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AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER.
JJV AD VAN
"Vol. VII.
IVew T31oomfleltl, JPii., Tuesday, Janunry 31, 1873.
IV o. 3.
18 PUBLISHED EVSUT TUESDAY MORNING, BY
FRANK MOSTIMEB & CO.,
At New Bloomfleld, Terry Co., Ta.
Bclne provided
with Steam Power, and large
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to do alt kinds of Job-Printing In
good style and at Low Prices.
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upon application.
ONLY A LITTLE CLOUD.
TAKE courage 'tis a little cloud
That soon will pass away j
The hearts that now with grief are bowed
May only grieve to-day.
To-morrow, up the azure height,
The sun may dart his beam,
And then one joyous burst of light
O'er mount and vale shall stream.
When thwarted plans and baffled hopes
Become our only store,
And the crushed spirit barely copes
With ills unknown before
Despond not yet the tide will turn
The gales propitious play j
Take courage 'tis a little cloud
That soon will pass away.
When doubts eclipse the ray of joy,
And fears their shadows cast ;
When rugged seems the way to bliss,
And foes come crowding last
Faint not ; a mightier power than thine
Is pledged these foes to slay j
Light shall at last around thee shine
The cloud shall pass away.
And yet alas ! the real ills of life
Claim the full vigor of a mind prepar'd,
Frepar'd for patient, long, laborious strlfo,
Its guide experience, and truth Its guard
We fare on earth as other men have fared.
Were they successful I Let us not despair
Was disappointment of their sale reward I
Yet shall their tale instruct, if it declare
How they have borne the load ourselves are
doom'd to bear. BiattU
MY PRETTY HOUSEKEEPER
I REPEAT again, and to myself, that
Mrs. Oeorga in an admirable house
keeper, and a very superior woman. Hor
eyes are sparkling and penetrating ; ber
bair ripples and waves like that of a obild
1 am ahem '.almost charmed with Mrs,
- T..i i.. ...... . i .. , .. e it
I VJeuige. uii uuiy uiv hid vyva ul iura.
George extremely penetrative, bnt hor con
ception of character is something marvel
ous. I confess I was astonished when sbe
lield before me the painful delinquencies of
my two old servants, Starkey and Tom bad
lived with me fourteen years, but upon the
Advent of this admirable woman I sud
denly learned that I was being plucked ;
that half my meats were taken off to poor
relations ; that the cat was not answerable
for my butcher's iniiated bills, and that
the dog has lived very comfortably on table-
leavings since then. It is very plain that
Mrs. George is an immensly superior wo
man. I like ber frank way of speaking
about the furniture.
"A gontloman in your condition, and of
your appearance" yes, she was pleased to
say, of your appearance "should not have
bis bouse shabbily furnished, Sir. Not
that I care. For myself, plain three ply
and walnut, or even chestnut; but for
these delightful rooms, Turkey, sir, with
brilliant colors, and a set, sir, iu satin and
fc'ilt."
Well, of course, I bad the parlors thor
oughly refurnished, and I laid a neat new
Brussels in Mr. George's own room. . To
ee that lovely woman's gratitude I it was
beautiful.
Thus was I soliloquizing one morning
over my eggs and toast, when Mrs. George
came gliding in with the airy grace of a
yipb. I never saw a sylph in my life, but
I am sure that is the proper thing to say.
Really, Mrs. George " 1 begun.
" Now don't scold me, dear sir.- Vou
.sue I know my duty" with that smile
that touches my susceptible heart, as the
moonlight kindles the melting snow.
" Your eggs are done as you like them, I
trust ; I always see to such thing myself,"
And as she sat down and placed ber slender
band on the spotless table cloth, I could
not tell which was the whitest.
"The eggs are simply perfoct, Mrs.
George," was my reply ; and I never tasted
better bread.
" I always have my eyes on Betty when
she is making bread, Mr. Ilaynes. Bo
much depends upon these humble culinary
efforts. Alas 1" and she sighed softly
" we live in degenerated days, sir, when
womon seek their ploasuro outside of the
sacred portals of home. I have never al
lowed myself, sir, to be distracted from my
legitimate pursuits."
