Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-08-02
THE WRONG ROOM.

the whole race OF landladies, his own
landlady especially.
Tom sighed dismally when he
| thought of the cosy little nest his
friend Hampton was blessed with;
and Hampton was only a clerk, too,
with very limited salary and the
"nest" could only boast of three
rooms. But they were delightful,
pleasant and homelike; with the
brightest of carpets, and the whitest Of
| curtains; books on the tables, and pic
lures on the soft tinted walls, and pots
Of fragrant flowers in the windows.
One painting Tom remarked, "Sun-
set on the Shore" The whole western
sky was flaming with purple and
| gold; the hewhite-capped waves sparkled
like diamonds in the glow. In the
background was fisherman's cot
tage; and framed in the low door was
a girl with one dimpled hand shading
her eyes from the binding glow as
she gazed over the dancing water.
Way back in his boyhood, Tom had
loved just such n girl; years ago, be-
fore he had left the mossy old farm
house to seek fame and fortune in the
city. Again he could feel the fresh
breeze lift the damp hair from his
|
he sat and listened to the drSwsy min
lister in the little brown church, and
| watched the wild-rose face at his side.
Then the walk home in the Sabbath
| stiffness through lovely glens flaming
| with bitter-sweet and creamy curls Of
sweet-scented honeysuckle. But of
all the "pictures on rnemory's WALL"
none could be clearer than that day Of
days when sweet Margery Dean prom
| ised to be his wife. The very hills
seemed to rejoice, flaming in the fire.
lit days Of october. All! well-but
that was long, long years ago. Now
Tom was q comfortable old fellow,
| with no nonsense about him. Tom
reached his boarding-house at last,
and found the hall as dark as usual.
He groped his way up stairs, and In
desperate hunt for the matchbox, sue
ceeded in upsetting the ink over his
best coat and the hair oil over him
self With well not exactly
blessing--on the heads Of landladies in
general, he concluded to retire in the
dark.
Now, it so happened that the land
lady was blessed with q hopeful
young son, who took particular de-
light in tormenting poor humanity.
On that particular evening, Of which
we write, he had chanced to pass
Toms room, and finding the door
standing conveniently open, con-
ceived the brilliant, and we hope,
original, idea, Of placing some nice
sharp briars under the sheets of the
bed. In happy unconsciousness, Tom
jumped into bed and jumped out
again with howl OF rage and pain;
Thunder and Mars what in the
name of Satan can be in my bed this
time? Some Internal machine to kill
me, L haven't particle Of doubt.
Shouldn't be surprised if was Grip
pie for the rest of my life. And Tom
jumped frantically about in quest Of q
chair and seated himself in the slop-
pail, which the thoughtful boy had
placed there conveniently. That was
the last feather.
The next morning Tom interviewed
the landlady. Madam" said he,
brandishing his lacerated hands, ~
can stand this no longer / have had
dead rats, cats and pups put into my
water pitcher, pins stuck into my
chairs, and turpentine put in my hair
oil. I said nothing. But if you think
it's pleasant to go to rest on pins,
of the very jaggedest description, you
are trifle mistaken
Tom, like most men, could exagger-
ate little when the occasion seemed
to demand it. And it was little eX-
asperating to have q landlady look so
smiling. (She had just taken new
boarder).
~ cannot stand it, Madam can
not. You must make that hobgoblin
Of yours quit his pranks or shall
leave the house. Understand, mad
am ?n
Yes; she cemprehended matters,
perfectly, and would see. to things.
That evening, on Toms return, he
limped pleasant effect of the thorns)
up to his room, in thedarkness, opened
the door,--Lo, behold! was that his
room? That with the pretty new car
pet, round plump bed, shaded by dainty
white curtains. Tom wedged himself
in low rocking-chair, and stared
about in helpless astOnishment.
Books, magazines and evening papers
on the table, pictures on the walls, a
pot Of flowers on q tiny stand. Tom
concluded to take the goods the gods
provided and be thankful; 80 he read
the news comfortably, and then retired
behind the white curtains to the sleep
Of the just. c+ l$iJ4
Tom awoke rather suddenly to find
the room flooded with light. Pulling
the curtains gently aside, he peered
cautiously out. In the low rocking
chair sat little plump figure, brush
ing out long waves of dusky hair.
Tom gathered blanket hastily about
him and jumped out on the floor. g
eff you please, Madam, pve made q
mistake,n Tom gasped.
Madam stared in blushing astonish-
ment.
"What do you mean, sir ?" she de-
manded. Fl
"I-I don't mean anything. Deuce
of a mistake-beg pardon" and he
commenced to gather up his clothes
| feverishly.
"Seems to me you look little like
Thomas Rent,n stammered the little
lady. -
"Heavens, you can't be Margery
| Dean?"
ooh, yes; am" dimpling and
blushing.
'Thunder and Mars! i never was SO
delighted in all my life. Thought of
you for five years; was terrible fool
In the old days, Margerey."
You-you are hardly properly at
tired for q conversation with a lady"
blushingly hinted the little woman.
Tom glanced at his blanket and
rushed for the door, muttering some-
thing about out"to-morrow-to-morrow--
interview"
| Well, there was an interview in the