Year: 1868




waking the governor was the difficulty
i l knew he would give me particular fits
if he knew was out after ten, and the
clock had just struck ono. The back
i yard was an impossibility. and but one
} chance remained. There wasla porch
over the front door,, the roof Of which
was afew feet below two windows. One
Of them I knew to be fastened down,
| and the other opened from a bedroom,
which might or might not be occupied.
II An old maiden sister of the governors
wife arrived on the same day, and it was
i very probable that she was in that room;
but 1 knew the bed was in the corner
Il furthermost from the. Window and l
hoped to be able to get in and through
\ the room without awakening her, and
then I had comparatively easy time
of it. So, getting plank from the
neighboring boardpile, / rested it against
the caves of the shed, pulled off my
shoes, put them in my pocket and
scooned." All right ofar, but thought
it necessary, in order not to rouse suspi-
cion in the morning, to remove the plank;
so dragging it up threw it off the end,
and down it went with an awful clatter
on stray dog that had followed me two
dr three SQUARES, and who Immediately
set up the most awful whine hound
ever gave tongue to. That started half
a dozen dogs in the neighborhood bark.
ing; mocking bird in the window above
commenced as if he intended to split his
throat at it, and woman in her night
Nsthes oppsared at the window a cross
fhS b(reek knew was safe SO farsas
The was .concerned. but # any ones came
to our window the candle gave light
enough to have discovered me-
Nobody came, however, and the
lady after peeping up and down the
street for minute Ser two popped in
her head and retired. The mocking bird
still kept up his eternal whistle, and it
was full half an hour before he and the
dog settled down and gave me chance
to move. Creeping slowly along the
kaH till Iareas6sd tHe whdowI pdl


my lands ON the sill, sprang in, and with
my legs dangling out, stopped to listen.
Yes, she was in the room, for / was sure
could hear breathing. After waiting
for minute l cautiously drew up one
leg, and then the other, drew them
around. and putting them down on the
floor, was just conscious that l had step
ped on something soft and yielding. and
WAS withdrawiSg them when Eanother
yell broke forth at my feet; the old
maid jumped from her bed cry
ing ''murder" :" And the mock
| ing bird started again. A little darkey
was lying on her back underthe win
dow. and I had stepped on her face, and
of course. woke her up. decided in a
moment what to do. The house would
be aroused, and I would be caught to a
certainty unless could get to my room
before the governor wasup but I hadn't
a moment to lose, for the little nigger
was screaming so started for the door
in three steps, struck chair, stumbled
over it, of course, making the awfulest
racket you ever heard in the hours of
might in peaceful house. The nigger
and the old maid screamed louder than
ever; the mocking bird whistled louder
than a steam whistle, and they fairly
made a chorus as loud as Julians., 81
Il reached the door, however, and qui-
etly and swiftly opened it, and just got
into the hall in time to see the old gen.
tleman open the door, with candle in
his hand, and come hurrying up the
stairs. There was a wardrobe near
where I stood, and I sprang behind it.
Up came the governor, reached the door,
opened it, and went in, and in the mean
time there were all sorts. Of confusion
and inquiry down stairs as to what was
the matter. Nobody else came up,
though from where I stood 1 heard
every word of inquiry and explanation
in the room. Of course they ycouldn't
make much Of it, The littIe darkey
was too much frightened and too sound
asleep at the time to tell the truth, and
the upshot of the business was that they
concluded that she had been dreaming,
and the governor. after, giving her a
sound shaking and explaining the mat
ter to the aroused nei ghbors from the
window, went back to his own room
again.


$50 far go good" I now had to go
down stairs, reach the back door, unbar
| it, get into the yard, make for my room,
which was in the second story of the
brick building that stood unconnected
| with, and about dozen yards from the
main one. After giving everybody an
other half hour to settle down again,
started.


Boys, did you ever try to get up or
down pair of stairs at midnight with
out making a noise? You may try it all
sorts of ways, but every step is sure to
creak, each with peculiar noise of its
own, and loud enough, you are sure, to
awake everybody. L bad got nearly to
the bottom, when little dog came trot
tting up the entry toward me, yelling
furiously. A suppressed "come here
Zip!" silenced him, for he recognized
me: but the little fellow started the mock
ing bird, and all the dogs in the neigh
borhood, having learned to take the cue,
of. conrse, joined the chorussfor a third
time.


| / ran along the passage, reached the
door, and unlocked it just as the COVER.
nor, aroused for the second time, opened
his door, and seeing man coming from
the house by the back way, of course
cried ,'sT Thieves tthieves !" and made a
rush after me. l was too quick for him
though; I opened the door, sprang out,
made for the door that opened into a
room below mine, and had just reached
| it, when crash within foot of my bed
went brick, and voice that I knew
belonging to the next door neighbor.
Tomkins, Joined with the governor in the
cry rof"Thieves thieyer murder! rmur.
deri' was safe though. M
i Running up stairs, l "shelied" myself
quicker than ever did before or since,
and was in bed, sound asleep in half a
,,,,pnfo