Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-02-12

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he, heaving y long-drawn. mournfnl
sigh, and then, marking my consterna-
ton, he continued, mournfully:
MY name is Matthew Martyr, sir,
and am kept here by rich, but tyr
annical, uncle, who, having received
good opinions of Mrs. Skillet. from
hearsay, will not pay my board at any
other house, while 1 am learning book
keeping at the - Commercial Col
iege. When i came here near six
months ago 1 weighed nearly one hun
dred and eighty, and would have en-
tered the fistic arena against John l..
Sullivan or Jake kilrain with perfect
confidence. l Low kick the beam al
ninety-six pJunds, and would not
wrestle with healthy schoolboy of
thirteen summers. am the wreck you
see me, sir, and in the last stages of
galloping consumption
was ineXpressibly shocked.
What could have occasloned this
melancholy depreciation of manly
vigor?' L exclaimed.
First he whispered, huskIly. and
with glIastly smile. first, thought it
was the hash, sir. Then | thought it
was the pastry, sir, which my PHI ST.
can says cakes on the lungs in masses
of gummy dough, sitting the rtsp ra-
tlOn, and causing gIa ,Ua, dissolution.
Now l come 10 The conclusion, sir,
that it is owing to these causes, with
similar ones, cOmbinCd.'
In mild refutatiDn of these star ling
statements, l mentioned the excellent
repast of which | had just partak Ell
with my friends.
SHE always does that before she Sc
cures the aivance.' said he. Only wait
a little. Goodnight, 81 >
lie pressed my hand conyulSively,
gave a ghoul-lske smile, AMI glide,l
away ike a spycter; AMI just at This
moment Mrs. Skillet sailed into the
room, while the loud voice of her ill.,
ebrial ed Reginald was heard below,
engaged III angry hiccoughs with some
body or at something.
l afterward learned that the marry
ing of young ard good-looking boariers
was a prevailing weakness on the part
# widowed lanJladIes, aud tina, under
such circumstances, rum al d reckles y
ness were the preva ling weaknesses OF
the objects of th=ir choice.
We soon afterward sought the seclu-
sion of our rooms. when / was some
what startled 10 discover that each of
my friends had been interviewed by
mOurnful and despairing young men,
whose experience had been fully as
luguDTiOus as Mr.. Matthew Martyrs.
Our rooms commune It'd with each
other, and were rather comfortably fur
nished, though in dismal contrart To
the airy and elegant apartments to
which we were accustomed. Mine
being the largest, and having the rear
windows, with a pleasant view of
neighbOring gardens and trees, to this
we aiJOnrEe TO discus, n-ssr--0ya.s'
pipes, the general ''situa ion.
We were soon visited by one of our
fellow-boArders, on t door above. who
wish d to know whether we would like
to join in a friendly game of Seven
Up or Draw Poker
No, we replied. We were tired an
would go 10 sleep cary.
'Sleepl' exclaimed our visitor; and,
with All ar of y ineled pity AM aston
ishm. mt. lie withdrew.
Another knocked at the door, think
ing, he said, that we might wish 10
while away the time with draughts or
chess in his ROOM
No; We were fatigued, and should
soon begin to think OF rest.
'Resll calculated visitor No. 2; and,
with a sort OF wild, dazed expression
ne also retired.
Our next visitor was my new ac-
QuaIntance, the attenuated Mr.. Marty +,
whose room WAS very near the stairs,
and who thought we might like to come
up and take tre fresh air on the roof.
No, we thanked him. No that
night. Felt worn out. Slumber would
soon visit our aching eyes.
'Slumberl' he gaSped, with a skele-
tonian smile, and Mr.. Matthew Martyr,
who had been breathing hard and prop
ping himself against the wall, also tot
tered feebly from our view.
What can they meanp' asked De
Vavasour, apprehenslvely.
l shook my head, though my mind
was filled with dark and foreboding
thoughts.
They must be like cats-s'eep in the
daytime and caterwaui at night sad
Jack Briggs, cheerfully. We may
fall into the same habit if We perse-
.ere.'
We deferred retiring from hour to
hour. We felt ~ II We we've in d
haunt d mansion.
Gradually, ~ S 1t neared midnight, we
hammering and pounding, prOcee lin- :
fr, IN the rooms OF ether bOarders,
above, around and Lelow US. Now ami
then the sounds were mingled with pro-
longed anathemaS, and ejaculation
such as:
Il smashed him that time, Jiml'
You guard that corner of the bedstead,
and III take care of this Don't ge,
any more tlcod on the wall than you
N help, it'll get the old woman on d
rampage etc.
shadow of Procrustes, IN what mur-
derer's rendezvous have we made oun
al ode?' exclaimed the sensitive Alger-
non, pale with CONSERVATION.
They must entice fats in from the
street, and then kill Il EN- for tleil
Clothes suggested Jack, with ghastly
humor.
The sounds and voices C Intinued; but
at last, thoroughly worn out, We re.
tired, after locking and boiting the
doors leading into the hall
/ instantly fell into profound sleep,
from which 1 was Weakened in less
than our hour by multitude of prickly
sensations.
had left the gas burning, and, as i
gained my feet and shook myself, the
fact was revealed 10 me that the pTickly
sensations were caused by innumerable
bed-bugs, which had spotted me as if ]
were suffering from the hives.
The sheets were sprinkled with them.
They were crawling up the walls, and
dropping on me from the ceiling.
a great commotlon was going on III
the adjoining room, occupied by my
friends. / rossed the floor, and peepej
through the open doors, when the cause
of the noises we had heard before retir-
ing, as well As the as onishment of our
visitors at the mere mention OF sc p
was fully explained.
The room Immediately adjoining 9