The morning call., 1892-04-19

and fro in windy weather like this. And
at the same time curious consciousness OF
some human presence near by crept over
me like an unseen magnetic current.
Nor was it false premonition. As |
stretched my neck to peep curiously into
the room l saw seated before the fire
youngish gentleman. pale, black-haired,
and, as thought, rather unsettled OF as
pect. And decidedly wet and mud-be-
spattered gentleman, whose ralment was
seaming in the glorious blaze and craekle
of the pine logs, as he sat there holding out
his hands to the genial warmth
How had he gained an entrance? Had
carelessly neglected to bolt the Big dooT
after Mrs. Gludges departure? Yes, l
must have done s0-and that vas proof OF
how utterly unfit was 10 be left by my
self For a second / stood there qualling
and quaking. my heart humping like a
trp-hammer, and a colo sweat breaking
out upon my forehead, before l decided
what TO do.
had never seen a bank burglar. to be
sure; but l was pretty certain this black
haired gentleman could not belong to that
race. And l did not think he acted like
any other scOundrel who was fleeing from
the rigors OF the law. He must be the
English gentleman gone wrong in his head.
who had escaped" from the Stephensons'.
l was alone in the house with maniac
And at the idea my heart beat more vio-
lently than ever, and the cold drops grew
colder on MY brow.
With a sudden instinct | decided that
there was nothing for il but flight. The
worst feature of the case was that could
not get ont of the house (be it remembered
that Peter had taken away the key Of the
back kitchen door in his pocke) without
passing directly through the room where the
escaped lunatic sat baskiDg before the fire.
This, however, must be faced; there was
no remedy for IL, and with one blind rush l
precipitated myself through the room, tunl-
nva Gp 90 nj nyQ 81 n
butteTnuts as / went, and darted headloDg
through the door. with an involun taTy shrek
that might have rent the ceiling, II ceilings
were rent in that way, except in the pages
of romance.
Directly into the arms of Jack, my own
brother Jack. VINO was coming in from the
van with light vaiise in one hand and a
dripping carriage-robe in the other.
"Halloo!" bawled Jack, staggering under
the blew of my unexpected appearance.
" Wby-what the-I declare If it isn't
Ruthiew
"Oh, Jack. oh, Jack." screamed, clutch
ing at him like drowning man at the pro-
verbal straw.
Where are all the folks? What has be-
come of the stable keys? What have you
done with CarietUn?" he demanded.
But paid no heed to his interrogatories
Come. Jacki" | cried, come quickly!
The escaped lunatlcl He's right there in
the keeping-roon! on, Jack! L do hope
y 3
What" roared Jack San escaped luna
tic? Where the deuce has he come from?
Has he hurt Carleton? ?"
lie made a spring toward the keeping
room, In whose door stood tall, pale man,
Stralning his eyes out in the night.
Where is ?" shouted Jack.
where's who?" said the escaped lunatic,
IN pleasant, slightly drawing voice; "it
wasn't hei 1t was a size! And she
cleared the floor in single bound, ana -
f1v h. 4
he caught sight OF me. But please, what
is the matter ?"
In a second my mental vision became as
clear as crystal. / saw il all, and / enved
Priscilla, the cat, because | could not var
ish under the china cupboard as she did,
and be gone. L could only blush and hang
my head, and Stammer out incohereDt apol-
ogies. amid the laughter of Jack and the
polite apologies Of the friend whom he had
Unexpectedly brOugh: from Montreal with
him, and whose coming had been an
nounced, so il seemed, by the very letter
Mrs. Gludge had lost
That's all. There is no sequel to my
story. In real life / have tOnnd that stories
seldom do have sequels. L had had
dreadful fright, and they all laughed at me
at first and made excuses for me and petted
me afterward, and said, Poor little Ruth"
Father declared that he would never risk
such thing again and discharged Peter on
the spot-but Peter came back TO his work
suC HeAt Jay JUST as USUAL, ana ne Is mere
still. Mr. Carleton was very nice and apol-
ogetic for coming in without knocking 10
dry himself, while Jack was leading the
horse TO the barn. but he has not yet fallen
in love with Me, as an orthodox hero ought |
to do.
The genuine ESCAPED fanatic was captured
near Stephenson's and taken to Montreal, |
under the impression that he was the |
Goyernor-General going to take possession |
OF his vice-rsgency. And just half an hour |
after we had settled down 10 the cracking of |
butternuts and drinking sweet cider that |
night, merry group, a sepuchral knocking |
sounded at the door and Mrs. Gludge's voice |
WAS heard proclaimng:
IF you please, miss, I've come to keep
you company NJ r.