The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-01-08

49, w - SoAg VA hbtNACMp ~ AAtatOuStA
entered in most undignified way, II
fact on my hands and knees, l wa
well-established in the center of thu
room before the man and woma,
emerged from behind the door, wber'
my successful assault had thrown them
l stood up and faced them. They wer'
a couple of ordinary. respectably-at
tired country people. The man.
sturdy, strong-built, bull-necked rasca
stood scowling at me. and. I con
cluded, making up his mind as TO wha
course to pursue.
'My good people," said. '.you arr
behaving in the most unheard-Of man
ner. Can't you understand that meal
to pay you well for any trouble 1 givt
you? But whether you like it or not
here stay tonight To turn me ou
would be sheer murder"
So saying pulled off my overcoa
and began shaking the srow out of my
dare say my determined attitude
my respectable, as well as my muscular
appearance. impressed my unwilling
hosts. Anyway, they gave in without
more ado. While the woman shut the
door. through which the snow-a fake.
were whirling. the man said, sullenly:
"Well. you II have to spend the night
on chair. We've no beds herr fol
strangers. Specially those As AIM
wanted"
"yery well. my friend. Having
settled the matter. You may rs well
make yourself pleasant Go cat and
put my horse under cover and give him
a feed of some sort-make mash il
YOU can"
After giving the woman a quick
glance as of warning. my scOwling host
lit a horn lantern and went on the err.
rand l suggested. glailv sank into
chair. and warmed myself before a
cheerful fire. The prospect of spend
ing the night amid such discomfort was
not alluring. but had, ut least, a roof
over my head.
The more churl;sh the nature. tie
more avaricious it is, as rule. found
to be. My promise Of liberal remunera.
ton was. after all, not without its effect
upon the strange couple whose refusal
TO afford me refuge had so nearly en-
dangcred my life. They condescended
to get me some tea and rough food.
After l had disposed of all that. the
man produced bU,tl. of gin. We
flied our glasses. and then. with the
aid of my pipe. l settle down to make
the best of night spent in hard
wooden chair.
The long clock-that cumbrous eight
day machine which inevitably occupies
one corner of every cottager's kitchen
struck nine. The woman rose and left
us. concluded she was going to bed.
If SO Ienvied her. Her husband showed
no sign of retiring. He still sat over
the fire. opposite me. BY this time l
was dreadfully tired; every bone in my
body ached. The hard chair which, an
hour or two ago. seemed all could de-
sire, now scarcely came up to my ideas
of the comfort l was justly entitled to
claim. NV sulKy companion had been
silently but steadily. Perhaps
the liquor he had poured into himself
might have rendered his frame of mind
more pleasant and amcnable 10 reason.
My good fellow" said, '.your
chairs are excellent ones of the Kind.
but deucedly uncomfortable. lam hor-
ribly tired. If the resources of your
can't furnish u bed for
me to sleep in, couldn't you find a
mattress or something to lay down be-
fore the fire?'
you've got all you'll get tonight"
he answered, knocking the ashes out of
his pipe.
''Oh, but say!'
$50 do say. l say this: If you don't
like it You can leave it. We didn't ask
you to come
'You internal beast" muttered-
and meant il, too. l declare had l not
been so utterly worn out, would have
had that bullet-headed rufiian up for a
few rounds on his own kitchen floor.
and tried to mock him into a more
frame of mind.
Never mind" Isaid, s.but, remem-
Der. civility costs nothing. and often
gets rewarded. However, if you wish
to retire to your own couch. don't let
your native pOlitencss stand in your
way. Pray don't hesitate on my ac-
count. Leave plenty Of fuel, and l
shall manage until the morning."
where you stay. STAY" he an
swercd. Then he filled his pine. and
once more relapsed into stoEy silence.
bothered about him no more. l
dozed off for few minutes-woke-
dozed off again for some hours. l was
in an uncomfortable sort Of half sleep,
full of curious Dreams
sn1 I 81,
ing where l was and how l got there.
even began to grow nervous. All
sorts of horrible travellers tales ran
through nv head. 1t was in Just such
places rs this that unsuspecting voy-
ayers were stated to have been MUIR
dered and robbed, by just such unmiti-
gated ruifians as my host can tell
you that altogether spent a most I'M
pleasant night.
To make matters worse and more dis
NAL. the storm still ragged outside. The
wind moaned through the trees, but it
hal again changed. and l knew from
The sound on the window-panes that
heavy rain had succeeded snow. As
the big drops of water found their way
down the large. old-fashioned chimney.
the fire Kissed and spluttered like a
Spiteful vixen. Everything combined
10 deprive me of what dogs sleep l
could, by sheer persistency, snatch.
think tried every position which
an ordinary man, not an acrobat, is
capable of adopting with the assistance
Of a common wooden chair. even lay
DOWN on the hard flags I actually
tried Che table. propped up the up
per half of my body against the corner
walls of the room, but found no rest
At last gave up all idea Of sleeping.
and fully aroused myself comforted
myself by saying that my'misery was
only tempOrary-that the longest night