Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-01-18
THE DEATH TRAP
BY LrcY NJ. HOOPER.

l.
4 Few persons who were in Paris on
New Years Day, 1885, but retain
vivid recollection of it's horrors.
The evening closed in mild and tran
quill, but the night was full of perils.
About IL O'Clock fine drizzling rain
set in that froze as it fell, and COW
cred the whole of the vast city with
sheet of ice as smooth as mirror,
on which neither man or beast could
stand erect nor walk with safety.
The festivities of the season had
called great many persons from
their homes on thatevening, and the
miseries of those who found them
selves forced to traverse distances
without the aid of conveyance can
readily be imagined, for the eabmen
all struck work and went home.
Ladies in evening dress, white slip
/ pers and opera cloaks we're to be seen
clinging to ratings and lamp-posts,
aud,weeping in very helplessness of
terror, unable to stira step. Horses
lay moaning with fractured limbs on
the CLASSY roadway, and men slip
ped and tottSred and fell, some re-
ceiving injuries from which they never
recovered.
| had been dining with an old
college friend 1t had been bache-
Tor party, and a merry one; and
it was past II o'clock when We
broke up. Of course there was a
shout ofdismay from the whole party,
some dozen in all, when we discov-
cred the condition of the street but
there was no help for us. We could
not all go back to quarter ourselves
on our host in his small. bachelor
lodgings, and so we set off on our
different ways. TO make mntters
worse our host lived on the left hand
of the Seine, not far from the Luxem-
/ bourg Gardens. so that most OF us
were at an interminable distance
from home. ! myself was stopping
at the Hotel de France. on the Rue
st. Honore, three miles of.
One other of the party had to 70
there also. He was handsome
young fellow from the provinces,
named Gustav yeronge, who had,
as | heard from another OF Requests,
lately inherited a good deal Of mon
ey, and has come up to Paris to see
life. | could hardly claim him even
as an acquaintance, for we had met
that evening for the first time. AS
we went out into the street, he ask
ed to what quarter of Paris | was
going; and on learning my destina-
ton, cried:
"Well, I'm going stones throw
from there, so come, and we will walk
together"
He was not only in full evening
dress like the rest OF us but in "a
very elaborate one. His low, open
vest showed shirt front of
fabulous fneness, wherein gilt
tered three diamond studs, each
stone Of no inconsiderable size, and
OF the purest water Four buttons.
also OF diamonds, closed his vest, and /
he wore on the little finger of his left |
hand handsome solitaire / |
thought all this rather bad taste:
but he seemed like n Thoroughly |
good fellow, and his manners were |
certainly very interesting. We got |
along pretty well for about half an |
hour, slipping and sliding and stumb- |
IIF1rr n hnTff mud 4 hnf. 4.,I liFTr A 4 L.,
my companionsli and fell again,
and when he strove to rise, sank |
back, uttering a stiffle1 groan.
Have you hurt yourseIf?' / |
asked, anxiously, assisting him to
rise.
He fell back with another groan.
Il fear that my knee isinjured, he
said. II can hardly stand"
With difficulty got him at last on |
his feet. Butevery step he took gave
him pain. OF course could not go |
off and leave him alone. Meantime,
not human being was in sight.
"Where are WEI" he asked, family. /
] made my way to the nearest |
corner, and read the name of the
street"
1.-The Rue de Rislay," ! replied,
coming hack.
II have not the least idea where
we are, he said. IL never heard of
that street"
BY this time | was feeling pretty
well exhausted. i began to be thor
oughly discouraged.
'Our best PLAN" / said, sis to
look fer some hotel where we can
pass the night. 1t is of no use try
ing to go any farther. There IL not
u vehicle OF any sort to be had"
You are right. But where can
we find a hotel?''
AS he spoke, man in blouse,
with pipe in his mouth, swung him
self under the shadow of an archway
dear by.