2
ljc mcs, Kcuj Bloomfidi, fJa.
" Ho gave nio this, and a kiss," lie
said every word a sob ; nud Mary Hough
ton pressed it to her heart. Then, as
a quick step sounded on the porch, she
hastily thrust it into a drawer.
" What shall we say ?" she asked.
" I do not know. Heaven will direct
us for tho best," lie replied.
The step did not pause for ceremony,
but canie in, and up the stairs ns if. on
Homo pressing errand. Then tho door
opened and Harry Houghton ran in his
curls wet with the fog of tho morning,
his cheeks rosy as from a rapid ride, his
eyes dancing with excitement.
His father and mother stood speechless
and bewildered filled with a new alarm.
But the boy was too busy with his own
thoughts to observe his reception. Thick
and last came his words, questions wait
ing for no answers and narrative never
pausing for comment.
" What is this Bixby shouted to mc
when I met him about robbers ? And
what is there such a crowd at tho bank
about? Did I come sooner than you ex
pected me? wo had a glorious time at
Tinborough' you know, and when we
were through dancing I decided to drive
home at one. And a few miles out I met
Silas in his gig driving like mad, aud he
shouted at rue till he was out of hearing
bnt I could not catch one word in a doz
en. But before anything else, I want
to beg your pardon for my roughness
last night, lam old enough to. know
better, but I was angry when I spoke;
and I have been thoroughly ashamed
of myself ever since. You will fi rgivc
and forget, won't you father? Hallo,
I didn't suppose you felt so badly about
it, mother, darling."
Wary Houghton was clasping her
son's neck, crying as she had not cried
that night. But the Cashier, slower in
seeing his way as usual, stood passing
his hand across his brows for a moment.
Then he spoke :
" Henry where is your grandfather
ed watch?"
" There, did you miss it so quickly ?
I meant to get it back before you dis
covered it was gone. I will have it
after breakfast. The fact is, I was not
myself when I left the house last night
with temper, and Harrison Fry offered
me two hundred dollars for it aud, to be
paid next week, and in my temper I let
him take it to bind tho bargain. I was
crazy for money, and 1 sold him my pis
tol, too. I regretted about the watch
before I had fairly quit the village; but
ho broke his engagement and did not go
with us to Tinboro' after all; so I
have had no chance to get it back airain
till now."
" Harrison Fry !" exclaimed Foster
Houghton ; and his hands clasped aud
his lips moved in thankful prayer.
" But if you don't tell mo what is all
this excitement in tho village, I shall
run out and find out for myself," cried
the boy, impatiently. You never would
stand hero asking mc questions if the
bauk had been broken open in the
night."
Fostor Houghton put his hands on
his boy's shoulder and kissed him, as he
had not done since his son's childhood.
Then ho took from its hiding place the
watch, and hung it on Harry's neck, his
manifest emotion cheeking the expression
of the lad's astonishment.
"There is much to tell, you will think
I have to ask your forgiveness rather
than you mine. But my heart is too
full for a word till after prayers. Let
us go down."
Then the three went down the stairs
the mother clinging to tho boy's hand,
which she had never relinquished since
her first embrace. Fostor Houghton took
tho massive Bible, as was his daily cus
tom, aud read the chapter upon which
rested the mark left the morning before ;
but his voice choked and his eyes filled
again when ho came to the lines :
" For this my sou was dead and is alive
again ; he was lost and is found."
Silas Bixhy galloped into Tinborough
two minutes late for the owl train; and
tho fugitive was too sharp to be caught
by tho detectives who were put on the
watch for him by telegraphio messages,
In a few hours all Eluiticld had discovered
that Harrison Fry was missing, and had
made up its mind that ho was tho escaped
confederate in tho burglary. The Blue ltiv
r National Bank offered a rew i 1 for him
but ho has never yet been 1. Tho
zealous constable found con ; . :ion for
the loss of one prisoner in me discovery
that the other two were a couple of tho
most skillful and slippery of the metropo
litan cracksmen, known among other
aliases bh Gentleman Graves and Toffey
Ben. Silas Bixby's courago and '. discre
tion received due tribute from counsel,
press, and public during the trial that
ensued the next month in tho Tinborough
Court-House ; and by some influence it
was managed that Mrs. Houghton was
not called to tho stand, nor was Foster
Houghton closely questioned in regard
to the manner in which the third robber
had escaped from his custody on the steps
of the bank.
