The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-10-24

daughter, whose day has yet to come.
A fine family, are they not?--and they
don't turn up their noses at pleasure,
either"
"It's singular" added the master of
the house, "that though sent out at
least three hundred invitations you are
the first to arrive. But 1t is not yet
nine o'clock, They will come-they
will come. Meanwhile, will you take a
little refreshmentP'
They warmed up slightly while re-
freshing themselves. The young men
found the mansion delightful. the re-
freshments of the best. While they
were sampling the lunch several persons
arrived; men of respectable appearance,
and ladies who could not but be respect
ed. When dancing was proposed 1t
was imperative to invite those sorcer-
esses; the seven young men were the
sole persons who really could dance.
There was but one young and fresh
face, that of the daughter of the house.
She smiled with a sort of sadness that
increased minute by minute.
"Poor young men," she seemed to
say, "they have fallen into the trap!
Others would not have allowed them.
selves to be caught by It,"
They danced until midnight. The
three hundred invitations had produced
only fifty guests. The punch was strong,
the danceuses were strong, energy was
demanded-the students and the hero OF
the fete displayed it.
At midnight, however, they wished to
withdraw. The host barred the way.
"Not If l know itv' cried the master
of this elegant den. "Supper's ready
you must supp
The supper was for three hundred
mouths; the heoic idea OF attacking il
with their small numbers speedily ex.
cited the courage of our young men,
The seven companions took their places
In the festal hall. They drank, they
laughed.
However, at one o'clock, when the
omnibuses stopped running, the guests
again strove TO withdraw. The old gen
tleman and the old ladies were per
mitted to depart, but the arm of the
host made new barricade before thu
young men.
"You shan't CO." said he. in louder
voice than he had yet used. "You
would be robbed on the way home
You are fatigued; so am l; let's go tC
bed! Your chambers have been pre-
pared"
AT once, and in spite Of appearances
our young friends stared at each othel
with a certain fright. The ambuscadt
was undeniable. What were they tC
doP
Our rash heroes consulted each other
accepted with good grace, demanding
only, before ascending to their apart
ments to sleep, permission to take q
turn in the garden and smoke cigar
This favor was accorded them; the
jailer pushed his irony so far as to Offer
them some excellent Havana cigars
which they lighted with hypocritIcs
gratitude.
Once in the garden they ran to the
gate. 1t was fastened. Impossible tc
awake the concierge-he was without
doubt an accomplice in the proposed
crime.
They concluded they must make thell
escape with the same unanimity that
they had concluded the night before tc
go to the rendezvous. They, therefore,
searched the garden for a tree that
might help them TO scale the wall.
They found one. 1t seemed TO have
been planted there expressly against the
wall, with branches that stretched over
into the street.
They climbed 1t one by one, and af.
terward let themselves slip down the
wall. But, unfortunately. three ser
geants de vile, who CHANGED to be on
the spot, received the young men in
their arms, refused TO believe the in.
credible story they stammered out,
searched them, found very little money
upon them, were nevertheless SUSPECT
ous of them, and took the seven rash
fellows to the station house.
Next morning, when our seven stud.
ents were taken before the commissary
OF police, they were surprised TO recog-
nize in that magistrate one of the sup
per guests, the husband of one Of the
venerable ladies.
''Parhteu! is it you, messieursPr cried
the commissary, laughing. Show did
you happen TO get into the station
house?" ....
They were then compelled to confess
the suspicion, the terrors that had pre-
sided over the scaling OF the wall Al
most choked with merriment, the com
missary gave the following explanation
The individual who had invited them
to his housewarming solFee was an hon
est omnibus conductor who had just in
herited 100000 francs that an uncle,
formerly broker, bad made at the
Bourse.
"It is not astonishing" added the
commissary, addressing the young man
who had introduced the rest; sit is not
astonishing, therefore, that he should
give his invitations In an omnibusp