"I do believe you, Mrs. George, said I,
warmly, and a diamond solitaire glittered
before my mental vision, or perhaps I
should say sentimental vision ; but how
was a man to bold out long against the
charms of so nobly planned a woman, with
taper Angers and gentle, downcast eyes,
and sucb blessed notions of the beauty of
domestic life?"
" I trust your breakfast pleased you,
sir."
" Upon my word, Mrs. George," 1 said,
her bewildering eyes smiling into mine.
" I was never so charmed in my life.
She blushed. What had I said to bring
that exquisite dye upon her cheeks? I
grew frightened, and backed away from
the table, pulling on my gloves.
"flow soon do you go, sir?" she asked,
raising ber slender fingers playing with a
little chain that relieved the dead black of
her dress.
" I leave in just twenty minutes, Mrs.
George."
"And as you are to be gone all da; am
I correct, Mr. Ilaynes ?"
, I nodded.
" As you are to be gone all day, and I in
variably see to such things myself, would
you leave the key of the safe with mo ?
The silver bas long keen in need of scour
ing, and you really should not be so ex
travagant as to send it to a silversmith's
for that purpose, as most gentlemen do.
I have a wonderful powder my dear old
mother gave me the receipt ; for indeed
sir" a plaintive tenderness gliding into
her pathetic tones " we have bad silver iu
our family ; my mother was a Hancock.
Sbe paused. My glance, I trust, was
full of sympathy.
" Yes, sir, a Ilancock. But reversoB, sir,
and reverses swept everything away" with
a stately wave of ber white hand. " The
powder is invaluable I might, could I
condescend, make my fortune with it.
Do you think you bad better leave the key,
or," drawing her fine figure up, "will you
take the silver "
"Mrs. George, I beg Here are the keys,
Mrs. Goorge."
There were ten thousand dollars in that
safe, and I detached the key of the money
drawer.
" Thank you ; you will bardly know your
plate to-morrow," sbe said, with pretty
laughing lips. "Pray, pray wrap up well;
it is such a wind I"
Thump wont my heart.
" You will be borne when ? I always
prefer to have nn explicit understanding,
so that everything may bo in readiness."
" To-norrow at twelve, Mrs. George,"
was my reply, wondering bow it would
seem to kiss a pair of lips just as dewy
and pouting as hers, and then I tore myself
from the temptation, shook bands with
Mrs. Georgo, and left the bouse,
"Straws show which way the wind
blows," says the old adage. It is my
opinion that hats occasionally do that little
favor for mankind. At least mine took the
liberty so do so that morning.
1 bad now ten minutes in which to reach
the B station. The depot was only a
few squares distant, and I was walking as
comfortably as I could, bracing myself
against the wind, when a swoeping gust
camo around the corner. Something was
lifted from my head; it was my hat.
My first Impulse was to look around to
see if anybody was laughing I always
laugh myself at a flying bat and then I
betook myself to sport. The bat only am
bled ; I was sure to catch it. It lodged
against a gas-post ; my band was almost
on it, when the twin to that other gust
came racing along, and off went my bat,
It was very early,, and there were but few
people abroad.
I beard now and then a faint laugh ; a
scurvey little urchin sang out, "Go it
boots !" a Hibernian maid, carrying a large
parcol iu a small paper, cried, " BUure the
hat's leading that man a chase 1" but on I
went, breathless, chagrined, and mad. Up
Oak street, down Green, across Maple, and
through Cherry that confounded hat bad
led me; now doubling and fluttering almost
under my nose ; now gyrating with ex
ultant motion, that humbly expressed the
jubiloe of uncontrollable jollity ; now whirl
ing into somebody's garden ; now whisking
around a barber's polo ; now bobbing along
the edge of a fence, till at last at latt I
bad it 1
Death could not grip harder than I held
on to that eratio brim. It was, I felt, a
hat gifted with extraordinary powers of
locomotion, and I did not mean to let it
have its own sweet will again.