Harry Houghton went to Lake George
that summer, starting a day nf'tci the
departure of Grace Chamberlain ;but this
year they go together, and the programme
of the tour includes Niagara and Quebec.
Romance of life in Washington.
"TrOUXG HAMILTON CAMP, known
1 as Ham Camp, came up to the cap
ital from the backwoods, about as awk
ward and green a youth as you ever run
away from. He was poor and was
of a poor family, and had educated
himself by working during tho summer
to have means of schooling in the winter.
He found himself here, bent on office,
with a few hundred dollars in his pocket,
and no end of confidence in himself.
He took the measure of men, and what
is more, the measure of women, and plan
ned his campaign accordingly. It was
original. Sleeping in an attic, and regu
lating his diet on the most economical
scale, ho expended his means on a tailor
ad dancing-master.
" And I should say that Ham Camp
was a donkey."
" Wait a bit. He appeared at all the
receptions, balls and parties to which he
gained access, and as he soon came to be
recognized as an ornament, bulls and par
tics opened before him. At all of them
he was very attentive to tho lovely and
accomplished daughter of the Hon. ,
of the Cabinet."
" I see the old story of love lifting the
lowly."
" Wait a bit. He had the adroit flat
tery of the cars. Ho listened with in
tense interest to all the little troubles of
Miss , and, came in time to bo neces
sary to her happiness in the ball-room.
He never breathed a word of love, or
what was more important to him of office.
The seasoii drew to a close, and Ham.
Camp found himself out of money. He
suddenly disappeared from society. One
day Miss uictfim on the avenue,
aud held out her two little hands."
" Where have you been, you naughty
man ?" she said.
He made no rcspousc, but as they walk
ed along, he quietly gave her what she
had long before given him, a confidence,
and told her of his ambition, poverty, and
hinted at his love. A few days after he
was appointed to the best office in the
department over which the lion. Father
presided.
" Aud they lived in peace and died in
adipose As the children say."
" Not to any extent. Ham. was very
attentive to the daughter, but he never
told his love. Less than a year after his
appointment a change in the administra
tion drove the lion, papa from his place.
fllam. saw the trouble couiinj, and was
prepared. He did not court the succes
sor, but he did court most assiduously the
rich widow Japonica, then on tho crest of
fashionable society in Washington. She
did not encourage him in his love, but
better still, became his warm supporter.
So that when Ham. was bowed out of his
nice place, it was to go into another and
better."
" And he sold himself to tho widow,"
" Not much. She married a first-class
mission, with a title, and went abroad."
" Good lord, is this man going to court
everybody and marry no one ?"
" Ho married at last. The war came
on, and a shrewd money-getting little
creature by the name of Cranks, died one
day leaving a fat widow, and some fatter
contracts. Ham. Married the widow, and
the contracts, and now he is a millionaire.
Next winter he proposes to buy his way
to tho Senate, and help to rulo this trou
bled land."
" What a cold-blooded rascal ; and I
suppose little Miss , his first love,
died of a broken heart?"
" It may have been broken. Every
woman's heart sooner or later is broken.
Bo that as it may, it did not not prevent
her marrying ono of tho richest men in all
these United States and she is the gay
est creature you ever saw."
And so ends tho eventful history.
The late Dean of Cape Town, in
relating his experience with tracts, found
that tho charity inculcated in them led
one of Jhis penitents to say : " I'm a
changca man, sir, through them tracts.
Once I cared for neither God or devil ;
and now I loves them both alike !"
HO WIFO UK1) HER :
on
JAIiEZ SMITH'S DIARY.
