
NY blindness would account for the mis-
take Some one would, no doubt, be
kind enough to put me ON my right road
home. Yes, this was the best thing to
do. L could not go on creeping into
strange houses like a midnight thief.
Perhaps each house in the row had an
equally common lock, and my key might
open all. If so the end would be that
some alarmed householder would put
bullet into me before Ihad time to assert
my innocence.
Just as 1 raised my fingers to tap at
the door / heard another voice-a wo-
man voice. Itseemed to come from the
.,~<>.u. -, 4 1909, ,,, IN oaaO11n