The Indianapolis journal., 1890-02-02
MRS.PARTINGTON ATLEGUAN
She Finds Difficulty in Accustoming
Herself to Sleeping in Hammock.
She Is Made Known to the Residents by the
Editor of the Local Paper, and Sir John
Ticker Gives Grand Fete in Her Ronor.
BY d. p. SHILLABER.


CHAPTER vi.
The candles were brought In early, the
night after her arrival, the brief twilight
having faded away. about which round
tubular screens of glass were placed, with
q pair of long snuffers adapted to trimming
the wick. As they all sat enjoying the de-
hcious breeze that swayed the curtains and
brought to their ears the sound of whisper
ing leaves. Mrs Partington was attracted
by the incessant ticking upon the glass
shield around the lights.
1T sounds" said she. "as If the glass was
being infracted by the heat"
1T is the cookies" replied Mrs. Halsford
"a small beetle that flies by night and is at
tracted by the blaze. They are perfectly
harmless"
But think" said the dame. "they must
be anonymous sometimes coming in with
such obstruseness / have great dislike
for bugs. but. as you say, they are small.
and that may be different"
"We don't mind them at ALL" said May.
Their striking upon the glass we think
quite musical"
'Ah." said Mrs. Partington, with gush
OF enthusiasm, "Of all the insect music
ever heard. compare me with singing of
bull-trogs in our marshes. You would be
delighted with their superfiuous malady."
Then followed conversation about many
matters relating to America. during which
the dame spread herself with her customary
lucidity, while Ike was investigating the
cookies with pin.
The hour for retiring having arrived. Mrs.
PartingtOn was informed that she need not
retire. as she was to occupy the great roOmy
hall Tor sleeping apartment. A servant
was called in to suspend a hammock from a
beam overhead. she being informed that all
slept thus in the tropics. The hammock
was formidable affair. several yards wide.
OF closely woven material, upon which
Mrs. PartingtOn looked with a half dread.
How shall l surmount it," she inquired.
Nothing can be easier" she was in
formed. 1T may be a little strange at first,
but you will soon get used to it,"
Ike was consigned to some place contig-
nous. and Mrs. PartIngton was left to her
resources. She sat in the American rocker
contemplating the situation until she grew
sleepy, and then, disrobing herself, she
blew. out the candle. the window bein g
previously closed. and approached her fate.
She opened the mass that hung beneath
the beam and tried TO sink into 1t longi-
tudinally. 1t evaded her touch, and she
fell with dull thud.n upon the floor.
down, hut ayerred, as she rose to her feet
that she really believed she had knocked
her brains out. She made one other effort,
and was pitched out on the other side; then,
getting little vexed, she threw herself
across the hammock, where she was doub-
led up like q jack-knife, and, on attempting
to recover herself, received another tumble
which settled the matter, when the daugh-
ter came in with q light and showed her
how the thing was managed. This was by
lifting up the further side of the hammock
bearing the form against it. and tGen, let
ting 60 the feet, swing away, the body in q
diagonal position. This, after several harm
less efforts. succeeded.
Pm sure am under deep objurgation to
you for your kindness" said Mrs Parting
ton. painting from the exertions, land
don't know what shCa,d have done had
you not come to my resistance. Good night.
dearn
She slept like top in the new conven-
fence, and affirmed to the domestic who
handed her cup of black coffee next morn
ing that it was quite "hallucInation" to
her.
The domestic grinned, and said ''Yes,
missis.n
1t may seem. to the impatient reader,
that all this should have been told in the
preceding chapter. but who is writing thisl
1t is no ones business whether the cart is
put before the horse or not. This is not a
conventional story. with plot and Sc
quence. but it conforms to thehighest
ideals of art, which are independent
of arbitrary dictatiOn, and soar away
into ineffable possibilities.
When the "Dondenblaat' funny man
came ashore, at Legnan, he made tracks at