The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-10-09
mrs. N'NILLIANy And The Light
Ming.
BY MARX TWAIN.
September Atlantle.l

can L 30 shamed out Of q person. A
W0moo Who could eaoa the very devil
hjmseli-or . se-loses her grip
and goes all 20 pieces 10 front OF q
dash OF lightning. Her fright Il
something pitiful to see.
Well, a. ! Was telling you. / woke
up, With that smothered and locata.
bio cry OF Mortimer! Mortimer!"
wafling In my ears: and as soon az I
could Scrape my faculties together I
reached over 10 tho dark aud then
ssid.-
''Evangeline. is that you calling :?
What b the matter? Where are You 2"
''Shut up In the bOot.cloaet. You
ought TO be ashamed to lie there and
sleep 20: and such an awful storm
"Why how can ono be ashamed
when he IL asleep? 1t is unreasona.
bic; q man can't be ashamed when
he e asleep, Evangeline."
"You never try. Mortimer.-you
know worry wcll you never try"
! caught the sound OF muffled sObs.
That sound smote dead the sharp
speech that Was on my lips. and !
changed it to-
I'm sorry. dear. I'm truly sorry,
/ never meant to act so. Come hack
and
Mortimer"
love ?"
DO you mean to say yod arc In
that bcd vt 2"
"Why q course
'Como out Of It instantly. I should
think you would take some little care
Of your lie, for my sake and the
childron's, II you will not for your
own"
''But my love-
"Don't talk 70 me, Mortimer. You
know there 10 no place 40 dangerous
% q bed, 10 such q thunder storm as
this, all the books cay that; yet there
you would lie, and deliberately throw
away your life.-tor goodness knows
what, unless for tho sake OF arguing
and arguing, and
"But, confound It, Evangeline, I'm
not IN the bed now, I'm"--
[Sentencc interrupted by . sudden
glare Of lightning, followed by o ter.
rided little scream from Mrs. Nc.
Williams and q tremendous. blast OF
'sThere! You sec the result. Oh,
Mortimer. how can you bo 30 pro.
iligate - to swear at such q time AZ
~ II didn't swear. And that wasn't
O result d It. any way. It would
have come, just tho came, II hadn't
said q word; and you know very
Veil. Evangetiue, ~ least you ought
20 knoV-f6at when the atmosphere
y charged With electricity.
"Oh, yes; now argue It. and tgue
| Il. and argue It'll don't eco how
you can act %, when you know
there y not Q lightning rod on the
place. and your poor vito and chill:
dron ere absolutely at tho mercy OF
Providence. What are you doing p
li1htinR Q match at such . time as
thisl Are you stark mad!"
'Haug Il, woman, where's the
harm : The place 10 as dark as the
ineide Of an infidel, and"-
"Put II out! put It out instantly
Are you determined to sacrifice ,ls
an? You know there Is nothing that
attracts lightning like q light. Eet
crash! boom-boloo .boom-boom u
Oh, just hear It! Now you SEQ what
youve done!"
mo, I don't SEQ what I've done.
IA match may attract lightning for
all that I know, but II don't cause
lightning-I'll 60 odds on that. And
lit didn't attract It worth q cent THU
time: for n that shot was leveled al
my match, It was blessed poor marks
manship-sbOut an average OF none
out OF . possible million, ] should
ssy. Why, at DOllym0un. such
craftsmanship - that
"F0e shame, Mortimer! Here W
lAge, sanding right 10 tho presence o
death, end yet 10 % solemn Q mo
ment you 40 cepable Of using suot
Ilsogua&e- @ that. Is you have NJ
de:::!|s;e !. to- =; Aort'mers"
,, .p1 'oa 'a' your p'''''' %
l-I-meant to. butt not to try
ing 20 cipher opt how much tWolv'
; dimes thirteen 4, and
Il fFItl-boom-besroo boom! bum
} bje-umble, bang. lmeehp
'fOh, ~ aro lost beyond al help
, How could you neglect such q thin
. q such q time % this !?
} "Dut L wasn't such q time q
, Ithie.' Thoro wasn't q cloud 10 til
. m. How could ] know that ther
m going to DO all this rampts an
! n0V.voV about o little slip like that
! And / don't think ~ Just iair 70
( YOU to mako 90 much but OF q, any
xay. seelng It happens so seldom:
havcn't mlssed before since brough
i. on that earthquake four years ago.
I mortimer! How you talk! hav
von forootten tho yclIow foyer ?"
4 INV dear, you arc always thrown
Z mn the yellow fever to me. and
s t6ink II Is perfectly unreasonable!
4 You can't even send teIeRtapnl
!. mcaaece g far a. Memphis withor
4 relays. 80 how Is q little devotion:
4 AIN az mine going to carry SO Tar
: lITt sfand the earthquake, becaaee
i "a m tho noighboIho0d; but III b
II 1874 e I'm going to be respons
II IN ~ every blamed
(f3i-.booQ1.beIroom boom!-
1. ss0S. dear. dear, dear! I know
{ lafx9oE oomethlnR, Mortimer. "
4 n91er ahsll 0oe tho light Of anothl
81 ~: IA n L VII do you any 900
!. - remombeI. when ~ AZ 4ool
Il ~ youf dreadful language Mort
sSv,.,, =, v1se+ nnw ."