Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1884 — AN OPPORTUNITY. [ARTICLE]

AN OPPORTUNITY.

Dora Leonard leaned lier pretty elbows on the window-sill of her father's office and peered ont over the forest of chimney pots and irregular roofs which that retired corner of London offered as prospect. She nodded to the little lame boy iff the fourth story across the court, dropped a handful of biscuit-crumbs for Vixon, Hfiga Tottenham’s parrot, one floor below, and was imperiling her life to steal a spray of scarlet Virginian creeper dangling from a neighbors balcony, when a strange pair of eyes shining through that same creeper Startled her into propriety. The balcony had hitherto had for its sole occupant a white-haired professor in a velvet skull-cap, who had shown no desire for even a nodding acquaintance with Dora Who could this newcomer be? His eyes were beautiful—so dark and expressive—and the hand that held back the vine was delicately shaped and white. Dora took another peep, through the curtain this time. He had advanced a little and leaned against the balcony railing, and, while appearing unconscious of her presence, watched quietly for the return of the pretty apparition seen at the window. His dark Southern look was so different from the rosy faces and bine snes that Dora was accustomed to; and the girl, looking at him, could only tbmk of a pictured Romeo whose face had once haunted her dreams for many a night "Dora, dear, close the window; these draughts are more dangerous at this season of the year,” came in drowsy acoents from the head of the Leonard family nodding over the copy of the Times. “Papa, yon never speak of Professor Mudie now. I hope you have not cut the old gentleman's acquaintance?” “Mudie? He is no longer our neighbor; he left No. 60 a week ago.” "Indeed! Has any one else taken bis rooms?” With the keenest interest Dora waited for her father’s reply. "Some foreign-looking chap has taken the lodgings; I saw him this morning at 6 o’clock smoking on the balcony in the most outlandish of dressing-gowns, and singing in a fairly good tenor, I must admit, some incomprehensible rigmarole. I must see that the windbwS Sre more carefully barred at night; there is no telling what these swarthy vagabonds may do.” “Oh, papa!” Dora was prepared to follow this, exclamation with a lecture on the iniquity of maligning one’s neighbors; but, seeing that her father had dozed off into unconsciousness, she was forced to reserve her remarks till another occasion. Living in a remote part of London -with her father and a maiden aunt, both of the strictest ideas in the bringing up of young people, Dora’s existence had little novelty or excitement. The return of her brother Bob from college was always hailed with delight as a season of merry-making; but the remainder of the year passed monotonously enough. Without knowing why, the girl’s interest for the dark-eyed foreigner in the adjoining house had been keenly awakened, and she longed for an opportunity to tell him of her sympathy for liis loneliness in the great City. But it could only be through a 'happy chance that they could know each other, for she dared not make any decided advance towards a perfect atranger, and she knew that her father would not exert himself in the young man's behalf. Years before a much-beloved cousin at Dora’s father, who had filled the place of a younger sister in his heart, bad been beguiled into a marriage with an Italian nobleman, which had resulted disastrously and severed all communication with her friends. Since then Mr. Leonard had regarded with suspicion and dislike every foreigner that came under his notice, and Dora knew well that she could expert from Mm no pity or interest for Romeo, as she privately called her unknown hero. While at college Dora’s brother Bob had become the recipient of a pair of monkeys, the gift of a friend in India. Jjd old college chum agreed at first to

