The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-04-13

/ frame dealer.
One likes to observe all the nice
| ties" said Miss Polly, while in her
middle-aged mind arose up the de-
lusiye idea that perhaps some mature
masquerader of the opposite sex might
! perceive in her some greater attrac-
ton than the youthful roses and
girlish graces of the eight graduating
girls.
stranger things have happened"
complacently thought Miss Polly, as
/ she stitched away at the satin rosettes
which were to modernize her green
gown.
But in spite of all her precautions
the first sleighload of laughing girls
| started without her. while she WAS
tying her fur hood over the tinfoil he'll
met.
What! Gone already?" said Miss
Prout, angrily. why didn't they
wait? What right had they to go off
without me?"
Don't mind, Polly" said Nine. Mo-
RIM, soothingly. Eight was ali the
sleigh could carry, besides the driver.
the cutter for you"
! oIOcIS- my icl)talcu 4fLiSo L OF
! ". But whose orders? Does Kate
Kelsey manage this institution or do
and you? Me crowd into cutter,
/ indeed-with staring Irish lad like
Michael to drive! a pretty arrange
ment."
But in spite of her indignation Miss
Polly Prout was compelled finally to
! avcede to the obnoxious plan.
Drive quickly, Michael" she said
10 her young John, for it is getting
dark already, and l don't like these
woods that we have to 90 through.
| Why on earth those girls couldn't have
| waited"
But the jingle of the sleigh-bells and
| the sudden start of the horse brought
! Miss PrOut's sentence to an untimely
| termination and away they went over
| the frozen road.
Not far, however. Just within the
| darksome limits of the cedar woods,
where the purple dusk that still lin
| gcred in the open fields seemed turned
| to the gloom of absolute night. tail,
| white figure with a black mask cover
ing his face, stepped forward and
| seized the horses head, while partially
hidden by the dropping evergreen
boughs, little group of other figures
| fingered.
:Burglars." shrieked Miss Polly
Prout, dropping Minerva's gilded spear
| into the snow. "Assassins, Masked
robbers! Oh, kind gentlemen, spare,
spare my life, and all my jewelry is
| yours!"
And tearing her gold-plated brace
lets from her wrists she flung them
and her watch into the road.
"Arrah, the saints betune us and all
harrum" squeaked Mickey, the Irish
| lad, as he covered down in the bottom
of the sleigh.
"Descend-and DEPART" uttered.
deep voice. "Look behind at your
| peril"
"Wh--where shall we go?" suffered
! Mickey
"To the place whence you came"
was the stern reply. And at the risk
| of your lives be speedy and secret"
Half an hour afterward the luckless
| pair arrived, half frozen and worn out
with fatigue, at the Morini institute,
with a grewsome tale of having been
arrested by masked robbers and having
only escaped by the most marvellous
! good luck from being murdered out
right. The gardener and two men
| from a neighboring farmhouse were
at once detailed in pursuit of the rob-
bers, but when they reached the scene
of action, al that. they found was old
/ Dobbin shivering by the roadside, with
! the cutter turned over on its side
where he had dragged 1t into deep
snow.
The eight young ladies, however,
enjoyed most delightful evening at
Evansdale, quite free from Miss Polly
! PrOut's maleyolent supervision and,
strange to say, expressed no sort Of
surprise at her non-appearance. But
! they took good care to leave behind
! them-at Evansdale eight black satin
masks and eight white sheets when
they once more entered the double
sleigh to return home.
Miss Polly Prout transformed her
self into heroine the next day as she
related her adventures.
And SO you weren't stopped?" said
she to the girls. Not even molested?
Well. well, how singular! / really
think if we hadn't made such brave
resistance l should have been carried
away by main force--a regular abduc-
ton, YOU know" And Miss Polly
simpered.
How many rufiians were there?"
innocently questioned Kate Kelsey.
Fifty at least" said Miss Polly.
Great. coarse, bearded villains, with
their eyes covered by masks!"
Dear, dear, how dreadful" cried
Ida Cotton.
And the eight fair young conspirators
looked archly at each other us Miss
Polly hurried off 10 check the washer
woman's bill and cried, in laughing
chorus:
"What very romantic adventure!
And what very narrow escape for
poor Miss Polly Proutl' Boston Bid
get.