Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-03-28
UNCLE DAWES ADVENTURE.
BYA. cHrs~NoRE.

@Hullo. Uncle Davel Good for yeul
Bess and were just aching for some
thing TO turn up. Walk right in" And
the old gentleman was seized and ushered
into the hall wi impetuous hospitality.
"Clarence, how rudel" protested
second voice. ~But, uncle, we are glad to
see you; the folks have gone 10 the soci-
able. aud our lessons are ell learned,
thank goodness And bright young
face was eagerly raised for the kiss that,
you may be sure, was not grudgingly
given.
Uncle Dave was great favorite with
both nephew and niece, and he was soon
snugly settled between the two upon the
library sofa.
swell. Bessie, what is to be the order
OF exercises tonight" lie asked, as with
sly hand he released mass of curls
that tumhled in shining cataract oven
her shoulders.
Disorder, you mean, was the quick
retort. as she caught the daring hand and
slapped it vigorously. First of all, we
must.contrivea plan for keeping you quiet.
Clarence, what was father saying about
uncle this morningY"
ado you mean when was reading UP
In parlor magic for our party next week p
"Yes.
ale told me 10 ask him about his adj
venture with Satan. Oh, uncle. tell it to
us now, won't your Please dol Pleasel'
so / am TO be kept quiet by being
made to do all the talking; goodl But,
chicks. it is against my principles to
frighten children with ghost stories
"Chicksl Childrenln Bessie remon.
strated. "Why, even Clarence is more
than half-past twelve, and / am two
years and ten weeks older Besides, this
isn't to be a ghost story, exactly. We
shall neither faint nor shrek. shall we,
Clarencel"
Clarence laughed derisively as he ran
10 the table aud turned down the light;
chen, regaining his end of the sofa he an.
nounced:
"All ready"
"Well. if must, / must" sighed Un-
Gle Dave; and in grave voice, that con-
trasted strangely with his previous BAN
ter, he began: 1t was back in the thir-
ties. Our grand old State of Iowa was
not yet born, and your father and / had
come TO grow up with the country. Sho-
kokon had just sprouted, and her one
forlorn tavern was so overcrowded that
we were forced to find quarters in the
upper story Of primitive warehouse.
Il know, know" cried Clarence.
"rve heard papa tell all about it. Every
man slept in bunk with the bedclothes
nailed at the foot, so that he had but to
kick them off in the morning, and haul
them back again at night--what fun |
wish had lived in those days; oh, don't
II"
"Clarence, be still ~ exclaimed Bessie.
at is very impolite to break in in that
way. Go on, uncle dear.
"We were forced" repeated Uncle
Dave, with deepening solemnity, to
lodge in a ramshakle affair called by
courtesy warehouse. A lank. tow
headed young giant named Johann
Goethe Boltz roomed with us, but we
didn't mind that; the accommodations
were ample.
@Yes, Bessie assented, it's standing
joke with father that his boudoir at that
time was more spacious than elegant.
Later on, / remember, il sheltered half.
dozen families of Irish immigrants; an !
one day an up-Iiver steamer landed at the
ievee close by, with couple of babies
conspicuous among the passengers
shronging the guards, which prompted
three of the warehouse mammas to ex-
hibit at a window a trio of 'darlints. ;
The people on the boat responded at once
by producing quartette, and the compe.
tition went briskly on until the triumph.
ant steamer padded of amid the widest
enthusiasm.
"W-h-e-wr whistled Clarence. "Very
impolite, ct cetera, ct cetera. Go on,
uncle dear.
Uncle Dave seemed in no way put out
by these interruptions, but he now re-
sumed in tone so serious, so impressive,
that his vivacious audience was at last
awed into silence
sOne night, he said, @about month
after the sign. Brent Brothers, Carpen-
ters, had been hoisted in Shokokon,
was busy at the shop shaving down lot
of split shingles. Your father had gone
with his gun, just after sunset, to look
up wild turkey roost located in the
timber mile back of town. Nine o'clock
had just struck when the door was hur-
riedly opened, there came a rush Of
wind, and-puffl all became dark.
who's therer / rried. as the door
shut with bang.
@No reply. felt for the candle and re-
lighted it. Boltz, trembling from head
to foot. stood facing me, his look hag-
gard. his hue that of ashes.
whats the natter" Igasped. Has
Hal shot himselfT
"a slight shake of the head was his
only answer.
"'Well, then, what ails your
His lips parted. but his tongue
seemed paralyz zed. He was the most ter
ror-stricken man I ever saw. Draw
ing near. / grasped his arm and shook it
roughly; this aroused him. he pulled
himself together, gulped down the lump
in his throat. and began speaking rapidly,
thoug huskily, in German. accompany
ing his words with extravagapt ges-
lures. whistled, and he, recollecting
himself, stopped abruptly. groaned in
despair, and then tried English. 1t
dawned upon me at last that he thought
he had just escaped from the devil, who,
he firmly believed, had made away with