MY name is Smith " ono of tho few
immortal names that were uot born
to die" Jabcz. Smith, and I am not a
married man, though I expect to bo one
soon. My hair stands on end like the
quills upon the fretful porcupine, when I
think upon the doom that awaits mc. It
is hard, for ono so young, so beautiful,
aud with such bright hopes as were mine
but a few short hours ago, with the world
all before me, as one might say, with the
exception of what is behind mc, to be
thus doomed to drag out a weary exis
tence as the husband of a woman I never
saw but once, who is ten years my scuior,
and has only one thing to recommend
herself to my love her name, which
was Jones.
But to my story. I must tell it for I
can find relief no other way, and I have
but a few miuutcs to do it in. The mar
riage ceremony is to take place at two
o'clock this afternoon. The minister is
engaged, and my particular friend Wil
liam Williamson has just left mc for the
purpose of obtaining tho marriage certifi
cate. I am alone with my thoughts.
Where, O where is Maria? I kuow
not, but ah 1 let mc forget her. She can
never be mine. It is three years since
these eyes of mine dwelt upon her beau
teous countenance, since she told mc that
she loved mc. During those long years
I have been a wanderer in distant lands,
with nothing but her dear letters and a
comfortable salary to comfort me.
I made her acquaintance while I was
principal of the i' High School. She
was one of my pupils. When she grad
uated it was our idea to marry, and open
an academy for young ladies and gentle
men where wo could instruct the young
idea in the art of shooting on the most
approved plan.
But before the arrival of the day that
was to make us both supremely happy, I
received such a very liberal offer from a
Mr. Jordan, the father of one of my pu
pils to become his son's tutor and travel
ing companion, while the lad made a tour
through Europe, for tho benefit of his
health, which had become much impaired
by study, that I thought, and Maria
agreed with mc, that it would be very
foolish of me not to accept. And so, bid
ding adieu to tho dear girl, who had wound
herself like a corkscrew through the very
core of my heart, I kissed her upon bot h
cheeks, and promising to be true to her,
as well as to the rest of the J ouescs,whoni
I loved sincerely for her sake, I tore my
self away from her, and that very day, in
company with my pupil, embarked in the
Asia for Liverpool.
For three years, as I remarked before,
I traveled or sojourned in Europe, and,
although I saw many beautiful women, I
am happy to stato that the ucedlo of my
heart never for one iustant " wobbled,"
but pointed steadily to the north star of
my existence, Maria Jones.
Meantime that dear creature amused
herself (she was always fond of amuse
ment), by teaching school in the rural dis
tricts, aud in writing to her dear Smithy,
as she called mc, and in reading the let
ters I sent her, containing glowing de
scriptions of the various countries, cities,
peoples and incidents, that I visited and
met with in my journey ; and so the time
passed.
At last, I stood onco moro upon tho
soil of my own native land.
What my icelings were I shall not at
tempt to .describe. It would take too
long. It is enough to say that I was su
premely happy in tho thought that I was
once moro near my own Maria, and
that in a few days, at most, I should press
her beauteous form to my wildly throb
bing heart.
With tho utmost despatch I transacted
what little business I had in tho city, and
then started for the village of M , where
I expected to find my Dulcinea. Alas !
she had gone from there, no ono know
whither. All that I could learn was that
her brother had returned from Australia,
immensely rich, and that ho was going to
scttlo somewhere in his native couutry,
and Maria was to live with him.
Hardly knowing which way to turn or
what to do, I tarried in M nearly a
week, in a state of dreadful uncertainty.
But in the meantime I wrote to my old
friend William Williamson, informing
him of my return to " my dear native
land." His answer reached mo before I
had decided upon any particular plan of
action. It contained an invitation for mo
to visit him immediately at his home in
the town of Becklinburg, where he was
keeping bachelor's hall, his family being
away.
Without more ado, I immediately pack
ed up, and started for Becklingburg, via.
Now York and New London per steamer.