I pulled out my watch with one band,
holding still to my bat with the other. It
wanted one minute to seven, and the train
was five blocks off. Hoping against hope,
I set off on a run and at the corner of the
third block had the supreme satisfaction of
bearing the final whistle, and the swift
thud and thunder of the departing train.
I was balked, and gave my hat a savage
pull as I stopped to consider what had best
be done. I anathematized hats of every
persuasion from the orthodox stove-pipe to
the Quaker broad-brim. To have crushed
the offending member on my head as flat as
a pancake, and then finished it with my
penknife would have been balm to my ag
gravated soul.
Turning my steps in the direction of my
oflico, I walked moodily on, a disappointed
man. Instead of the holiday which I had
so fondly anticipated, tho merry greeting
of friends, the sight of old, long banished
faces, I was still bound to the perplexities
of an interminable law case.
It would be as well, perhaps, to attend
to business, I thought, with rueful visage ;
and I prepared to resign myself with the
best grace possible.
My oflico was nearly two miles from my
Iioubo. After a leisurely walk I arrived
there just as the clock was striking eight,
Up I went, scattering straws and papers,
till I gained the cheerless, uncarpcted pas
sage, and saw opposite, my own square of
painted glass, and the card, " Not in till
to-morrow ; and then I found I bad left
my office key in my other vest pocket in
dressing room wardrobe at borne.
Cloaily bad I begun the day wrong foot
foremost, as my old nurse used to say when
everything went wrong. What should I do
next ? I meditated upon the matter going
down Btairs, utterly oblivious of a basket
of oranges at my elbow till tho vicious
scream of the old fruit peddler startled
me.
" Sacre I Bare, you are no zhentleman."
I turned, thrilled with honor. The or
anges were racing poll moll down stairs,
to the delight of several urchins, and out
into the gutter. I, unfortunate wretch
had sent them there with an unconscious
movement of my arm as I gesticulated to
myself.
Nothing stirs mutiny in a man's soul
quicker than the imputation of not being
a gentleman. A five dollar bill, however,
healed this noisy foreigner's wounds, and
mine too, for with ono of his most frantic
bows the peddler repeated, "Sare, I mis
take;! see you are von zhentlemen."
There was nothing for it now but to go
home again. I pleased myself with pic
tures of Mrs. George busy over my silver.
I make no secret of saying that I like to
soe delicate, refined women at work. The
bare, round blue-veined aims, tempt
ingly displayed just below the elbow ; the
pretty handkerchief tied over the dark
flowing tresses ; the stout linen apron
jealously keeping guard from throat to
toes; the quick, fine step; the musical
gurglo of some sweet favorite song ; the
dash and spirit they contrive to throw into
commonplace observances ; the mitnio blus
ter when one of the stupid masculines inter
feres with their privileges, if it is only try
ing to find the shoe brush make a charm
ine oejrreeate delightful to one who has
never bad more intimate acquaintance than
bis bousekooper.
So should I see Mrs. Georgo, perchance,
herself rubbing with those white tape fin
gers the old silver that my mother once do-
1 ighted to honor. It needed only this ex-
perlenco, I felt, to make me a willing slave,
to send me in. baste to Ball & Black's to
choose the finest, costliest solitaire to be
found in their brilliant collection.
I reached my borne : I mounted the
stops. There was a strange 'silence about
the premises. No cheerful bustle, no mer
ry voices, no sound of footsteps, no ring of
clattering silverware, no anything.
I pulled the bell. Still ooinplotest silonco
not even Jip's little chery "yell warned or
weloomod tho solitary and disappointed
homo-seeker. The parlor blinds were clos
ed, the basement 'shades were dowu ;
seemed as if there must be a corpse in the
house. Airain and again I rani?. The bell,
a powerful one, jangled spitefully, as if it
took pleasure in insisting that there was
nobody at borne. I descended the steps ; I
went around to the bock gate, and succeed
ed in loosening the book that confined it,
with my pen-knife. All was as silent as
elsewhere ; the servants miiBt be gone ; Jip
must be gone. " What the deuce is in it
all ?" I muttered impationtly.
