The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-09-27
A 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..wiu
always come to the relief Of sister in
distress to outwit the tyrant man. The
journalist above referred to, stopping a.s
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 frui Il
before retiring. It was too late to send
out to buy any; he did not want to
arouse the servants of the house at 80
late an hour, and yet fruit or preserves
or something toothsome Of the kind
seemed to him personal necessity. He
knew where the storeroom was, knew
that the door was left open, and finally
resolved to 20 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. rs ~. ~.
For few minutes the enjoyment OF
the man at the preserves was complete:
Then he was startled by a light, swift
step in the hall, there was whish and
rustic of garments, the door opened sud
denly and some one bounded IL with
such suddenness as, coming squarely
against the form of the midnight raider,
to knock him half way across the room
and fairly off his feet. Leaping up at
once he closed with his unconscious as
sailant, to be startled by q subdued
shrek and to find that he had captured
q womanl Further, he discovered that
the lady, who had wanted something to
eat as we'll as he, was only clad in
night dress. Still, though trying, the
occasion was not one OF unml1ed nor
ror by any means, and in q moment the
eentleman's nerve returned and his curl
osity rose to fever heat.
"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. 49,. -,
Again the qnery was repeated, with
equal lack of response, but this time q
resounding slap in the lace from q band
that was doubtless pretty but which hit
with decided force, was the reward OF
the guestioner.
He was put on his mettle at once.
"You think you'll get of unknown
Well see about that y he exclaimed:
"I've a device that'll work, l think.
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
yety skin, but sufficiently hard to leave
a mark which he knew could not dlsap-
pear for day or two. Then he released
his unknown prisoner, and she flew like
the wind along the passage, dlsappear-
ing in some room impossible to locate
in the darkness. 80.
The next morning the gentleman with
q mystery to solve came down to break.
fast early. No ladies had yet appeared,
but at his table were one or two lntl-
mate male friends, and to them he con-
fded the story of his adventure In the
nipht. relating also the means ne mad
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
ewes followed her, and as her face was
fairly exposed, there was a sensation
among the gentlemen. Upon her right
cheek was q strip of courtplaster an
inch long! The men exchanged glances
and whispered and smiled. The mystery
was solved early.
But lust then another lady entered,
this time a dignifed matron. AS she
seated herself there was disclosed upon
her right cheek piece of courtplaster
identical in appearance with that upon
the face of the belief Another and an-
other lady entered. Upon the right
cheek of every one of them appeared
piece of courtplaster. The tables
filed up and not lady at one OF them
but wore courtplaster on the right
cheek And then the gentlemen look'
ing confidently for revelation wllted.
They comprehended the situation. Ihe
LADY who had been captured in the night
had confded her extremity to her
friends, and they had come to the res
cue, to outwit male humanity. They
had succeeded, too. The discounted
men at that particular table knew that
beneath one of the many pieces OF court
plaster in the room were hidden the
marks of teeth, but which was the lden-
tical bit of courtplaster they could not
tall And thew never learned.