Tho steamboat train, as it is called,
reaches Becklinburg about four o'clock
in the morning; and at that hour of this
very morning I found myself landed at a
dark and dismal depot, from which I hur
ried out into the street, in search of my
friend Williamson's house.
I have been here in Becklinburg many
times before, and I am quite familiar with
the streets of the town, or at least 1 was
three years ago, and time has made but
few changes. To be sure the town is lar
ger, and quite a number of buildings
have been erected in my absence, as I no
ticed this morning while walking through
its deserted streets. I noticed in partic
ular, that sonic one had built a house on
the lot adjoining my friend Williamson's,
and so much like his iu every respect,
that, it would have been difficult for a
stranger to distinguish between them.
However, I had visited the house too of
ten to experience any difficulty on that
score, or at least I thought so, for I pride
myself a great deal upon the fact that 1
never forget a face that I have once seen,
a road that I have once traveled, or a
house whoso threshold I have once
crossed.
When I reached Williamson's gate I
was undecided what course to pursue.
It was really too bad to ring a man up at
four o'clock in the morning, even if he
was your friend, if I could e fleet an en
trance without; and I knew I could, as I
had done it many a time before, in com
pany with Williamson, when wo were
boys and slightly wild, perhaps. .
Around the house ran a veranda, the
top of which was easily reached by some
trellis work at the side, and from there I
could step into ono of the chamber win
dows without troubling any one. This I
resolved to do.
I succeeded iu climbing to the roof of
tho vcrnanda without any serious difficul
ty, and with but little noise, and then a
few cautious steps brought me to tho win
ow of Williamson's room, which I raised
noislessly and entered, not without some
trepidation, although as I knew my friend
had never been iu the habit of keeping
firearms about him, the danger, even if
he should awaken, was slight.
Once in the room I paused to listen,
for it was so dark that 1 could make noth
ing out but the dim outlines of tho bed
and furniture. I believe 1 trembled
slightly, but the regular breathing of the
occupant of the bed reassured mo, aud so
cautiously closing the window I advanced
into the room
Still Williamson slept. Peering through
tho darkness, I could discover his
form lying very near tho edge of the
bed, having plenty of room for me to get
in on tho other side without disturbing
him, or at least I thought so, remember
ing that ho was a heavy sleeper.
It was with a chuckle of satisfaction and
delight that 1 threw oft' my clothes, think
ing meanwhile what would bo the sur
prise of Williamson when he awoke in
the morning. I could hardly restrain from
laughing outright, as my fancy pictured
the sleeper's wonderment and perhaps
alarm, or that which would bo his, to find
a bedfellow. Would -ho take mo for the
ghost of Smith, and run screaming away,
of just at this moment the sleeper turn
ed over, and I became quiet as a mouse
hardly daring to breathe ; but he did
uot awake, and I, having completed my
preparations, crept softly toward the bed,
cautiously turned back the sheet, and
slipped iu.
Egad ! how tho bcadstcad creaked.
Williamson flopped over but he did not
wake. Ho moaned musically, and then
lie muttered "Smithy," aud I knew, he
was dreaming of me.
My grandmother used to tell mo that if
you pinch a slecpiug person's too he will
answer any question he may ask. I had
never tried it; but hero was certainly an
excellent opportunity. I began to search
for Williamson's toe, but very carefully.
Slowly I slipped my hand beneath the
sheets, slowly I
"What the Moses !"
"Murder! Help! help! help!"
It wam'tWilliamxnn.
I sprang out on tho front side, and tho
other party sprang out on tho back side of
tho bed, yelling murder, and crying for
help at tho top of hor voice it was a fe
male voico, or tho voice of a female,
while I stood shivering with tho cold, and
trembling with fear, endeavoring to per
suade the lady to " hush up," declaring
that I was a gentleman of honor, and
that it was a mistake, and that what was
not right we'd make all right in the morn
ing, but I really don't believe she heard a
word I said ; and just as the lady bccanio
exhausted with screaming, und niisht
have been persuaded to listen to reason,
1 heard footsteps at the door.