take care of tye animals, but as time wore on he grew heartily sick of his bargain and wrote to Bob that he must take the responsibility of his mischievous pets on his own hands. Bob informed his family that they might expect any day the arrival of the monkeys ; but the old gentleman, Mr. Leonard, replied promptly that on no account wonld he allow the uncouth brutes about the place, destroying the furniture and ornaments winch it had been the work of years to collect, besides frightening the servants out of their wits. The thing was preposterous ! If Robert would keep savage animals, he must provide a home for them elsewhere. “The dear boy has his heart set on these monkeys, and will be sorely disappointed,” said Aunt Matilda, feelingly. It was a weakness on the part of the old lady to spoil and indulge Bob in the same degree that she lectured and corrected Dora; and she would willingly have spent her last penny to make her beloved nephew happy. t Dora straved one afternoon into the office; but instead of having her usual post-prandial chat with her father, she was asked to guard the premises during his necessary absence for an hour. The place was quite deserted, and she might take a book and make herself comfortable, without fear of interruption, till her father’s return. The room where Dora was to keep her vigil was, for a lawyer’s office, very attractive; there were numerous books, an easy chair or two, some flourishing plants, and across one side of the room a cabinet of curiosities of considerable value, which it had been the delight of Mr. Leonand’s heart to collect and arrange. The gem of the collection was a cracked porcelain plate of the time of Louis XI. of France, declared by connoisseurs to be of very great value. Mr. Leonard had been offered almost fabulous sums for the plate, but, prtmd of his possession, he had refused to part with it, and it lay in its velvet case on the top of the cabinet, an ornament to the room and the admiration of all visitors. Dora had not been ten minutes alone before Aunt Matilda, her eyes big with excitement, put her head in at the door. “Dora, there is a man with the monkeys declaring he will not be kept waiting a moment longer. I have promised to drive in the park with Mrs. Graham, and there is no one to look after Bob’s pets but you. I would not send them away; so I told the man to bring them up here. “They have chains about their necks, Mid ” “But, Aunt Matilda, papa will be furious at seeing the monkeys—in his office especially! He declared that Bob should not send them to the house at all.” “We must not disappoint the poor boy, Dora. Kate will return from the mil liner’s in half an hour, and I will leave word that she is to take the animals to her room then; so your father need know nothing about it. They certainly will do no harm alone in so short a time.” Further discussion was ended by a man very red in the face making his waj without ceremony into the room. He set a large basket, on the floor, exclaiming: “There, you chattering varmints, it’s flad enough I am to be rid of yon! 'he attintion those beasts attracted all along the streets, mum, was enough to make an honest man ashamed.” Two pairs of bright eyes peeped from under the basket-cover, as if begging for freedom, and the next moment two full-grown Singapore monkeys were capering about the room as much 'as their confining chains would permit. “Chain them to the fender, and they will be sure to be out of mischief,” said Aunt Matilda, watching to see this command obeyed, and then following the porter down into the street. Dora, left alone with her unexpected guests, tried to strike up an acquaintance with them; but they seemed dull and unresponsive. They crouched down side by side on the rug, and fell into a kind of doze; so Dora, relieved of all anxiety as to their conduct, returned to her nook in the window. There was a thin curl of smoke coming through the vine on the balcony, and she oould hear the rustling of the leaves of a book. It was pleasant to know that Romeo was near, and it was also pleasant to have him aware of her presence. Could not Bob, when he came home, be prevailed upon to extend a friendly hand to this dark-eyed stranger ? But his holiday was so short, and he had so many old friends to look up, that she was afraid he would only make game of her fancy for Romeo. v Dora’s reverie was suddenly interrupted bv a clattering of the fire-irons; the smaller monkey, released by the other, was carefully inspecting the glittering poker and tongs, while the elder monkey, without effort, unfastened his own chain and left it lying on the floor. He gave Dora a knowing look and started on a tour of investigation about the room, the girl timidly following to rescue whatever of Value might cqme in his way. He at length spied, half hidden on the disused grate, the kettle of the spirit-lamp which served to brew Mr. Leonard’s tea, still partly full of water which had not yet cooled. The thirsty monkey plunged his head into the little kettle, which proved, alas, so tight a fit that, it utterly refused to come off! Blinded and frightened, the monkey darted about the room, shaking and twisting his head till the water flew in all directions. This was the signal for a wild frolic for both the monkeys, which Dora tried in vain to quiet While rescuing the ink-stand from the clutches of one, the other tore in shreds as many as he could seize of the valuable la\y-papers scattered on the table. The elder monkey, having finally freed himself from the kettle, flung it with a crash into the court, and then sprang to the top of the cabinet, where the Lonis XL plate was enshrined. Dora was horror-stricken as she saw the monkey dexterously undo the fastenings and take the plate from its velvet bed. She felt that something desperate must be done to save the precious relie. The clerks wereall dismissed, Ino servant was within call, and there was no one to help her. The monkey raised the piste above his head and be-

