The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-05-26

1MH wf an Out-Ot-the- way
tRWN suburb that it
j." would be quite i'm
possible for him to
go home to sleep.
I was only too delig ghted to be Of SER
FER him bed. it would be easy to im-
provise shakedown on which he
gould have few hours rest. I set to
Work at once and did the best could
tor him, using a bundle of rugs for
the pillows and my old dressing gown
for the mattress. When Balder saw it
he declared that nothing could be
more to his taste.
1t was long past midnight when I
was awakened from refreshing
sleep by somebody fumbling with a
key at the lock of my door. Several
ibungling attempts were made before
the key was fitted into the lock sue
cessfully. At last Balder walked into
my room. He presented rather COM
lcal appearance, with his crush hat on
one side of his head like the leaning
tower of Pisa, and a short overcoat,
with his long tail coat peeping be-
meath. His face was flushed, partly
with excitement, and he appeared
possessed of burning desire to relate
his adventures to somebody. I had
been looking at him with one eye; the
other, nearest him, kept tight shut.
and did not move, for had no desire
TO enter into conversation with him.
But my friend was notso easily shaken
in his purpose; he came close to nv
bedside, stepping on my bootjack. so
that it fell over with terrible noise,
and held the lighted candle within a
few inches of my nose. 1t was i'm
possible for even the most shameless
shammer of sleep to hold out any
longer L opened my eyes and said IN
the sleepiest tone could assume:
Enjoyed yourself?"
'Famously, my dear fellow" an
swered Balder, seating himself on the
side of my bed, although I forestalled
his intention and left hardly an inch
for him to sit on. Then he enteged
anto long and not very lucid rig1na-
role on souls which are destined to
come together. The story was rem
hered all the more difficult to under,
stand from the fact that kept falling
asleep and dreaming between his
fhapsodies. but gathered that Balder
had met with young Spanish lady at
tho mask ball, who apparently
possessed the soul which he was fated
to meet and that she was the onlv
person on earth who could make him
happy. He had spent the whole
evening with her, and she had prom
ised to meet him at the next bali. At
his request she had lifted her veil for
one instant revealing face of Ma
donna like beauty. It was a simple
story, but when mans brain is fred
with love he fingers over it. The
words grace, southern coloring, eyes
like a gazelle, etc., must have been
repeated very often, for I dreamed
later on that I was repeating them to
myself.
bore it all patiently, for hospitality
is sacred duty, and, besides, the
state which Balder's mind was in
demanded and deserved consideration.
AS he went on with his story he
raised his voice, perhaps to rouse my
tagging attention. Suddenly some
body coughed in the next room. It
was not a natural cough, but an
artificial one, evidently Intended by
my lady to serve as gentle reminder
that at o'clock in the morning all
respectable people should be in bed
and quiet Ny room was only
which my landlady and her daughter
slept by door, which was hidden on
either side by high wardrobe
through which, in spite of this pre-
caution, voices could be heard verv
distinctly. / informed Balder of this
tact, but, unfortunately, he utterly
refused to take my advice and 90
quietly to bed He said he could not
sleep, and, unhappily, catching sight
of my coffee machine, he added that
he would like some coffee.
'Sleep If you can," he said; IT can
manage it all for myself" He then
removed his coat, dressed himself in
the dressing gown which acted as his
mattress, and started to get some
water from the kitchen. knocking
things down on the way, and opening
and shutting the wrong DOORS I be-
came resigned and made up my mind
not to waste my breath on fresh warn
ings. Somebody else coughed. It was
the Fraulein Lieschen this time, nv
landlady's daughter. At any other
time, Balder himself would have
shown more consideration.
Most extraordinary noises proceeded
from the water tap in the kitchen At
last the kitchen door banged. and
Balder reappeared again depressed
NY TcSieG tudG udu no meCQVlaCe0
spirit, but he said it did not matter,
and catching hold of a bottle of my
expensive brandy, poured a lot into
the lamp. Then he sat gazing into
the blue flame without blinking.
Crash! went the glass of the globe,
and the boiling water poured all over
the table and put out the fire. sprang
out Of my bed. @"Good graciousl" I
exclaimed, 1.-THE whole thing will ex-
plode." He said nothing, but began
to pick up the hot pieces of glass pa
tiently. The coughing in the next
room became louder than ever. -.
For heavens sake" I went on,
t'try to be quiet if you can. The peo-
pie in the next room want to go to
sleep. Don't you hear them cough
lng?" !. !.