Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-14

has not caught again. We intended having it repaired, but the locksmith has unforta.- nately not arrived" (Which, as he had not been sent for. was not be wondered att
 ''Shake the handle from the inside" con tinued.
 He shook the handle, butt need hardly say-without effect. shook it also.
 Perhaps you have locked itT' suggested, allowing faint amount of anxiety to appear in my tone tz
 "Locked itl Rubbishl" was the irate re- ply. "What should lock 1t fort I'm not woman. Besides, there's no key"
 'I am exceedingly annoyed" l went on, in voice full of vexed solicitude; ''but fear we can do nothing until the locksmith comes. It is most unfortunateI He shall be sent for again at once; but of course it will take some little time, as we are so far from the village"
 Whereupon followed fearful and ungov- ernable language from MT. Carper, He shook the door violently, stamped about the room, and "went on" generally in most alarming way. I pacified him as we'll as could, or, rather, tried to pacify him, but he continued to storm and swear without ap- parently listening to my hes-they were nothing less-and at last I went down stairs o6oAIIs etsiu SOCh PAoSS ae oAC ACe&<A SA eAAC table in furious passion. Our previous de- captions had never gone as far as this, and felt myself a sneak from the tips of my fin gers to the toes of my boots This was most preposterous and outrageous plan of Ella's, reflected savagely. We could never carry it out. Why had listened to hera
 AS we devoured our soup we could hear footsteps tramping about excitedly and ir regularly overhead. Then there was a sud den silence. It was the lull before the storm.
 Scarcely had the fish been removed than a series of loud bangs resounded on the pan els up stairs. Uncle Simon started nervously. Emma became crimson and muttered some thing about ''rousing baby" took no no- tice, but went on grimly carving the fowl before me.
 Twill you take leg, or @ wing, uncleG" l said shortly.
 "A leg, boy" indignantly. "What are you thinking off I'll take wfng-the liver wing-of course"
 hastily apologized and said was think ing of something else. So was-I was thinking of Uncle Gregory.}
 Bangi bangl bangi from above
 Good graciousl What is thatF' exclaimed Uncle Simon, in tone expressive of alarm and amazement.
 "What Is whata' asked coldly, without my eyes ITOIu pIdGS That most extraordinary noise, Charles!' went on my uncle, in much agitation. "Is it possible you do not hear its''
 "1 hear the wind rising" replied calmly II fear we shall have 8 storm" Happily, the wind had risen by this time, and was blowing pretty stifflyD Pray help yourself to claret. uncle," l continued: II think you will find it good"
 There was a short silence after this, broken by the walls of the baby, who had reused up at last Ella fled up stairs and l engaged my uncle in polite and easy conversation.
 Suddenly just as MT Finicker was launched on lengthy tirade upon the agra rian outrages in Ireland, the banging began again with renewed fury. What on earth could the old fellow be doingf wondered wretchedly, as the un- n,istakable crash of broken glass or crockery | tor both] sounded overhead There was no | saying what he might do, for MT. Carper | when aroused, was nothing less than mad man, and he was evidently reused now. Good heavens! boy, what is that noiser' l exclaimed my uncle starting from his chair.
 What noise, uncle" said, with a | ghastly smile "You are nervous tonight, l fear"
 "Nervous! Listen to that, and that, and thatl" he continued fiercely. "Have you a lunaUlC or U W11Q DeSlSU COQC6aleu III your house, sirf'
 I listened hypocritically for few mo- ments.
 II certainly do hear sounds,"I said then, l in doubtful tones. By this time the noise was enough to waken the dead) ] ''Soundsl Why, you must be deaf or an l idiot, sir. Its pandemonium, I tell you nothing less"
 "My dear uncle," replied, gently, "com- pose yourself. Those-er-sounds are, l re- gret to say, of frequent occurrence. When the wind is high, as it is tonight, the noise is positively deafening." Gt certainly was.l II will go up after dinner and fasten the | skylights in the attics They have been left open, probably. The house is said to be haunted, but that is all nonsense, of course J
 'HauntedW repeated my uncle, glancing over his shoulder nervously. Haunted That Is very unpleasant IT never knew | that"
 Moi" returned iA careless tones "We certainly hear some most unaccountable noises. But one gets accustomed to them in time. Do have some more claret." !"
 Though I spoke thus calmly, I was in. l wardly consumed with rage and mortified tion and shame. However, there was no helr for it. I must keep 1t up now at all events and by and by that maniac upstairs would | SuTely III LQo course OI udUuTS C1re ulmSell out simply could not go and tell him any more lies. Things must take their course. resolved, desperately.
 "You were speaking of the Irish question, l I observed, in courteous tones tmaking my self heard as we'll as could amid the appal ling row overheadD. "I quite agree with yor that something will have to be done" c'By Jover' I ejaculated mentally, something will have to be done, or my wifes uncle will be through the ceiling on to the dining tabler1
 Uncle Simon helped himself to claret ane glanced upward.
 "It-it seems to be in the room above" h, said, in a helpless, irritated kind of way. "Oh, it is sometimes in one part of tn, house, sometimes in another" answered carelessly. "The curious thing is that hav' known weeks to pass without our hearing an, peculiar noises at all. You were not dis turbed during your last visit, if remembe rightly. But, pardon me, you were speaking of Mir. Gladstone's policy in regard to Ire land, were you not2"
 "Ah, yes, yesl It Is atrociousi The mal is becoming unbearablel" resumed my uncl testily talluding, of course, to MT. Gladstone