River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-04-30

self IN utter darkness amidst crowd
of ladies as much alarmed as herself;
and in the right corridor Mr.. Marrow
bone appeared, or would have appeared
had there been any light 10 see him by,
in night-robe. with peaked cap, with
tassel on its top, upon his head
WHAT Where2 Howe howled the
guests, as they clustered together.
Suddenly a glare of light flashed upon
the scene. The forces of the hotel APP
peared with lamps Of all sorts. A voice
was heard to explain that it was only
something the matter with the cleo
tric lights. Wire disconnected; young
man knocked down; coming to, all
right" The harder spirits remained
to get the news, regardless Of costume;
less experienced travellers retired to
their rooms
Miss Maria Mutton. who had never
slumbered in a hotel before, fled be-
fore the approach of the lights and
found shelter under a stairway. Mr..
Marrowbone, who felt that a night
robe and cap did not compose digni-
fed costume, turned suddenly into a
little crOss-hall near which he happened
10 be standing. and there awaited the
retirement of the other guests TO their
rooms. Afterward he knew that when
he emerged from his retreat he must
have turned 70 the left instead of the
right. However, after much wander
/ ing about, and "a much ehilliness of
body as heat Of temper, he came upon
the magic number So shining pom
silver plate upon his door, entered and
closed il with a bang.
.'All right" he said, as he struck
match. There is my trunk; there is
is not another like it in the city.
and there Is NJ. NJ on the side" Then
he blew out the match and popped into
bed
Almost at the same moment, Maria
Mutton with a palpitating heart caught
sight Of the magic number >, opened
her door, saw her peculiar trunk,
noted the initials Of her name upon it
by the light of the lamp opposite her
door. said: THANK Heaven burst into
tears. and brew the drapery OF her couch
about he.
WHAT a fearful adventure was her
/ la. thought before She sank into the
arms of slumber. An, had she but
known It, fearful adventures were only
/ Just begun for her.
Mr.. MarrOwbOne awakened early.
/ lie had business which demanded
prompt attention. He sat up in bed,
/ took off his nightcap and looked about
| him. tie looked in vain. Those gar
ments which he desifed to assume
were not visible. In their place hung,
over a chair back, a woman's dress;
on the bureau, where he had surely
/ left his hat. lay bonnet and gloves; in
| place of his manly boots there stood at
/ the foot of the bed a pair of button
/ CATERS, No. 81 at the utmost
| Have gone ont of my senses!" cried
/ Mr.. Marrowbone
| How did these garments come to be
/ in his room? Where were his own? lie
gazed about him and flew to his trunk.
Its mine, certainly" he said.
Here are my initials. but l never tied
a bit of blue ribbon TO the handle"
He dashed back the lid. Within he
/ beheld silk, lace, linen articles con-
/ trived for ladies' wear-nothing that
had ever belonged to any masculine
/ being. 4 horrible thought. engendered
| by certain works of fiction that he had
rece ntly perused, rushed to his mind.
Was this case of transformation
double identity 49, whatever it was
called? he asked himself.
He rushed TO the mirror expecting to
| see a female face there. but his own
/ fiorid countenance, garnished with red
side whislers and crowned by a bald
| forehead. welcomed him. lie breathed
a great sigh Of relief and sat down to
recover from the shock As he stared
at the dress upon the chair a memory
came To him.
| She-the lively lady who shared his
| seat in the car the day beforehand
worn one like it. Yes. her travelling
costume was made of that material
Please. ma'am,' said a voice, at the
/ door. the electric gentleman wants to
come in to fix the wires before any
more boarders kill themselves"
Good Heaven cried Mr.. Marrow
/ bone; i say, viii you send a waiter to
me-a mana bOy?"
There amt only lady-waiters in this
house, miss" replied the girl. from
/ without.
why does she call me miss" asked
/ MI Marrow bone OF NllllStlA-
Then. if the landlord wouldn' mind.
or the clerk-any man; send a man to
me- said Mr. MarrowbOne.
Il can't miss. missis is a wilder and
don't hire only lady clerks. There
amt no men employed" responded the
I girl. with suspicion in her voice.
| please. the electric gentleman is in a
I hurry"
| Il can't see any woman in this dress, y
said Mr.. MarrOwbOne. II must put on
some gowns and strings in order to ex-
plain my position to the iandlady."
/ Accordingly he proceeded to attire him
Y self in gray dress which deserted him
| above the ankles, a knitted wOrsted
shawl. which had deficiencies as to the
meeting Of hooks and eyes, and, having
assumed the aspect of bearded lady
who had outgrown her wardrobe, put
the bonnet on backward, tied gray
vail over it and opened the door.
If I am not arrested before l find
the landlady, l may get matters
arranged as they should be- he said,
/ with gasp, remembering his pocket
book and watch, and with a fleeting
vision of a diamond pin in the missing
/ cravat
Mea' ne. Miss Mutton, aroused by
/ a tap upon the door, had received the
same information concerning the ''elec-
\ tric gentleman" and sprang To the floor
in terror. She looked about for her
| basque and beheld a coat; she sought
her skirt in vain; in its place lay pair
of inexpressibles; where the bonnet
/ had been was mans hat. She lifted
/ the trunk lid and saw only masculine
Z garments.
Il must have been in wrong room
all night" she cried. jumping at the
truth more quickly than Mr.. Marrow
bone had done. a way of deliverance
also occurred TO her more speedily.
And as she was in more terror of the
vague dangers of electric wires, her
wish to escape was greater. Gazing
I into the depths of the trunk, a linen
buster caught her eye. She donned it.
Its ends trailed on the ground. She
I pulled the derby over her ears and
/ opened the door. a queer-lOoling fe-
male with dress too short for her and
with nothing but striped stockings on
her feet was passing.
Are You the landlady?" she began;
then. with a squeal. seized her What
aypr won are. vOu've GOT my frncL on -