The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-02-27

'.Therc can't be any harm in just peep
ing into the ROOM" she argued, land
would really like to know what there is
in it. I'll just take one peepin anyhow
She turned tho knob, the door was not
locked, and Is It partly opened Mrs.
Pryam heard some one coming hurried
~ up the stairs. There was no time to
escape from the narrow passage in which
she found herself and, fearing detection.
she stepped quickly into the room,
closed the door softly behind her. and
found herself in total darkness. A
moment later, to her unspeakable dis
may, she heard the door OF the room
locked by some one on the outside.
Her curiosity now gave place to feel
ing Of alarm.
What was she to do? How could she
escape? She stood still in the darkness
asking herself these questions. She
dared not cry out and bring shame and
disgrace on herself by confessing to
what lengths her curiosity had led her.
She began cropping her way around the
room with outstretched hands until she
touched the mantel, and the next mo-
mcnt her hand rested on q box Of
matches.
She struck match and held it be-
tween her thumb and finger, and as tho
little fame for one brief instant lighted
up the room Mrs. Pryam gave utterance
to an ear-piercing scream and ran
wildly around the room, upsetting chairs
and tables in the darkness, and wildly
crying out:
Help! help! Let me out! Let me QUIT
Murder! Help! Will no one letme out Of
this horrible room?'
Some one was about to sing in the
parlor below, and there was the usual
hush Of expectation, which was broken
by Mrs. Pryam's screams.
Mr.. Marcy ran quickly upstairs fol.
lowed by many Of the guests, and as the
screams still continued with increased
shrillness it was easy to discover whence
! they came.
Mr.. Marcy unlocked the door on which
Mrs. Pryam was beating with her
clenched fists. She staggered from the
room with pallid face, and fell into her
husbands arm, crying out: ''Oh, James,
take me away from this horrible house!
There's been murder done in that room!''
Mr.. Marcy and his guests stared in
amazement for moment, then the host,
with half-suppressed smile, stepped
into the room, lighted the gas, and
touching an artificial skeletan hanging
from hook in the wall near the mantel
he said:
Perhaps this is what frightened you
Mrs. Pryam."
On shelves around the room were jars
dlled with liquids Of various sorts, and
with specimens Of snakes, toads, lizard!
and other animals preserved in alcohol
while on tables and stands were the in
struments one often sees in chemica
laboratories. A strong odor Of chem
idals pervaded the room. Half . dozel
skulls were on the mantel, and grea
owls and eagles, dead years before
looked down from the top Of cases file,
; with queer-looking instruments.
/ Turning to his surprised guests NJ,
, Marcy said: s.Somo of you may kno,
. that was for many years practisin
e physician, and ! have always bee
greatly interested In natural histor
K and in scientific pursuits of variou
a kinds. have for q number OF week
3 been making some interesting chemica
). experiments in my little laborator
n which has been kept dark all the tim
e for that purpose, or might have had
a open before for the amusement of m
II friends who care to see the specimens
have here.
1T occurred to me few moments az
y that l had neglected to lock the door
! the room, and | thought ought to .
u SO to save some Of the ladies from ope
Z ing the door by mistake and receivir
le just such shock as Mrs. Pryam h
q had, SO / ran up stairs and locked Il
y door, not knowing that had been +
"a late in taking this precaution, and
~ must beg Mrs. Pryam's pardon, for n
III oarelessness In leaving the door U
locked"
10 Although Mr.. Marcy made this Q
O. PLANTATION in bland and smiling ma
IN ner, there was quiet sarcasm in b
u words he could not conceal, and viii,
al was not lost upon his hearers. NJ
40 Pryam made matters worse for hers,
. by saying, half Historically:
~ "I-I-just wanted to see what was
40 the room. That was all. have
he often wondered"
on Her deeply-chagrined husband led /
"' from the hall, and in few momel
they were on their homeward way.
~ The lesson proved to be q wholeso
~ one for Mrs. Pryam, and when .
~ months later she and her husba
.o moved to another town she left m,
80 of her curiosity behind her, and wis
concluded to give her attention who
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