There is nothing like presence of mind
in a case like this. Some people wouldn't
ll'IVfl f.'llllttMl ll'll.lf fil Ai (if tliij liliKitimn
.... . .....rill. .in. tv hi u J tlb llllil J UllljlUlCl
' I did. With tho ijirnlrnt presence of
; mind I seined in v pantaloons and iumpiuu
into them (I never had a pair to go on
with more ease), I very coolly made a
dash at the window, dashed through it,
of course dashing it all to ' smithereens,'
and landed myself handsomely on the
roof of the veranda, my face, hands and
legs beautifully ornamented by " eutsj;"
but 1 did not stop to admire these, but
with the greatest celerity 1 made my way
down the trellis work to the ground, fol
lowed by cries of " robbers !" thieves !"
etc., from my unknown bedfellow, and a
fat puffy gentleman in a red nightcap,
who had popped himself out of the win
dow with a lamp in one hand and a "sev
en shooter" in the other, who began to
"let it off" just us soon as I disappeared
from his view.
" Bang, bang, bang !" He discharged
every barrel, but fortunately he was a
poor shot at long range. Ho missed me,
but awakened his neighbors. Lights
flashed up in the houses on both sides of
the street. Windows flew up and night
caps popped out to see what was the
matter.
Fortunately for mc, at this moment I
saw a face appear at a window in the next
house, that seemed familiar. It was
Williamson. I sprang forward and leap
ing the garden wall called to him to come
down.
" Who is it?" he cried.
"Smith Jabez Smith," I replied as
softly as I could.
" Whcre'd you come, from at this time,
and iu such a plight, Smith ?"
" Don't stop to ask questions now, but
come down and let me iu."
"Go around to the door, then."
I did so, and was admitted. William
sou closed tho door behind me, staring at
mc in the greatest astonishment.
" What in thunder, does this mean,
Smith?" he cried, grasping my hand,
" your face and bunds are covered with
blood, and ha, ha, ha where arc your
pantaloons ?"
I looked down. Egad, I had jumped
into the unknown's baluiorul skirt !
" Where have you beeu ?"
" I've been roaming, I've been roam
ing, my dear boy, and I lost my reckon
ing and slipped into bed with a female iu
the next house, thinking it was you; and
I dashed myself through a window ; and
I've been shot at, and if we can't hush,
this matter up, I'm ruined. Hide me,
William, hide me from the terrible man
next door."
Williamson pulled me into the parlor,
and throwing himself on the sofa roared
with laughter.
"Don't laugh or you'll betray me.
Bless me, there's the doorbell !"
"Hush! keep quiet. Wait here, and
I'll go and see what is wanted," said Wil
liamson, beginning to be alarmed.
" Don't betray me don't."
Ho took tho lamp, and closing the door
after him, left me alone.
It was a moment of terrible suspense
for mc. If I had been seeu to enter Wil
liamson's house, if they searched and
found mo there, what would be the conse
quence ? I dared not think. I had
been guilty of something worse than bur
glary, and although I might bo able to
prove that I was innocent of any bad in
tentions, still my situation was dreadful
to contemplate. At this moment I heard
a strange voico at tho hall door.
" But I tell you I saw him enter this
house, Mr. Williamson," cried tho voice,
in a tone that assured mo that tho speak
er was terribly in earnest; "and al
though I have not a search warrant, un
less you mean to harbor a thief, you cer
tainly can have no objections to my sat
isfying myself that ho is not hero."
" But ho certainly wasn't a thief," said
my frieud.
" How do you know that, Mr. Wil
liamson ?"
My friend was nonplussed.
" Couio," said he, " como iu and I will
explain it all."
" You explain it ? What, aro you the
man ?"
" No, but it was a friend of mine.
Close tho door, and let us keep this matter
entirely to ourselves."
" Certainly, it your friend is an honor
able man, and is willing to do the right
thins."
" But it is a mistake, you see."
" Yes, and a very bad one, Mr.
Wil-