gan an excitmg chatter with his mate. Dora flew, to the window, expecting every instant to hear the crash of. the priceless porcelain, And, leaning far out, called, with as steady a voice as she could summon—“Do please cqme and belli me ; the monkeys destroying everyting — there is not a moment to lose!” In her flight Dora hardly, realized that the long-wished-for interview with Romeo had come at last. A far harder heart that Romeo’s could ndt have resisted those beseeching tones or the pretty, appealing look on the girl’s face, and in an instant the young man had swung himself from the balcony to the office window, and springing lightly to the floor took in the situation at a glance. “Can yon save the plate?” said Dora, clasping her hands convnlsingly. But her words were unnecessary. With an ease and quickness that seemed magical, the new comer had dragged the heavy table against the cabinet, and, with the further aid of a chair, raised himself to the monkey’s perch. Witli a cry of delight Dora saw the monkey slip to the floor, leaving the plate unharmed iu Romeo's hands. At this juncture the door opened softly, and Miss Matilda peeped in timidly. Romeo, with his legs dangling from the top of the cabinet, was the first object her eyes lighted npon. “Dora, what is the meaning of this? Why is this—person intruding here?” “It means, Aunt Matilda, that we have to thank this gentleman for saving papa’s plate from the monkey’s clutches. You may well imagine the scene that would have ensued if it had been broken. Please don’t waste any time in exclamations, but take off your gloves and help me to put the room in order before papa comes. Fortunately for you, he is unaccountably delayed. Miss Matilda, completely frightened into submission, flew to assist in putting the room to rights, and, with the aid of Dora and Romeo, order was soon restored. The torn letters and papers were hastily collected to be recopied, the monkeys Were despatched to the attic, Romeo reluctantly retired, and when Mr. Leonard at length returned, he found Dora sitting quietly as he liad left her, with her book, at the window. A nervousness of manner and a pair of dimpled cheeks unusually flushed escaped the notice of the man whose mind was fnll of the details of a new case whieh he had been discussing. * * * * * * “Dora, do you not think we had better include the young man next door among our guests for Wednesday evening?” Miss Matilda asked of her niece. “Bob can call there the day before, and your father will think the acquaintance has sprung up entirely through him.” “We certainly owe him a civility, aunt, and I think your suggestions very good one,” Dora answered, quietly, though her heart beat high with pleasant anticipations. Antonio Sardi, which proved to be Romeo’s proper name, lost no time in writing An acceptance of Miss Leonard's kind invitation for Wednesday. Dora, reading his polite note at the breakfast table, left the envelope lying unheeded near her father’s plate. Later, while the two ladies were discussing the important question of flowers for the auspicious evening, Mr. Leonard entered the room with a torn envelope in his hand. “What induced Bob to strike up a friendship with the young scamp next door? He might have been better employed during his short holiday,” he began. “Oh, papa, he’s not a scamp! He “Then what right has he to make use of that seal ? Look! Is is not the sac simile of your grandfather’s. This fellow had some foolish idea of appearing well connected, but has unfortunately stolen a seal that is very familiar to us. I will inquire into this and speak to Bob; one cannot be too cautious with these foreigners.” The old gentleman’s investigation concerning the seal threw the Leonard family into the greatest excitement. On questioning young Sardi he told a clear, succinct story of hi 3 past life and parentage. His father, an Italian of noble family, had married an Fnglish lady, whom he deserted shortly after the birth of their only child. They heard of "his death afterwards, and a few months later his -'mother died also, leaving him—Antonio-alone in the world. It was his mother’s crest that he had nsed npon the note addressed to Miss Leonard; it was strange that it should so resemble the seal of the Leonard family. “Did your mother ever speak of friends in England ?” “Rarely; the subject seemed to her a most painful one, and I never broached it.” “What was her name?” Mr. Leonard asked, his voice trembling with emotion! “Gertrude Ramsey.” “Why did not all this dawn upon me before ? Boy, if your story is true, you are the son of our beloved little Gertrude, who left us long ago, and whose loss I have never ceased to mourn. Come with me; the others should rejoice with us in the return of the wanderer.” Every doubt of Antonio’s identity was soon removed, and the foreign cousin was treated as an honored guest among his new-found friends, to whom he endeared himself through many charming traits of character. “We have to thank Bob for a most agreeable addition to our family party,” said Mr. Leonard, gazing on the group assembled about the fire one evening. “Thank rather Bob’s monkeys, papa,” said Dora, slyly. “ Monkeys! What do you mean ?” The story of the rescued plate was obliged to be told then and there; but Mr. Leonard found ft impossible to be angry after all that had happened, and a hearty langh ended the awkward secret. In gaining a consin Mr. Leonard was obliged to part with his daughter, for the love that had silently sprung op long before between Dora and Romeo would hide itself no longer ; and, when Bob came home for his Christmas holidays, a grand event took place— the first bird flew from the parent nest, Mid Dora

went with her dark-eyed lover and husband to see the bright skies of his native land. -