Perhaps Mrs. George had postponed ber
silver cleaning till afternoon and had gone
to the matinee ; but where were the ser
vants ?
There wns fortunately a window at the
back part of the house that could be un
fastened from the outside. The contriv
ance was one of my own, and nobody was
in the secrot but myself. I opened the
window, and had just fastened my knee
comfortably on the stone coping when a
heavy hand grasped my elAw.
I noticed something suspicious, and fol
lowed you, you rascal 1 Are you not asham
ed a man looking like a gentleman break
ing into a house like a common thief."
The follow held me in his grasp as if it
were a vice. 1 looked over my shoulder,
A star blazed on the wretch's blue-ooated
breast ; there was a guilt number on his
cap, bis breath smelled of but we won't
mention that ; his noso was a turn-up, his
hair was a little reddish this is original
and the whole contour of the man, told
ot his i'aui try instinct. 1 lelt my eyes
flash, my cheeks burn, and I mentally ro
solved, after crushing and cutting, to put
my unlucky hat that had led roe into all
theso,8orapcs, into the kitchen stove.
" What do you wish, sir?" I exclaimed
with as much dignity and severity as my
very peculiar and cramped condition would
permit. " Unhand me quick, sir t I am
no thief, but the lawful owner of No. 1140,
My name is Ilaynes, Robert Haynes ; go
round and look at the door-plate."
" None of your blather, young man,'
said the officer sternly, "you've scrutinize
ed that door-plate protty thoroughly.
have had my eyes on you for some time.'
" You don't know what you are talking
about. Let me get down, sir," said 1 botly.
" I tell you I am Mr. Haynes, Robt. Ilaynes,
law office on Cooper street. I shall not con
descend to explain to you how I happened
not to have the key of my own front door.
You have only to accompany me to Judge
Holt's on the right here, aud ask any mem
ber of tho family whether I am or am not
Mr. Robert Ilaynes."
" Very well got off young gontleman,but
you must allow me to take your arm."
" I am not in the habit of walking arm
in arm with a poT&comau," said I haught-
ily.
" Then I shall bo oblifftt to arrest you
for suspicious conduct," htrresponded pre
paring the way for action.
There was nothing for it but to submit
to have bis blue sleeve passed through my
black one, and proceeded to the residence
of the Judge to find out if I was myself.
, We bad bardly passed to the sidewalk
when fortunately, the judge himself came
along.
" Hello, Ilaynes !" be cried, and then
glanced at the figure at my side.
" I am to bo arrested foi breaking into
my own house," I said returning his salu.
tation. The policeman had suddenly
dropped my arm, as if it burned him. The
old judge who relished a joke, burst iuto
guffaw which brought the neighbors to
their windows.
"By-the-way," said the judge when he
had rocovered himself, "you had better
keep your friend of the star in tow. My
wife spoke to me about your housekeeper
this morning ; said she went away in a car
riage, and took more bundles than she
brought when sbe came here."
My heart beat almost audibly. Could I
this gentle browed, low-voicod woman of
whom I hod thought in connection with a
diamond engagement ring, be vile enough
to doceive me, to despoil me ? The sup
position was too dreadful.
" I counsel you to attempt another raid,"
he added. " Perhaps Johnny here will
give you a boost ;" aud he laughed again.
" It may all be tho purest conjecture on
my wife's part you know. Ladies are apt
to be suspicious of housekeepers. Ha t bal
ha ! ha 1" -Itmight
be all a mistake! It was a mistake,
I repeated, almost furiously to myself.
Mrs. George, that quiet movlug, perfectly
lady-like person ; Mrs. George, whose
lightoHt step had sometomes set my pulses
fluttering ; of whom I had dreamed I dare
not say how often ; whoso superb eyes,
swau-like throat, and stately presence I
bad admired untold of times she to de
scend to any little petty meanness, to house
lifting t
I entered tho domicile at the back win
dow, bidding the policeman be within call.
