Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

| ; ; : away!’ cried the young lady, SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. come down! He’s mad, and we shall all be murdered! Mr. Pratt!—Mr. Pratt! Ob, do ~ “What's the matter, Mary ?” cried Mr. Pratt, | ‘ es from his bedroom. “‘The—the sweep, sir; he’s gone mad, sir—| he'll murder us all, sir. Oh, do come down, sir! Do, sir—do !”” _ Not only did Mr. Pratt hurry on his garment, but also Mrs. and Miss Pratt, a showy young lady of eighteen, who, flinging a morning WAARR EE around her graceful form, flung open her bedroom door, and hurried down the stairs. “Goodness gracious, Mary! what is the matter ?” she cried. “Oh! miss! oh! miss! he’s stark staring raving mad!” was the reply. “ The—the—Oh! he’s so flabbergasted, miss, that I—oh! dear!—oh! dear!” © What, is all this about ?” * The devil, miss! ” “ The devil, you silly girl ?” « Yes, miss.” — rf te “© What do you mean ?” “The devil, miss! He says thesdevil !’” “Who?” ““ ‘The sweep.” i “Do tell me what it’s all about. There, don’t shake lke that, but. tell me all about it—the cause of this disturbance, I mean.” “Yes, miss. You see, miss, I—oh! dear! I’m so frightened !”’ oh _ Miss Pratt pushed the girl on one side, and entered the parlour, where she encountered the young sweep trembling like an aspen leaf, and looking fearfully at the chimney he had been commissioned to cleanse. ae ie “ What is the meaning of this noise?’” she asked. | A, “Th—the de—de—devil!” cried the boy. “ He’s on the top of the house, looking don the chimney.” ee | At this moment, a brick, loosened by the boy’s descent, fell with a loud crash on to the stone. “Here he is!—oh! here he is!’’ cried the ‘boy. ‘Murder! Save me!—oh! save me!” _ And he rushed up to Miss Pratt, threw his arms around her, and buried his wet sooty. face in the clean folds of her morning wrapper. © “ Go away, you nasty, dirty little rascal—go endeavouring: to shake him off. PIPE - : “ Do—do—don’t !—oh!: don’t let him touch me!” cried the boy, twining his sooty arms| around her. | “ Richard—Richard !” cried the young lady, endeavouring to shake him off. “Oh! make -haste—make haste ! The sweeper’s gone mad!” ~ ©No, Tain’t mad! It’s the devil !—it’s the devil! He’s coming down the chimney! Oh! save me, some one!” yelled the boy. And in his terror, he clutched at Miss Pratt’s dress, which he sooted from one side to the other, the soot smearing her all over, and, which being wet with the water which they had thrown over him, came off easily. ¥ . Pratt here entered the room, but stood transfixed with surprise the moment he-entered ies 7 | 159 “Get away, you hasty, dirty, little rascal!” cried the lady. “Oh! Richard, take him away, he’ll spoil my wrapper.” , Down came another briek clattering against “Oh! don’t let the bars of the stove. “Murder!” cried the boy. him come—don’t, don’t!” And leaving go his hold of Miss Pratt he rushed at Mr. Pratt, whonr he caught round the waist, and clung to like grim death. ° ; Mr. Pratt had ‘only waited to put on his boots and trousers, and the sooty hand of the sweep resting on his shirt-front, turned the spotless white linen front to the colour of a soot-bag. . “You ‘young imp,” growled the gentleman, “what do you mean by playing up such pranks as this ?” “Oh! sir, the devil—the devil!” was all the boy could say im answer to the gentleman. ‘* Are you mad ?” “No; Pm”’— “Take your hands off, you black villain!” cried the man, hurling the youngster off him, and sending him into the fireplace, where he floundered about among the loose soot which had fallen from the chimney. ‘Send for a policeman,” cried Miss Pratt. “Here’s a state the little wretch has made me in. Only look at me; all thisnice clean wrapper spout !” “Oh! don’t—don’t,” roared the boy, springing to hisfeet. ‘It ain’tmy fault, it’s the devil’s!” “ The devil take you!” roared Pratt. And im his rage at the state the sooty little varmint had made him-in, he rushed with up- raised hand towards the boy. “T’ll kill you, you little villain,’ he yelled, “Tl kill you!” At this juncture Mrs. Pratt entered the room, surprise and terror on every lineament of her features, and the boy, fearful of chastisement, and anxious to escape, ran full butt against her as she entered. The knock caused her to roll over, and down on top of her went the young sweep, covering her with soot. The lady screamed loudly, and so did the sweep, while Mr. Pratt swore as he never swore before, and Miss Pratt called loudly for the police. A scene of confusion that beggars description now ensued. Kicking, plunging, and ‘screaming, the sweep endeavoured to scramble to his feet. Yelling with terror, and not knowing what she did, Mrs. Pratt grappled with the sooty little rascal, Mary rushed to the street-door, and yelled loudly for help, while Mr. Pratt had all his’ ‘work to do in holding his sister, whom the excitement had caused to swoon away. Meantime Jack, who had been a listener down the’ chimney, and who felt it was high time to reach terra firma, descended by the way he had got up, and springing over the wall, hastily slipped off his mask, and appeared at the front door at the moment that the maid-of-all-work called loudly for assistance. “What is the matter?” eried Jack, in tones of surprise. ‘ What is the matter ?” ruse - * & - - — -_ — oe a ee a - ~ | OOK Comic