Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-08

Adelbert Dangleboy and Gertrude
Giggletitter were threading their way
toward tho Giggletitter mansion,
through the moon-hathed suburbs of the
city, says tho Burlington (Vt.) Free
Press. 1t was soft night in
spring, and the tice-cream saloon, onco
more Turing it's unwary victims from,
among the dispensing worshipers Of
Thalia, had detained their innocent
footsteps until the great hands of the
city clocks already Swallowed the hour Of
midnight.
Still, as the lovers turned their faces
homeward, the dreamy quiet of the
night, tho witohing spell of the moon
light and tho fullness of their own
hearts, with the regions subjacent there
to. forbade unseemly haste, and at
tuned their footsteps TO . kind of
adagio stroll. with variations (from the
straight course).
At length they turned into q street
shimmering with long lines Of unlaid
water pipes, awaiting the operations of
one Of the city gangs" For q few min
utes they stopped to admire the effect
of the moonlight on the great black
cylinders. stretching away until they
melted into q vista of golden mist and
tool-carts.
Suddenly Gertrude Giggletittcr started
and grasped Adelbert's arm tightly
"Who is that coming%' she gasped. Ad-
Gilbert looked up quickly. stalwart
figure was walking swiftly down the
avenue toward them, breasting the
moonlight as a ships brow breasts the
incoming tide. ut is papa" exclaimed
Gertrude, with a convulslve shudder.
What shall we do? You know he has
positively forbidden our meeting again.
You must hide somewhere! will face
him alone. He is SO shortsighted. am
sure he does not soc us yet. Hide, Ad-
clbert!-here, crawl into one of these
pipes! That is right-thank heaven.
my darling is safe"
Just as Adelbert Dangleboy's coat-tails
had disappeared within the long, sep
ulchral pipe the pedestrian whose rapid
abreast of the trembling girl and
stopped in amaze.
Miss Giggletitter! What are you do
ing here at this time OF the highland
alone?"
Heavens! 1t was Richard Clawtail, =
rival suitorl
Gertrude stammered, snickered and
burst into tears, and sitting down on the
pipe in which Adelbert D&ngleboy was
now hopelessly entombed, buried her
face in her hands. Richard Clawtail
sat down beside her and succeeded in en-
gaging one of her hands. 1t was an old
trick of his, but was as far as his en-
gagement with Gertrude Giggletitter
had now succeeded in going.
IF you won't tell me why you are
here all alone at midnight" he said,
tenderly, for his throat was still raw
rom the effects of 10 grippe, you will
certainly permit me to remain by you
as your protector, or, better still. allow
me to escort you home"
What could Gertrude Giggletitters say?
She could not give away the dear ad-
mirer wedged fast in the water-pipe.
That would be too humiliatinga triumph
on the part Of the hated rival. Neither
could she in consistency object to the
rivals courteous offer of protection.
For she realized that circumstances had
indeed placed her in q very compromis-
ing situation Poor, innocent, unsus-
pecting lovers! How suddenly had
tickle fortune brought them into tight
Quarters-tight for Gertrude and very,
very tight for poor Adelbert!
Miss Giggletittcr meditated upon the
situation for u few moments. Then
for she felt the pipe begin to vibrate be-
meath them with Adelbert Dangleboy's
frantic efforts TO release himself-shs
rose and said, swcetly: You are very
kind, dear Mr.. Clawtail, and / shall
be most happy to have your
= m homo
There was something both in tho
words and tho tone, which may
have deceived Richard Clawtail, and
may not AT any rate an Osculatory
sound-wave went billowing away into
space, followed by the nervous litter OF
q young female who is accustomed to
being kissed and has fallen into an ir-
resistible habit of Objecting to it. At
the Same time a pair of shoes appeared
at the black throat Of the pipe, and q
tremendous throc ran along its huge
hollow length. But Richard Clawtail
walked away with Gertrude Giggletitter
upon his arm, seeing nothing but the
lovelinees Of her face and hearing moth
ing but the music of her voice.
Fifteen minutes later sorry-looking
figure emerged from the water-pipe
and stood upright Not even its own
mother would have recognized it as
the exquisite Adelbert Dangleboy.
Its hat was gone, its face was livid with
passion and suffocation, its coat hung
in tattered folds about its shrunken and
compressed form, its trousers were
shredded above tho knees and its shoes
gaped hideously with long kicking at
the pavement.
The figure stood irresolute for O min
ute, then lifted Its bloody fist, shook II
impotently in the moonlight and
snealzed away into the nearest alley.