Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-01-30
AN UNEXPECTED WITNESS.

Paul Harley stood for few moments |
On the broad top step at the front door
Of the old-fashioned house in Washing |
ton Square. New York, and listened |
10 the rustlIng of the breeze through |
he tree. tops across the street. 1t was
past twelve o'clock, and the gravel
walks leading through the public gar
ien were deserted save for stray
gray-coated policeman and some young
men Fastening home to their solitary
bedrooms in the great bachelor cara
vanserai on the east side OF the square
Paul recognized with a subtle sense OF
satisfaction the odor exhaled by the
budding trees, as delicate as though ne
mad been surrounded by broad fields OF
springing grass instead OF by acres OF
smoky house-tops; then he turned on
aIs heel, opened the door with his
| atch-key, and went up the broad stair
Ease on his way to bed. AS he passed
his uncle's room on the second floor he
:aw a pencil of light shining through
! he keyhoIe and piercing the lnky
blackness ofithe unlit landing; smiling
rather sadly, he muttered to himself:
i suppose he's working OF his temper
by pottering among his cog-wheels.
I'D bid him good night and tell him to
20 to bed IL / were not so sure that
red take that as sign of surrender on
nv part;' and so continued on his
course to the rooms at the top or the
house. These-when he hrst came, a
curly-headed youngster of five, his black
iress the livery of double orphanage,
20 cheer his uncle's loneliness-had
been consecrated to him as nursery and
play ground. That was now more than
quarter of a century ago, but Paul
still retained the large low garret
rooms IN preference TO any OF the more
imposing chambers on the lower iloors.
Most men, before marriage at least,
! are given to one or other OF the perni-
cious habits of sinking anu reading IL
, led. Paul was addicted to both OF them,
and as, on this night, lie lay putting his
cigarette and skimmIng the pages OF
novel, his mind was carrying on two ol
three trains of thought simultaneously
I minimum of his mental apparatu
4 concerned itself with his book, littl'
more with vague wonder as to wher'
he had lost a certain seal-ring whicl
: for wears had never left his finger, bu
: which he had missed while undressing
: while still more set itself to tormen
! him with gentle self-reproaches as I
/, the part he had played in the llttI
= disagreement with his affectionate,
y choler;c. uncle, which had caused hiI
to steal up to bed. omitting his usus
: CHEEKY chat over the affairs or the Ga
= with the old gentleman Finally thes
:, trains of thought collided. as II wers
!, and in the rush and roar OF the COLL:
= ion and the general dislntegratlo
. which ensued, physical WEAKNESS foun
: its long-sought opportunity, and VIII
: the lamp still burning on the table
= his bedside and the gray ash-tlppe
:. ciagarette fallen from his fingers an
: playing havoc with the normal spoties
. ness of the sheets, Paul fell into weI
:, nigh dreamless sleep.
Ell Although old Austin Warren W
= only a half-brother of Paul's mothe
- he occupied towards the young ma
az whose only surviving relative he Wa
the position OF a father, for the ale
- tion with which the two men regard
81 each other partook of the paternal
ls the one side and the filial on the oth'
* while. at the same time, there was
}" dash of the freedom and equality CO..
mon to the relations between Z
brothers of unequal age. When Eau
presence had first chased the shado
from the echoing rooms 10 the
house, the frank Independence, dash
az with observant humor, OF the golus
III mated lad. banished in an instant
IaI fears felt by his uncle before his arrl
IN IN that the cares of guardianship. unt
pectedly thrust upon him, would INT
l fere with his devotion to the pursuit
Neu that mechanical ignis-fatus, the {
NC covery of perpetual motion, which
'u that time was almost mania with
'o' rich, middle-aged bachelor. AS ye
passed on, and the boy grew TO ma
estate, he disappointed his uncle a
tin, by displaying no sort OF incilnat
to apply himself TO the pursuit
low mechanical science. which, thougn
pre- had long since abandoned as 1ruil
'rd- the search for perpetual motion,
fig still the hobby of the elder man
hat clining years. but they were, never
Gus less the best of friends and cron
old, PanI, II Is true. displayed a most re-
last hensible tendency to say unklnd TN
.idi- about his uncle's knack for laborlol
and constructing ingenious machines WI
)uld aid everything but work, and lnsl
the on being exceedingly rude to the sha
tn a lIonp-haired and wild-eyed inven
ing, WHO were occasionally entertained
be- dinner by his relative; but the OLD
hole had come to consider this as IA
ures way.- and 1t only occasionally ca'
nod him q feeling of annoyance. Is wa
red. a fit of rage caused by some unusl
the exasperaIing remarks or Paul
'ome Austin Warren had, with that exag
such ated emotion peculiar to him, eve
his gentle moods. denounced the u
man in unmeasured terms as an
crate. Paul had Tetorted sharpi.
n of was his wont, and later on, when
grtsr war of words was at Its height,
shich flung himself out of the house, al
soon stumbling on the threshold, over
dad of the seedy looking individuals "
presence about the house had prov
the sarcastic speech which had le
the quarrel. When in mild voic
Y York man, who carried a large wooden
it In under his arm, had asked him
.ty Is knew whether Mr.. Warren was
nee Lad told him TO go 70 the deuce
Is the find out, which was not only I'M
n the towards his questioner, but a di!
their reflection upon bis uncle. How