Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-11

the wrong house. You remember the
champagne and oyster supper Puppsby gave
us last night, of course; you were there
Boobies, and you too. Smiley. Well, l was
feeling just comfortably hilarious when the
party broke up, about a. m. and amused my
self on my way home with singing a little
roundelay composed from recent burlesuue
operas. 1t was not until l reached the door
step OF my boarding house that my pleasant
feeling was uncomfortably checked by sud-
den recognition of the fact that had not nv
latch key with me; had left it in my other
wais'coat when l changed my clothes and PIT
on evening dress. The situation was uucom-
Portable. considering the time of night and
also the fact that had not money enough in
my poke: to pay Tor room at a hotel 1t is
misfortune that the average Young gentle
man OF birth IN Washington is compelled by
force OF circumstances to swell around and
wear good clothes without having ordinarily a
spare dollar lii mis- pantaloons.
AFTER duly considering tho predicament
made up my mind to go around by the back
way, climb up by the grape arbor to the third
story-no difficult feat to an active member of
an athletic club like laysclf-and make my way
IN through the rear window. which / knew 20
DC c'stomarily left open, the room to which it
belonged being unocclped.
i accomplished the climb with no very great
trouble. though the grape arDor was trifie
shaky and the attitude sufficiently great to dis
courage any one who was not IeeiIng the cheer
Ing effects of II second quart of champagne
You can imagine my disgust when found the
window fast locked. However, there was an
other to the left. and was gratified to discover
that / could readily push it up. Swinging nv
self across the window ledge / was suddenly
checked by most appalling yell. and saw a
white figure leap up III the gloom of the apart
ment and rush away. With that presence of
mind which is in myself a distinguishing trait
perceived the situation at n glance. The rear
of the block in which my boarding house is
located presents so unbroken simiiitude each
house to its neIghbor that in moving one win
dow to the left l had unwttingiy struck the
dwelling next door to mine. had frightened
young woman out OF what would have been
her boots, had she had them on, and she had
mistaken me for a burglar.
Il called after her gently, Il am not a robber.'
but there was no response. Now, when a gen
tleman realizes that an lmprudent action on
his own part has given rise to a msapprehen-
sion there Il only one thing for him to do
Therefore | decided at once to wait until some
body appeared and offer an apology accompa-
med by all explanation of the circumstances
which had led TO the unlucky contretemps
Continuing to sit upon the wlnCow ledge with
my legs dangling over on the inside. | cooiy
lighted a cigarette and proceeded to muse
While WIS engaged i'll musing heard a voice
apparently coming from the floor below, say
ing:
- Did you get the gum
MY apprehension has always been keen and
IL dswned upon me with painful suddenness
that was likely to be made a target for deadly
weapons without having an opportunity to ex-
press the apologies was DESTROYS of max
ing. My dear boys, L had climbed up that
grape arbor with expedition. but the celebrity
with which thereupon proceeded to descend
would have astonished aa orang -outang. My
haste was not ill-cacuated since had hardly
had n plaov,
firearms broke the stiffness of the night. As
have subsequently learned the two men of the
household no sooner reached the room which I
had so undesignedly entered than they bIazed
away, ons OF them with derringer and the
other with a shotgun loaded with sluRs point
blank at the moonlight that streamed in
through the window where had been sitting a
moment before.
Il fled to Wizards Hotel and spent the rest
OF the night in trying to sleep on a settee in
the lobby. consoled somewhat by the reflection
that, at all events. could not be subsequently,
identified with the affair. You may imagine
my astonishment and disgust when upon re-
turning to my boarding house this morning I
was informed by my landlady grimly that
was the only person who could reasonably be
suspected of having tried to make my way into
the apartment of the maid next door the new
paint on the rear shutters of her own house
having been conveyed III the shape of finger
marks to tho Whit sash of the maids window
aforesaid turtnerInOfe she gave me O weeks
warning and added the pleasing information
that the people next door proposed to swear
out warrant against me for burglary.
now can you imagine more unpleasant
position for young gentleman TO be placed in?
In desperation went in to see the people next
door and tried to explain matters; but the lady
whom saw was amiably incredulous. She
kindly agreed to withdraw from her intention
to prosecute me for burglary, but Immediately
took of the edge OF my relieved feeling by tell
ing me that the two brothers of the young
woman whose privacy had violated had stayed
away from their work for the day for the sole
purpose of bringing an action against me on
some account that remains to this moment most
unpleasantly not understood. l am rather ex-
pecting TO find policeman awaiting me when
go home tonight, and am rather disposed to
90 somewhere else to sleep on that account
Already experience all the sensations of
jail bird IN embryo. Believe me when I say
that II only succeed in getting out of this
scrspe without serving a term in convict's
stripes will never again commit such an i'm
prudence rs to forget my latch key"