Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-14
luite unreasonable agitation.

but there was worse In store. a Mill
ute later knock came at his door, and
. servants voice inquired from the other
side:
"Beg pardon, sir: but did you ring for
your dress tIousers?"
eyes," replied Jack, hurriedly, making
no movement to unlock the door. ''Have
you got them thereT'
eyes," answered the footman. "And /
expect you must have got masters, sir,
for yours had been taken to his room by
mistake, and he can't find his own no.
where"
A horrible thrill of increased DISNEY
shot through Jack at these words. The
affair had seemed bad enough before he
knew whose trousers they were he had
split But the fact of their being crab
bed, crotchety Uncle Testers made it
hundred times worse. What should he
do? How should he manage to face the
walls of the old gentleman's wrath, which
would assuredly be poured upon him at
dinner in the presence Of all the other
guests? This thought reduced the shy,
foolish youth to state Of mind border
ing upon frenzy. And almost before he
knew what he was saying-certainly be-
fore he at all realized the consequences
of his action-he had blurted out des-
perate fib.
"No," he answered, Il have not. I
have no dress trousers here at all"
The man did not seem convinced, how
ever, until Jack had repeated his assev-
Grafton two or three times. Then he
went away, leaving the youths own
trousers Cby his request) on the mat out
side the door. When he was out of sight
Jack opened the door and hastily took
them in, and pulling off his uncle's
breeches soon invested himself in his
own. The former he then stuffed in his
portmanteau, which he was careful to
lock. And putting the key in his pocket
he hurried down to dinner in anything
but an easy frame of mind.
He reached the drawing room a min
ute or two before his uncle, who soon
made his appearance in q pair of morn
ing inexpressibles, with particularly
sour look on his face. The old gentle
man, being absurdly prim and punctil
ious about accuracy of dress, was more
upset by the disappearance of his gar
ments than ordinary folk would imagine
possible. And as he explained to his
guests the cause of his lateness and of
his hybrid attire, he inyeighed in no
| measured terms against the damned
IDIOT who was to blame for 1t. and ex-
Ere2zsase his determination Of sending
him about hla business ~ sson as ne
il
This threat, and the sour i'll temper
which his uncle displayed all the even
ing, quite frightened Jack out Of any in
tention of confessing the truth which he
might have entertained. On the con-
trary, he began to evolve desperate ex-
pedients for getting the trousers mended,
and secretly restoring them to the old
fellows room; since, if the articles con-
tiuued missing, there was no saying what
steps their owner might not take to dis
cover their whereabouts. And should
| they be traced to him, Jack-why, good
! by to all his expectations from the avun-
cular quarter!
While he cast about in his mind for
possible expedients, it occurred to him
that he might seek the assistance of his
| Aunt Testers maid, for she was rather IL
friend of his, having lived with his
mother several years before she came to
| Woodleigh, and he felt sure she would
| help him to the best of her power. He
knew where her workroom was, having
been to it already to have little jobs of
mending done.
If he went there that very evening,
after dinner, when his aunt and cousin
! were busy down stairs with their guests,
| he should be certain to find her alone.
| He could take the trousers to her, tell her
exactly what had happened, beg her to
! run up the split seam with a sewing ma
chime, and arrange with her some method
for the secret restoration of the articles
to his uncle's dressing room. AS no
other reasonable, or even possible, course
suggested itself, Jack made up his mind
to adopt this one. And he escaped to
his room after dinner on the earliest OPP
portunity for the purpose of putting it
into immediate execution. Unlocking
his portmanteau, he dragged the wretch
ed trousers forth. Then doubling them
up into the smallest possible compass,
and taking them under his arm, con-
cealed as much as was feasible by his
coat, he looked out to see that nobody
was in sight and started along the pas
sage toward! the workroom.
He had not proceeded far before he
became aware; Of some one approaching
with light in the opposite direction.
At present. the light alone was visible.
the bearer of it being hidden from him
by bend in the wall. | What was he to
do? AS he was carrying the trousers
they were but Unexpectedly concealed,
and any one meeting him with light
was certain to- remark them. He must
hide out of the way till the person, who
ever itowas, had passed. But where?
A bedroom doors on His right stood
temptingly open. He adarted3quickly in,
and concealed himself behind it. But,
as i'll luck would have it, his hiding
place proved decidedly insecure one.
The bearer Of the light, who, from the
sound of rr7stling skirts which accom-
panied her, was evidently woman, did
not pass by the door. On the contrary,
she walked straight into il! Jacks
heart sank to zero, and d sense of ap-
palling dismay overwhelmed him. OF
course she would shut the door. and
there he would stand helplessly and
hopelessly exposed, with those miserable
trousers in his possession. Escape was
impossible. Nothing could save him.
He was ANONYMOUSLY run to earth.
If ever any one felt desperate Jack did
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