The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

UNCLE BENJAMIN’S PAST. 349 parlor, accompauying a lady, the train of whose gown he could just barely see, | ‘“Great heavens!’’ he exclaimed, his hair rising in terror. ‘‘ She has followed me here already.”’ Again the mad impulse to flight overcame him. He darted back into his room and almost immediately emerged, wearing shoes and a hat, putting ona coat as he came forth. Down the stairs he did not dare to venture, for the parlor door was open. But above, at this hour, there could be nobody. Rapidly he ascended to the attic and up a steep flight of steps leading to the scuttle ; in another minute he stood free on the roof. Here he had to pause a moment, to get his bearings and remember which house, from this unfamiliar point of view, was that of his friend Jack Roberts, with whom he proposed to take refuge. It was the fifth to his right. One intervening roof was almost his own height above the general level. Under ordinary circumstances it would have seemed an insurmountable obstacle. Now, he did not mind it in the least. How he scrambled up on it, he did not even notice. At that superior elevation he looked ahead and saw, on the roof that was his destination, a girl hanging out clothes todry. Behind her, the entrance to an attic stairway stood open, and he uttered a shout of joy. The girl turned at the sound of his voice and, seeing a strange man leap down from the high roof and run toward her, gave a frightened shriek. Uncle Benjamin paid no attention to her, but plunged into the open door- way and down the stairs pursued by her cries of ‘‘ Thieves! Help!” “Roberts ! Roberts !’’ he cried as he hurried down to the parlor floor. ‘“ Hello! What is it? Why, Dobley! Where in thunderdo you come from?’’ exclaimed the astonished Roberts, emerging from the breakfast room, back of the’ parlors, with the morriing paper in his hand. ‘“From the roof. Call off that girl Tell her to shut up. I’ll explain directly. Stop her first, for heavens’ sake !’’ Roberts ran up stairs, shouting ‘‘Shut up!’’ and Uncle Benjamin, out - of breath, dizzy, and trembling with excitement and fatigue, staggered into the dining room to find for himself a glass of water. ‘The house was almost as familiar to him as his own, for Jack Roberts and he had been chums for years, and many a game of poker he had played in that back room. Standing at the sideboard, he had just filled a glass and raised it to his lips, when a feminine voice behind him exclaimed : ‘Why, Benjy !’’ He droppec the glass.and spun around on his heel as upon a pivot, to face the woman who had just entered from the parlor. At sight of her, with a cry of despair, he sank unconscious to the floor. The lady was looking down at him and laughing when Mr. Roberts re- turned. ‘Oh, Jack!’ she cried. ‘‘ This is too funny for anything. Here’s an ex husband turned up that I had quite forgotten.”’ ‘The deuce !’’ he exclaimed. ‘‘ Do you mean to say you’ve ever been married to my old friend Ben Dobley ?.”’ ‘“Yes. He was my second.. He came after Saunders and before Butler, Comicbooks 5}