The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1881-02-12
WRITTEN FoR ''THE RIPLEY ADVERTISER" !"
We WHITE Rose
Or
--- MEMPHIS. ---
BY W. @, FALKNER.
CHAPTER XIII. Concluded.

1t was some time after dark when
l returned to the house, and found
supper waiting for me; but the land
lord was very much astonished
when declined to eat any. excus-
ed myself, however, and requested
to be shown to a private room. lie
procured lighted candle and con-
Quoted me un a narrow flight Of
stairs, and landed me in a small
apartment in the corner of tho
house. A clean looking bed stood
in one corner Of the room; wash.
stand, bureau, ..and two chairs,
constituted the furniture. There
were two windows-one in the
cas-; side, the other in the south
both covered with clean snow
white curtains, nicely looped up
from the middle. AS soon as | was
left alone, began to let my mind
have its own way, and if l were to
tell all that it investigated on that
occasion, it would add too much to
the length of this story. A mock.
ing- bird sat on a tree near the
south window and seemed to be
exerting himself to amuse me. l
like mocking-birds; but this one was
"hoarsa and singing out Of tuna."
He had cracked his voice trying
to initiate about six cats that were
holding a camp meeting On top Of
the smoke house. | might have
enjoyed the concert under more
favorable circumstances, but the
state of my nervous system was
such az to deprive me of the pleas
ure. | needed sleep; in fact | was
suffering tor lack Of sleep, and knew
that it was my duty to endeavOr
to get it at all hazards, SO as to en-
able nae to master the situation in
which | was placed. The moment
Gus events that were to traaspire
on the next day were fraught with
no little significance, SO far as they
might result to myself. | th1ew
off my clothes and stretched myself
on the bed, first eEtingulshing the
light, and tried to keep my thoughts
away from the cat show; but that
was a failure. / stood it as long as
any man could have done, and
would have submitted to the tor
ture perhaps longer, but for my
nervousness. | threw a glass tum
bier, with unerring precision, and
one cat went to his long home, and
the, concert closed. But alas!
soon made the heaFt.reuGing dis
covery that l had jumped out CT tAe
frying pan into the fire. The cater
wauling melody was sweet muGic
compared with the heartrendinG
noise uade by the frogs in a pond
HARDLY. am wiling to admit
that | have always been of the
opinion that a congregation of cat'
could make the most hearL-rending
soul-scraping noise, that ever was
heard; but that night | had cause
to change my opinion. l award
the premium to the frog; he car
beat a cat to death and give hin
an hours start. A cat has TO stoE
occasionally to fill his lungs; but no
so with the frog; be seems to be al
the time full OF wind; | suppose ht
has a manufacturing apparatus il
his lungs. At all events, no mar
ever heard a frog stop for breath
when once he made up his mind no
to do it. The frog pond abou
which am telling was not more
than fifty yards from my window
| don't know exactly how many
frogs there were in that pond
though 1T must have been verl
densely populated, judging from
the great noise they made. !
frogs were worth dollar a lead
| am confident that there wer'
enough in that pond to pay the ma
tional debt not counting the OH
ones that had retired from bust
ness. | inferred that they wer,
holding a convention Of some sort
no doubt it was a political meeting
for great confusion seemed to pre-
vail, similar to what | have seel
in the carpet-baggers' convention
in Mississippi. Ever now and ther
the confusion would burst ou
anew, and | thought the concerl
would end in row; but one oil
fellow with bass voice cried ou
ehold him, hold him, hold hint.
do not profess, however, to under
stand frog language, but if tha
is not what he said | don't kno'
what it was. Occasionally anothe
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