The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-07-22
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
M. oufie Masquerading as Were
Wolf.


Wolf.
A cheerful man was M. Oufle, ,Iwho
loved jovial evening with friends, a
glass of good wine, and merry tale.
A worthy man, too, was he-the most
exemplary of husbands. and the most
indulgent of fathers. But he had his
weakness; and which of us has not?
His weakness was weakness of intel
1ect. In short, he was a very good,
avery respectable, very kind-hearted
man, but also a very silly one. He re-
garded himself as bit of a philoso-
pher, and despised superstition; yet,
Tor all that, he fidgeted if the salt
cellar were upset, alarmed if the knife
and fork were crossed, and he would
positively refuse to make the thirteenth
at dinner.
It was Carnival time, and M. QUITE
invited all his own relations and his
wife's relations to dinner. A pleasant
evening they passed. They ate and
they drank, and they talked and they
sang. They ate till they were more
than satisfied. drank till they were very
merry, talked themselves dry, and sang
themselves hoarse. Far be it from me
70 assert that any Ut the party had drunk
more than he ought, but they had all
grazed the line Of moderation, and M.
0uac, being naturally light-hearted,
hadhecome exceedingly ''jolly.' When
the relations withdrew. the children
went to bed. Madame Quite took her
candle and departed with her ladies'
maid, and M. Quite, for the sake of q
little exercise. trotted up and down
his chamber. whistling plaintive
melody, and whistling it out of tune.
This gentleman eldest son, who had
Inherited all his fathers amiable quail.
ties, and his empty-headedness into the
bargain, had slipped off from the
paternal house by the back door, al
soon as the guests began to leave, in q
masquerading dress, and had betaker
himself, after the manner of scape
graces, to a ball. M. Oufle, having
wearied of describing curves in his own
room, opened the door and went up.
stairs, process attended by difficulties
which would have proved insuperable
but for the assistance of the banisters
Arrived on the landing, M. Quite OBJ
served his sons door open, so he walked
into the room, impelled by curiosity ol
by desire for little more conversa
tion. The son was, however, just a
that time dancing in the ballroom of /,
hotel two streets off.
M. Ouhe, not finding the young man
sat himself down beside the bed, ant
began to overhaul the various mas
querading dresses which his son hat
left out upon a chair. There was
neat suit of green and gold, intended
as a forester's dress; there was a cos
tune of the time of Francois l.. covere'
with spangles; and last, but not least
there was bear-skin suit, SO contrive'
that the wearer of it was covered with fu
from head to foot, and looked precisel
ike black bear escaped from travel
ing caravan. M. Oufie turned thi
dress over and over, and its originate
attracted his interest. He though
he should like to see whether
would fit his person. He therefor
arrayed himself in the habit, and foun
that it suited to T.
Just then the idea entered his hea
that the opportunity of disabusin
Madame Quite of her superstitions ha
now presented itself. Madame Oufl
was nearly as great fool as her hu:
band, and that was saying great dea
She was infected with the vulgar bt
llef IN witchcraft and demonology, an
believed implicitly that warlocks coul
transform themselves into wild beast
ior the purpose of devouring children
Now, mused M. Oufle, sis chanc
ior me to eradicate these baneful super
stltions from her mind. If she set
me IN this dress, and takes me to be
werewolf, when show her the decel
non she will never believe in I'll
supernatural again.
Accordingly he walked to his wife
uoor and listened. The servant W,
stlll with her mistress, so M. OUT
istfeated downstairs to the dinin
room. intending to wait till his goe
Eady was alone; and that he might kno
when the maid was dismissed, he lie
.ae doors ajar. Then, taking up boo
1c seated himself before the FIRE. II
book happened to be Bodin's Demon
mania, y and NJ Oufle opened
= the chapter on Lycanthrop
ne read on, and the tales of were-wolv
noated in strange colors through b
oIaln, I'LL he fell asleep with his hes
~ me table, and the book on his la
.sau as he slumbered he dreamed
soseerers being provided by the e,
aae With wolf-skins which they we
.Ondemned to wear for seven yeal
snu q Lycaon sentenced by Jove
san about in bestial form, till piercil
s.ae sel'ek and crash brought him with
n.rt to his feet.
re ladies' maid. after having pinn