Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 64: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

_———— — | Yo Od ats nah les oe ae eae i 58 Terror caused her legs to give way beneath her, and down she went into a sitting position against the door, nearly pulling Jack upon her, who, as he gave a sudden jerk back to save him- self, pulled the old lady’s bedgown fairly over her head. Shame and terror combined now caused the old Jady to fight most desperately, and succeeding in releasing her arms from the garment, she sprang at the handle of the door, pulled it open, and fled down the stairs at a wonderful speed, while Jack, holding the bedgown in his hand, stood in the doorway, fairly shaking with sup- pressed laughter. “Oh my—oh my!” eried the lady, “ what shall I do? WhereshallI go? Where shall I hide?” | And she rushed wildly and frantically along the passage, evidently in her terror not knowing what to do. Jack re-entered the bedroom, flung the bed- sown upon the bed, and seizing the old lady’s clothes, wig and all, from off the chair, sprang down the stairs after Miss Frump, who was pacing the passage and wringing her hands in agony. | ~The moment she perceived the white figure of Jack on the stairs, she made a desperate effort to enter the front parlour. | This, of course, she was unable to do, and she turned and fled towards the street door. She reached it, placed her hand on the lock, but the recollection of her scanty attire deterred her from opening it, and she stood upon the mat wringing her hands. ‘‘Now, woman, enough of this,” he said, in an angry, though still hollow tone. . He stretched out his hand, as if to grasp her. With a loud ery she darted past him. Jack sprang back to the foot of the stairs to prevent ber ascending them, He was resolved to force her to seek refuge in the back parlour. At this moment the door of that apartment was flung open, and the old deaf bachelor stood on the threshold. . ‘What's the matter ?” he eried. me! Oh dear! oh dear!” “Kh, what? Oh! oly! oh!” The old gentleman had eaught sight of the white figure of Jack, and staggered back into his roon. ‘“ Now,” said Jack, clutching the arm of Miss Frump, “ now—now you are mine for ever!” With a shriek that startled Jack himself, she broke from his hold and bounded into the back parlour, our hero flinging her garments in after her just as she turned and closed the door in his face. “Save me, Mr. Duppy—good Mr. Duppy— kind Mr, Duppy—save me, oh! save me! ” “Don't hold me so tight, woman—go away, woman—you're all undressed,” were the words Jack heard as he turned the key, which was in the lock, upon them. SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. | an entrance through the window,” said Bedford, “Oh! Mr, Duppy, the—the devil’s come for CHAPTER XXII. THE ALARM—THE NEIGHBOURHOOD AROUSED —THE SCENE IN THE BACK PARLOUR. Away up the stairs bounded Jack, three steps at a lime, into the back room and through the window on to the roof of the little coal-shed beneath it. | Here he paused, and held his sides for laughter which he could not give vent to without the fear of discovery was nearly choking him. Recovering himself somewhat, he let down the window of Miss Frump’s house, and, stepping along the roof of the shed, tapped at that of Tom Bedford’s. , | Tom, who stood beside his window, instantly flung it wide open, and our hero sprang lightly into the room beside his new found friend. “¢ Well,” exclaimed Tom, breathless with excite- ment, ‘‘what have you done? I heard the old lady scream. I'm all impatience ; do tell.” “Hush! do not speak so loud,” said Jack, ‘ T’ve got her into the old man’s room, and locked her there with him, together with her clothes.” “Ha! ha! ha!” “Hush! The old dame left her bedgown in my hand in her struggles, and her frilled cap I pulled off her head before, so that she cuts a pretty figure. You heard her scream ?” ‘“* Yes.” ‘“ Good.” “ How 2” “It will give you an exeuse for arousing the people of this house and your neichbours, and leading them into the old lady’s dweiling to see what’s the matter,” | ‘Bravo! good. But”—— “ But what ?” ‘How are we to getin? We dare not force in a disappointed tone of voice, “lve arranged that,” ** How 2?” ‘Opened the front door.” “You have 2?” | « Ves.” “Capital, but ’”—— “What ?” ‘‘Can she punish us for entering her house? She’s a nasty old woman, you know.” “You heard her ery out for help, shriek murder. You know her to be a lone woman, and all that; therefore what san would not rush to her rescue ?” “T see, I see,” eried Bedford. will be a good laugh for Baker,” “Go aad rouse them up.” “And you ?” ‘Had better remain here till all is again quiet. A stranger might excite suspicion.” “So he might.” | ‘* Besides, I want to make it appear that the old lady has occupied the same room with the bachelor, and that some quarrel between them- selves was the cause of the cries.” _ ‘“Tll heap the coals on for her—Ill heap them on. Miss Frump—the virtnous and indignant Miss Frump—in the old -bachelor’s bedroom, attired only in her chemise! Hurrah! the whole - ‘* By jingo! it ee) boo) MIG ES)