Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-08-07
THAT HAT.

the only reason the perpetrators of IL
trick are alive. A business man hadiu
purchased new stiff hat, and he wer
! into a saloon with half dozen friend
to tit the hat on his head. They all too
beer, and passed the hat around so al
could see it. One of the meanst me
that ever held country office went t
the bartender and had a thin slice O
of limberg cheese cut off, and when tn
party We're looking at the frescoe
ceiling through beer glasses, this wicke,
person slipped the cheese under tn
sweat leather of the hat, and the ma,
put 1t on and walked out. The man VIII
owned the hat is one of your nervou
people, who is always complaining O
being sick. and feels as though som
dreadful disease was going to take poss
ession of him and carry him off. H,
went back to his place of business, tool
off his hat and laid it on the table ant
proceeded to answer some letters. He
thought he detected smell, and wher
bis partner asked him if he didn't fee
sick, ne said he believed he did. A clerk
said twas evident that somebody's feet
needed washing. The man turned pale
and said he guessed he would 20 home,
lie met man on the sidewalk who
SAID the air was full of miasma, and in
the street car a man who sat next TO
him moved away 10 the end of the car,
and asked him if he had just come from
Chicago. The man with the hat said he
had not, when the stranger said ,shey
We're having a great deal of smallpox
there, and he guessed he would get out
and walk, and he pulled the bell and
jumped Oft. The cold perspiration broke
out on the forehead of the man with the
new hat, and he took it off to vine his
forehead when the whole piece 81 cheese
seemed to roll over and breathe, and
the man got the full benefit of it. and
he came near falntiug away. He got
home, and his wife met him and asked
HIM what was the matter. He said he
I
believed modification had set in, and
she took one Whit, as he took off us
hat, and said she should think it had
where did you get into its' said she.
Get into it" said the man, 81 have not
got into anything but some deadly dis
ease has got hold Of me, and sLall not
live
She told him that if any disease that
'melled like that had got hold of him,
and was going to be chronic, she felt as
5hough he would be a burden to him.
'elf if he lived very long. She got his
clothes off, soaked his feet in mustard
water, and he slept. The hat was living
IN the centre table, and the children
would come in and get smell of it and
ook at each other with reproachful
'lances, and 60 out and play. The man
lept and dreamed that a smallpox flag
vas hung in front of his house and that
% was riding in butcher wagon to the
est houses The wife sent for doctor,
nd when the man Of pills arrived she
Old him all about the case. The doc
or picked up the patients new hat.
rled it on, aud got a sniff. He said
he hat was picked before it was ripe ,
ne doctor and the wife held post ,
lortem examination of the hat, and s
'und the slice of limberyer. Few and ,
'ort were the prayers they said. They 9
oke the patient, and to prepare his ,
md for the revelation that was about o
be made, the doctor asked him if his g
orldly affairs were in a satisfactory !
'ndition. He gasped and said thew
ere. The doctor asked him if he had :
ade his will. He said be had not, but q
lat ne wanted lawyer sent at once, |,
he doctor asked him if he felt az h
onsh be was prepared to shuttle off. h
be man said he had always tried to be v
me by the same as he would do it y
mself, but that he might have made !;
misdeai some way, and he would like '9 3,
have minister sent for to take an q,
count of stock. .
Then the doctor brought to the bed D;
10 the hat, opened up the sweat leath- o,
and showed the dying man what it m
IS that smelled so, and told him he G.
IS as well as any man in the CITY, v.
g patient pinched himself to see if ht
was alive, and jumped out of bed ar
1 called for his revolver, and the SO
'tor couldn't keep up with him on his G,
y down town. The last we saw of St
odoriterous citizen he was trying to VIC
De the bartender to tell him which 90
OF those pelicans it was that nut ca
Il slice Of cheese in his hat l;n;nn