The first thing I saw in the basement pas
sage was the dead body of poor Jip, my
pet terrier. He bad evidently been pois
oned. I walked through tho lower rooms. A
costly bronze clock and three expensive .
vases were gone from the parlor shelf ; also
a very beautiful little group jn terra cotta,
for which I had given an extravagant price.
On a closer examination I saw that the
edges of my new carpot were loose. They
had certainly been tacked down before. N
I opened the door into the fiont hall,
which literally swarmed with packages.
They stood on the chairs, on the rack on
the table everywhere. Not oaring to stop
to examine these evidencos of dishonesty,
I went up to the second story. There on
the toilet table lay a neatly folded note, of
which the following is a transcript :
" DearJMat. I have packed everything
that could be conveniently carried the
clothes, the silver, the books, and as many
light ornaments as possible. I think you
might easily take the carpets, if you are ex
peditious and cau rely upon your men.
The old gentleman (I bit my tongue) won't
be home till noon to-morrow. I've circu
lated the report that he intends to dispose
of some of his furniture ; consequently you
might fill a couple of large vans. The
money I have in my possesion. I contrived
to loosen the . carpets at the edges, but
could not move the heavy furniture. You
can fold the first, aud your men can carry
out the latter. I hope you have followed
my directions as to dress ; the neighbors
will take you for Mr. Haynes. If it bad
not been for you, Mat, I would let him
make love to me. I could twist IrffU around
my finger.
"After you are through I shall be at the
place designated. The servants are in my
pay, and I have sent them off. You can
not tell how patiently I have looked for
ward to the completion of this little scheme.
My dear Mat if we get off (wo shall get off)
we are made for Hie.
"And now my darling, " farewell for a
short time. I wish I could have seen you,
but this letter must suffice. Destroy it at
once."
So she could twist me around her finger
could she ? The truth is this bold asser
tion made me wince ; I felt a fool down to
my finger ends.
The Star joined me at a signal, and we
went up stairs together.
"It's tho most audacious thing I ever'
heard tell of 1" he exclaimed. " We will
wait up here aud see the play out. I'll
bow the Bhutters and there'll fco some fun
before long. Have you got any shooting
iron ?"
?went to my room aud returned with
two revolvers.
"That is good," he said, his stolid face
lighting up ;" now we are prepared for
them. It will make a pretty case. Sup
pose you suspect the housekeeper ?"
. I had kept the contents of the letter to
myself, morcly giving him a hint or two,
but I felt my blood boil at tho mention of
Mrs. Georgo.
" Yes of course I suspect the house
keeper. V She turned off my old servants
and brought two creatures of her own here.
Nobody knows how much they have carri
ed off."
"It's risky business," muttered the
Star, with a shrewd glance. " Mon ain't
never safe with women-folks about, unless
the ladies are in the firm, by Jove I Rayth
er nice-looking?" aud the fellow winked
vulgarly.
" No, ugly as the deuce !" was my half
savage reply. It would never cajoled by
an artful interloper.
"Here's our game!" whispered the po
liceman, as a stylish carriage drove up to
the door.
I looked down. The make np of the
thief was complete.' A casual acquain
tance would have sworn it was mo. The
follow sat gracefully back in the carriage,
waited till the coachman opened tne door,
and stood there a moment on tho side
walk, looking carelessly round. '
I' Sure it's a perfect duplicate ; but he'll
send the carriage off presently. ' ' It's ex
pecting ho'll bo about for a time, and then
a 'different kind of carriage'll bo in wait
ing. Bute enough, tho stylish equlpago was
driven off aud th'o man with the very track
of my own stop, ' lounged coolly up to the
door, the red lined cape of his coat jaun
tily displayed. Since that day I have dis
carded red lining.
The door opened, , and the fellow went
prowling over the lower rooms. In a very
few momenta be wtis joined by two other
men, whom be let in by the back basement
door.
CONCLUDED ON SECOND FAOS.
t