Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-09-21

HOW ALL THE STORY TELLING CAME ABOUT.
'Here, Peters, Just lend me hand with
this great clumsy chair" said one of Lady
Migrants tootmen, addressing another SER
want man.
Where are you going to carry it Thorn
as?" asked Peters.
why, to the only place its antedi!uvian
limbs are now fit for-to the thunderstorm,
to be sure. Such is my ladys order"
Poor old chair! It's seen a good deal
otservice!' said Peters. lending his ready
sid in removing it upstairs. But l Won
der why my lady don't send her old furni-
ture to the brokers' instead of thus putting
il away at the top of the house for the rats
to play at hide-and-Seell amongst, and to
rot and fall to dust there"
'Oh, returned Thomas. my lady can
not part with 81 single stick in this house.
Her great grandfather, Sir Harry Dovetree,
who was very eccentric man, left it so
specified in his will, and my lady would
lose all her land and all her gold were she
to disregard the conditions Of that will"
Having reached the top OF the stairs, the
two men turned into long winding gal
lery, at the end of which a turret with
flight ofspiral steps presented itself
up these steps they now carried the dis
carded arm chair-carelesSly enough.
goodness knows!-until they arrived at the
door OF the lumber-room.
"Good-bye old chair cried Thomas,
opening the door in front Of him, and
pushing the now dcspised article into the
gloomy space before him. goodbye,
your day is past and gone, we shall hear
no more ofyou!'
And then Thomas banged the door to,
by that act rousing up cloud of dust. and
many mourntul echoes through the ancient
building.
While these echoes were still reverberat-
Il ol,1s
around its new quarters. recognizing many
companions of other days. 1t was dreary
apartment filled with a confused mass of
different things, and thickly carpetcd and
hung with dust and cobwebs.
The chair creaked complain
IN gly, .resretf,lly contrasti Il z
the, splendid salon from which it
and deSolate surroundings.
"OEo!' cried furnished mirror, address
ing the chair, ohio. so you've been
brought here at last, Ell? l told you. when
you were sneeling at my ejec;meut from
that salon-now matter OF twenty years
and so it has-and so it has! How are
your antique bone>?" il added tauntnglv.
las strong and As firm as ever" replied
the chair. ITS only my sha pc that's
objected to- it added, with a doleful
creak.
AAdI WIS precisely my own case.
squeaked out sofa, OF a very ungainly APP
pearance
And mine!' spoke up a table, with
spider-like legs.
And mine Also chimed in clumsy
sideboard.
Pooh, pooh! nonsense cried out
timeworn piano; "you were all of you OBJ
solete- belonging to the year one Your
time had gone by! Now look at me, sent to
the lumber-room in the very prime Of my
days! Modern improvements lave doomed
me to this unworthy punishment, and LETT
my keys to utter loneliness and woe"
What! have you no amusement here?"
inquired the newcomer. in notes OF dismav
'Amusement!' echoed a quaint cradle,
of carved wood; ooh, how could there be
ANY amusement in q lumber room?'
Easily" rejolned the newcomer. LAS
we have.all OF us seen a great deal of the
world-1 mean OF the people in tit strikes
me that we could recount to one another
some very strange tales about the people
we have known. and the masters and mis-
trcsses we have served here, under the an
Gent rooT Of Ravens Court"
''Well?" said the cradle. interrogatively
''By detailing our different narratives we
should derive much qualification" replied
the chair.
"a capital idea exclaimed the mirror
'But which OF Us is to commence the story
telling?"
~" answered a weak, futtering voice,
from one corner of the room.
What" calculated an eight-day clock,
what suffer frivolous fan to claim pre-
cedence here?'
''Ah. yes" tiuttered the fan, "ror I, as!
am well-nigh my end. The moths and the
worms have pi aged havoc with my whole
frame, and my ribs are fast falling into de-
cay. Therefore, let me recount my story
first
well. be it so,' said the clock majestic
ally; ''yet, what such poor thing as thou
canst have to tell us, really can't
im ,.9g;i aeoa,n - +,o -,; .
for the fans story!"'
THE FANS STORY
Although am very insignificant ar
ticle, it has been my lot to see much of the
human species, of men and women both
Their vanities and their disappointments
votion and their ialsehood, their generosity
and their dishone,ty. their hcartburnings
and their joys. their struggles and their sor-
rows, have all been laid ope:, before me-
1t is quite necessary 10 inform you that I
was once very beautiful. and very costly as
well. began life at Paris many years ago.
can well member lying i'll u velvet-lined
box on shelf in certain fashionable
shop, awaiting the hour when should be-
come the property ofsome high born lady
"a marchlonesS, at the very least, l made
sure.
One day, gentleman, with very
handsome lace and proud bearing.
came into the shop and re-
quested to look at some fans.
Well, fan after ian WAS shown to him
fans of sandal wood, ofivory, and OF mother
OF pearl: but he would have none of them.
He wanted one lar more beautiful than any
OF those, he said.
At length was lifted from the shelf, re-
moved from my box. and displayed to the
gentleman, who looked at me attentively
Tor few moments, and then asked my
price.
He paid for me without the slightest
hesitation emptying his purse TO do so, and,
putting me into his pocket. walked away.
He walked along very quickly, and some
distance. as far as | was able to judge. At
length he stopped, rang bell. entered
house. tamilariy ram up flight Of stairs,
and knocked at a door. Then l heard a
woman's sweet voice say. Come in!"
.'Ah, PAUL is it, indeed. you at last?
have been expecting you for more than all
hour" cried the same sweet voice US be.
tore.
Pardon me- he replied very gently;
aud ~, snunH rf a,n kts1 I'D