Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-13

soon, when l Enthusiastically heard the
blinds dragged back and the sash
creak as it was pushed up. Someone
was entering the house, This person
/ whoever it was, knew of my brothers
absence. Good heavens: I thought of
! Henry, our office man. He brought
the note-an open note. 1t was he
VINO caused the delay which prevented
my depositing the money. It was as
! clear as day. l rose rigidry to my
/ feet. In a twinkling my mind was
/ acutely active, and thousand ways OF
/ escape surged through my brain "a a
moment. l unlocked the cabinet and
grasped the large pocketbook which
contained the notes, and thrust it into
my bosom. To what purpose 1 did not
/ know. l retreated into the dense
darkness of my own bedroom, where I
stood uncertain and shivering.
/ The windows were too high from
the ground to admit of my jumping
| therefrom without incurring the risk of
broken limb; besides, there was no
time. At the first sound of my put
ting up the sash, l would be detected
and overpowered. l heard a heavy
tread along the hall. An idea flashed
into my head like the incision of a
blade. [ clutched the money in my
bosom and stepped into the empty
fireplace. In another moment I was
scrambling UP the sooty chimney with
the agility of a finished chimney
sweep, and I kept scrambling until |
had made stronghold for myself.
What went on down below l did not
know. In the cessation of the rain [
could hear the heavy tread passing to
and fro in search, [ knew, for that
money. But |, from my lofty vantage
ground, could only thank heaven again
and again for such a blessed deliver
ance.
! L was so benumbed with cold and
fright that | think lost consciousness,
and would probably have tumbled
down the chimney but that | was so
rigid and so walled in [ could not.
The next thing | remember was
opening my eyes and seeing the square
OF wan light above me. Then realiz-
ing all, my strength gave way, and |
fell heavily striking my head against
something which left me senseless for
/ hours. When | came to myself. I was
IN the arms of young man whom l
had never see before. He sat upon
the floor, and held my head across his
/ knees, while he wiped the blood from
my cut forehead with d pocket hand
kerchief, which every now and then
he would squeeze out in a basin of
water at his elbow.
I don't suppose there was ever q
more terrified young man upon this
earth OF ours. Imagine an inoffensive
young man turning up in a town
Where-an Intimate friend lived, coming
IN on the very train that takes his in
innate friend out. Imagine the init
mate friend cordially inviting the
newcomer to his house, telling him
| that there was nobody in it, but that
he coC'd put up there, make himself
lord and master, find plenty to eat by
foraging around, and get good bed
Then to make the thing complete, give
him the wrong keys by which to let
himself in. Imagine this newcomer
n,
then striking out for his friends
abode; overtaken by the rain; at last
to arrive at his intended abiding place
to discover he has the wrong keys,
which necessited his climbing into the
house like a burglar. Imagine him
piling into the first bed he comes to,
very soon sinking off into the I'M
troubled slumber of the innocent at
heart, to be awakened at the peep of
day by a something tumbling down
the chimney. Not a obgoblin-that
were better-but a young woman, be-
spattered and grimy, but still a young
woman, and one probably more dead
than alive. Imagine it all if you can,
for that is what happened to the mis-
guided young man, who held me across
his knees and wiped the blood from my
broken forehead on that memorable st.
Valentines morning.
Imagine it, and tell me if men
through stupidity don't cause half of
all the trouble in the world. We ex-
planned it all to each other as best we
could, for l was really i'll, and quite
ready to go Off into another swoon.
When the servant girl came he went
for the doctor, and Mary got me to
bed.
| Dick came at noon. and was horri-
fed at what had happened. But the
doctor had pronounced me more fright
ened than hurt; and really, but for
the dreadful cold | had caught, and
my wounded forehead, it did not
amount to anything, and soon became
tremendous joke.
And it turned out that this friend of
Dicks, whose acquaintance l made in
such an unconventional fashion, was
the very client whose money 1 de-
Tended.
And it also came about that-that--
he-that THAT we have-we have
grown to know each other very well;
and Dick-Dick is to look out for an
other co-operator before next fall; be-
cause-well, for reasons best known to
myself
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