The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-07-22

chamber, and had come downstairs.
As she passed the dining-room, she
saw that there was still a light in it,
and thinking that the candles had not
been extinguished, she entered precipi-
lately to put them out. There in the
dead of night she stood, and saw before
her a monstrous black bear fast asleep
before the fire, snoring loudly, with its
head on the table and its snout up in
the air, its hind paws upon the fender,
a silk pocket-handkerchief over one
knee, and a book on its lap. No
wonder that she dropped her candle
and screamed.
But the shrek which testified to her
fear frightened M. Quite out of the fe "
senses he did possess. He sprang up;
bewildered with his dreams, confused
| with the fumes Of wine, and alarmed at
the suddenness of his reuiel. Opposite
him was mirror. He forgot entirely
| all the circumstances connected with the
assumption of the bear-skin, and with
the last impression produced by Bodin
and by his dream stamped upon his
brain, he jumped to the conclusion that
he was bewitched, and that he had
been transformed into werewolf.
| Full of this idea, he dashed past the
terror-stricken maid; and his wife, who
had rushed to the landing, saw fright
full monster bounding downstairs,
uttering howls sufficiently loud to awake
the dead, heard it unlock the front
door and burse into the street. There
upon she tainted away.
| M. Oufe, impelled by terror, ran
along the street yelling for assistance.
He was naturally provided with deep
but sonorous bass voice, but his voice
sounded hollow and fearful through his
hideous visor. A few terrified people
appeared in their night-caps at the
windows, only to run back to their beds
and bury themselves beneath the
clothes.
A watchman, who had started on his
rounds, came upon him suddenly as he
turned the corner. and, dropping his
. lantern, beat precipitate retreat.
In the adjoining street lived fair
. damsel of considerable personal, but
superior pecuniary, attraction, who
, was loved to distraction by a grocer s
| apprentice. The young man had made
the lady's acquaintance as he served in
the shop, and had breathed his love
i over the cheeses he sold. His addresses
, had been countenanced by the be-
r loved one. but were discouraged by the
, parents, who had not permitted the
! devoted youth to set foot within their
a doors. The apprentice had no other
g means open to testifying his devotion,
than by hiring a band of street
musicians to perform at the rate of two
i francs an hour during the silent
e watches of the night, below the window
e of the adored. On the present occasion
g the band was performing the ''Descen'
a of Mars" when discordant
n howl in their ears produced 8
: sudden pause in their music not notee
o in their score, and the apparition of {
a monstrous bear running into thu
> midst of them upon its hind legs, will
IS ears and stumpy tail cooked up, pro
e duced such panic among the sons o
J. Orpheus, that they cast their instru
) ments from them and took to thei
d heels. Not SO the grocer's apprentice
# True love knows no fear. He flew t.
= the door of his beloved, and cast him
It self before it, determined to perish il
a her defence. But the monster, with
out perceiving him, ran on repeatin!
4, its dolorous howls.
d A party of students from the Univer
s. sity were that evening going thei
d rounds, performing feats of heroism
a of which they might boast among thei
ID companions. These feats were not al
s. tended with much dauger, and yet tn
d achievement of them was an object 9
t. considerable ambition. They consiste
ID simply in breaking lamps, and wrench
lr ing the knockers off doors. Som
" people might think that the smashin
j. of street lamp was an operatio
is within the scope of the most infantin
" abilities; that the wrenching OF
ut knocker from q door was neither
it hazardous, nor a very heroic, act. b,
re these people are entirely mistaken
Id The police occasionally interfere an
capture one of those engaged in thes
I'd acts; and if captured. It costs. th
10 student several francs to bribe tt
ID officer to let him escape. Consequen
lie ly, the ringing of street bell !
IS midnight is regarded by Universi
Il. men as an achievement equal to Il
e. brayest deed of tried General, and Il
i'd breaking off of knocker is supposed
Id rankvery much on the leve lwith Il
its proudest trophy of a blood-staint
n. field.
ce On the night in question four valial
r. collegians were engaged on the hazar
es Gus undertaking of screwing up Il
a door of a worthy citizen, an act
o. consummate ingenuity and sublin
he originality. Suddenly a wild and u
earthly yell ringing through the hush
IS night, broke upon their ears. !
as stantlv the four students paused 81
fle turned pale. In another moment tn
o. saw q diaholical object moving rapid
cd down the street towards them. I
,w Young men shrank against the wa
eft each endeavoring to get behind t
*, other, and reversing the proverb OF
he weakest going to the wall. for in th'
To- struggle the ablest bodied secured th
it position, whilst the feeblcst was Il
". most exposed, and served as a scre'
res to the other three. The approachir
his monster stood still for an instant, al
ad they were able to observe him by t
10. wan light of the crescent new moe
of and the fickering oil lamp slung acre