Year: 1868

~ -'--'-rs1- - - 49,
T The door was locked when I GO


homo, said Tom and how to get in with


out waking the governor was the diff


Guilty. 1 knew he would give nae PAL


ticular fits if he knew I was out afte


Ten. and the clock had just struck oae
The back yard was an impossibility, an


but one chance remained. There wa


a perch over the front door, the roof o


which was few feet below two win


dews. one of them I knew to be fast


ened down, and the, other opened from


bedroom, which might or might no


be occupied. An old maiden sister o


the governors wife arrived on the sam
day, and it was very probable that she
was in that room but I knew the BED
was in the corner furthermost from the
window, and I hoped to be able to get
in ard through the room without awak


eniig her, and then / had COMPARE
lively easy time Of it. So, getting a
plank from the neighboring board pile,
l rested it s gainst the caves of the shed


pulled off my shoes, put them in my
pocket and ''cooned." All right SO far,
but thought it necessary il order net
to rouse suspicion in the morning tc re-
move the plank; so dragging it up I
threw it off the end, and down it went
with an awful clatter on stray dog
that had followed nae two or three
squares, and who Immediately set up
the most awful whine hound ever
gave tongue to. That started half q
dozen dogs in the neighborhood bark
ing; a mockiDg bird in the window
above commenced as if he intended to
split his throat at it, and a woman IN
her night clothes appeared at the win
dow across the street. [ knew I was
safe so far as she was concerned, but if
any one came 10 our window the candle
gave light enough to have discovered
me. Nobody came, however and the
lady -afterfpeeping up and down the
street for minute or 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
a chance to move. Creeping slowly
along the wall till I reached the win.
dow, 1 put my hands on the sill, sprang
in, and with my legs dangling ont, stop
ped to listen. Yes she was in the room,
for I was sure I could hear breathing.
After waiting for minute cautiously
drew up one leg, and then the other,
drew them around, and putting them
down on the floor. was just conscious
that I had stepped on something soft
and yielding, and was withdrawing
them when another yell broke forth at
my feet. the old maid jumped fro n her
bed crying "murder !" and the mock
ing bird started again. A little darkey
was lying on her back under the win
dow, aud I had stepped on her face,
aId- of course, woke he-s-es..,,II. dec'dFd
in a moment what to do. The house
would be aroused, and l would be
caught to certainty unless L could get
to my room before the governor was
up; but hadn't a moment to lose, for
the nigger was screaming; SO l started
for the door in three steps, struck
chair, stumbled over it, of course, max
ing the awfulest racket you ever heard
in the hours of night in a peaceful
house. The niger and the old maid
screamed louder than ever; the mock
ing bird whistled louder than steam
whistle, and they fairly made chorus
as loud as Julian's. saaois !.
E reached the door, however, and
quietly and swiftly opened it, and just
got into the hall in time to see the old
gentleman open the door, with candle
in his hand, and come hurrying up the
stairs. There was a wardrobe near
where I stood, and | sprang behind it.
Up came the governor. reached the
door, opened it, and went in. and in the
meantime there were all sorts of confu


sion and inquiry down stairs as to what
was the matter. Nobody else came up,
though from where I stood l heard
every word of inquiry and explanation
in the room. OF course they couldn't
make much of it. The little darkey
was too much frightened and too sound
asleep at the time totell the truth, and
the upshot of the business was that
they concluded that she. had been
dreaming, and the governor, after Civ;
ing her sound shaking and explaining
the matter to the aroused neighbors
from the window, went back to his own
room again. @ ia


$50, far SO good" 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 al :
other half hour to settle down again, L
started. s


Boys, did you ever try to get up OF
down pair of stairs at midnight with


out making a noise? You may try it
alfsorts of ways, but every step is sure
to creak, each with particular noise OF
its Own, and loud enough, you are sure


to awake everybody. / had got nearly


10 I'll e bottom, when little dog came


trotting up the entry toward me yell;


ing furiously. A suppressed "come


here Zip J. silenctd him, for he recog-
nized me; but the little fellow started


the mocking bird, and all the dogs in


the neighborhood, having learned to


take the cue, of course, Joined the cho-
rus for a third time. adE


ran along the passage, reached the
door, aud unlocked it just as the gov


ernor, aroused for the second time,
opened his door, and seeing man com


ing from the house by the back way,
of course cried, !" Thieves /! thieves I"