Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-09-09
4 WOman's Wit.

was in st. Louis recently, and confded
to friend the details of an adventure
in Boston hotel. The story is brief,
but with an immense moral as showing
how, in some things, lovely woman will
always come to the relief of sister in
distress to outwit the tyrant man. The
journalist above referred to, stopping at
the hotel, private one where the guests
were accustomed to the entire freedom
of the house, felt, one night, the i'm
perative necessity of eating some fruit
before retiring. 1t was too late to send
out to buy any; he did not want to
arouse the servants of the house at so
late an hour, and yet fruit or preserves
or something toothsome of the kind
seemed to him a personal necessity. He
knew where the storeroom was, knew
that the door was left open, and finally
resolved to go down quietly and prig
enough sweetmeats to satisfy his need.
No sooner was the thought conceived
than acted upon, and, within five min
utes, he was in the storeroom hooking
preserves out of a jar and enjoying him
self immensely in satisfying the craving
which had come upon him.
For few minutes the enjoyment of
the man at the preserves was complete.
Then he was startled by light, swift
step in the hall, there was whish and
rustic of garments, the door opened sud
denly, and some one bounded in with
such suddenness as, coming squarely
against the form of the midnight raider,
to knock him half way across the room
| of1I foirlxy off hfo foot TnoYNSnnr nt
once he closed with his unconscious as
sailant, to be startled by subdued
shrek and to find that he had captured
a woman! Further, he discovered that
the lady, who had wanted something to
eat as well as he, was only clad in a
night dress. Still, though trying, the
occasion was not one of unmixed hor-
ror by any means, and in q moment the
| gentleman's nerve returned and his curl
osity rose to fever neat.
"Who is this?" he demanded. No
answer.
"Who is it ?" he repeated. "You'll
not get out of this until you tell" Still
no answer, but struggle in the dark
ness, the lady trying to get away.
Again the qnery was repeated, with
equal lack of response, but this time a
resounding slap in the !ace from hand
that was doubtless pretty but which hit
with decided force, was the reward OF
the questioner.
He was put on his mettle at once.
"You think you'll get off unknown
Well see about that !" he exclaimed.
"I've q device that'll work, 1 think. u
And then, after silent but determined
struggle, he caught little bit of the
lady's right cheek between his teeth and
bit it-not SO badly as to break the vel
vety skin, but sufficiently hard to leave
a mark which he knew could not disap-
pear for day or two. Then he released
his unknown prisoner, and she flew like
the wind along the passage, disappear
ing in some room impossible to Ice ete
in the darkness.
The next morning the gentleman with
a mystery to solve came down to break.
fast early. No ladies had yet appeared,
but at his table were one or two init.
mate male friends, and to them he con
fded the story of his adventure in the
night, relating also the means he had
taken to secure the identification of the
unknown lady. The most intense curl
osity at once prevailed at the table, and
the advent of the ladies was awaited
with an impatience scarcely to be con-
trolled. Five minutes later the door
opened and the belle of the hotel enter.
ed demurely, glided across the room
and seated herself for breakfast. Eager
eyes followed her, and as her face was
fairly exposed, there was q sensation
among the gentlemen. Upon her right
cheek was strip of courtplaster al
inch long The men exchanged glancet
and whispered and smiled. The mystery
was solved early.
But Just then another lady entered
this time dignifed matron. AS she
seated herself there was disclosed upor
her right cheek piece of courtplastel
identical in appearance with that upor
the face of the belle! Another and au
other lady entered. Upon the righ
cheek of every one of them appeared
a piece of courtplaster. The tables
filled up and not lady at one of then
but wore courtplaster on the righ
cheek And then the gentlemen look
ing confidently for revelation wilted
They comprehended the situation. The
lady who had been captured in the nigh
had confded her extremity to he
friends, and they had come to the res
cue, to outwit male humanity. The.
had succeeded, too. The discounted
men at that particular table knew tina
beneath one of the many pieces OF court
plaster in the room were hidden tn,
marks of teeth, but which was the iden
tical bit of courtplaster they could no
tell. And thew never learned,