The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-09-10
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A MIDNIGHT
sts SURPRISE.
BY Elvira Floyd FrOenecke.

have way of reversing results which is
humiliating and depressing. When Al
gernon bought new tan-colored coat
under the impression that il would
please his sweetheart and give him a
smart, fashionable air he found that tan
was unbecoming, that his sweetheart
preferred gray and that the latest hue
Tor spring coats was striking shade OF
plum.
Clarissc, too, had the same well-de-
Neloped propensity; for on presenting
4 young lawyer (of tender heart and
intellectual tendencies) with Il book by
Mr. Hall Caine She found that he had
read all that gifted mans works and
WAS eager to learn mething of the
brighter light, Zangwill.
Poor Aunt Polly fell i'll with grippe
She suffered long and recovered slowly.
1t left a legacy in the shape of Il nasty
cough that refused to be quieted. One
fine day she took courage and went to
call upon some dear friends The old
ladies were in. They were delighted
To see her, but were very much dis
tressed about her cold. During the
shifting conversation, which covered
the broad field that lay between ora
torIos and home SUapmaking, they rec
ommendcd numbcrless cures. Towards
five o'clock Aunt Polly rose to go. There
was flashing eye signal between the
kind old hostess and importunate 'Oh.
don't go's!" from both.
Aunt Polly sank gracefully in her
chair as one of the ladies disappeared.
Throughout the period of waiting
most pleasant thoughts were borne in
her mind How kind they were! How
delightful to again visit old friends,
What would the coming rejection be?
Probably tea; maybe coffee. No, More
likely cocoa, and possibly elderberry
wine or bOuillon. She finally arranged
the probabilities between elderberrv
wine and cocoa, while apparently deep
ly engaged in converse Jon with her
entertainer.
y slight hustle at the door \ click
of Il spoon She turned her head to see
the apparition of female figure ad-
vancing, which held in one hand Il large
bottle of cod liver oil. in the other the
hugest silver tablespoon ever made
spoonful was poured out slowly and
handed to the unfortunate guest. She
gulped down the dreadful dose and
hastily made her escape. Aunt Polly is
a Christian, and nothing transpired
that was disastrous to friendship or
good breeding. But, oh, how she did
think,
We were all a bit chary of supersti-
tions, because of our peculiar expert
ences. There is that one of a black cat
bringing good luck; tut when Eloise
scratched her dainty hand on wearing a
black-cat pin for the first time. and
when Cousin Bellies story was sent fly-
ing back as unavailable" by the editor
of the Black Cat magazine, we were not
eager to welcome the tremendous
black-coated, yelIow-eyed pussy, that
Gerald assured us would make happi-
ness for all the family.
Still she was a lady, and had some pre-
tensions to beauty, so we adopted her,
and baptized her Devil" She certain
ly acted as if about to change condi-
tions, for nothing serious occurred,
and beyond a propensity for lying or
the most comfortable bed she could find,
or dipping her dainty paw in ap ink bot
tle-imitating the writer-she was most
exemplary.
Sometimes il annoyed us that we had
not a good terrier in Devils place She
no alarm in case thieves entered the
house. We tried adding a bright little
black-and-tan terrier to our family.
This would not do at all. Devil must
reign supreme, and the dog was ban
ished.
Burglaries began to be frequent in the
ncighbOrhOod. The pater and mater
were going abroad. and we home guard
were on our mettIe. We were taught
and retaught pistol practice until we
We're sure of our man, did he dare offer
his body target.
The gunsmith had never sold so many
pistols. nor such quantities of ammuni-
ton, since he had taken his shop. He
WAS queer little man with bent back
and a deep-set eye. His grimy hands.
greasy knee-caps and odor of
@unpowder were his trademarks
He looked as harmless as
pearl-handled revolver; but the
way his prices rose to meet this de
mand, and the fables he concocted
about his antique stock. showed his
capability for improving opportunities
Still with paternal solicitude the
household head was 10th to leave us
without further Iprecautions for our
safety.
y burglar alarm was added to the
household attachments. 1t was of an
electric construction; and there were
numerous dynamos and endless elec-
tric wires flying around the house for
Il week or more.
Finally all was complete. Each bed
had a formidable row of wires and bat
tcries: while within easy touch of the
hand was a small crank that set bells
ringing in furious clamor
We were alone at last. Each morn
ing Charles Augustus, the colored gen
tleman who arTanges our destinies and
receives our guests, set the alarms. to
which all the bells responded merrilV
Each night Algernon and / examined
our weapons and laid plans to meet the
marauder.
After several nights of broken slum-
ber. when each heard noises and met in
corridor, pistol laden and in light attire,
we conc,u.Ie,i that il was absurd to
meet trouble two-thirds of the way
So we settled down to peaceful sleep
and long ri~hts of rest
We had had delightful holiday. For
two days friends had visited us. We had
been in town, sightseeing and " onder-
gazing, endiug with dance one night,
q, trip to the theater the next Again
..c lid settled down TO get rid of our
saturday nights tire with really pleas
ant anticipation.
| dreamed of Christmas; then, that
We were waiting to see the old year out,
when ] awakened, and the bells were