The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-07-20

purse and watch upon their dressing
table are at that very moment chang
ing owners
One can hardly picture n more anx-
ious life than that of the hotel thief;
more at the mercy of circu mstances,
more subject to what the old stage
directions call "alarms and excur-
sions,' and generally less at ease In his
inn.
No reflection, however, respecting
the discomfort of hotel thieves ever oc-
Cured to Aunt Deborah; like t he
French vivisectionist who was asked
whether his experiments hurt the ami
mails, she might have honestly replied
that that consideration never entered
her mind;" she was a tender-hearted
woman, but her pity did not extend to
the class in question. They were in
fact her bette noir: her sister Susan and
herself passed good deal of their
time in hotels, and always with the
fear Of being robbed at night before
their eyes. They never went down to
the table d hote without connecting
some innocent and respectable person
with this larcenous profession, and it a
footstep passed their door after they
had retired to rest they plunged their
heads beneath the bed clothes and
awaited the worst.
AS a matter of fact, my aunts were
never robbed at hotel Except in
the course of business by the landlord)
though they always expected to be
until last year, when-but l must let
Aunt Deb tell her own story. No one
she says, can tell what Sue and she
suffered on the occasion in question.
or can properly describe the horror of
their situation but themselves: and as
Aunt Sue, according to her sisters ac-
count, was insensible through terror
during a part of the time, it seems
only right that Aunt Deb should be
the spokeswoman. Aunt Sue is a
sprightly young thing of flfty-two or
SO, and though not 'Aighty" Except
as regards desire to escape from rob-
bers) is scarcely equal to deal with a
subject at once so serious and delicate
as a night alarm.
"Sue and had two bedrooms at the
Imperial,' but as usual, when at ho-
tells, we slept together for protection,
and one was only used as my dressing
room. In this we kept the gas burn
ing, though very low, all night, and
the door open between the two rooms,
so as to avoid being in darkness. l
need not say that all the other doors
were bolted; to lock door at an hotel
is simply to invite the robber, as with
a little instrument, such dentists
use. he can turn the key from without;
if on the other hand you AXE out your
key he puts In one of his own we'll
oiled ones, and opens the door with
noiseless facility Perhaps there is no
bolt. but in that case Sue and 1 have
patent door ia stener which sticks into
the floor, and it is practically immova-
BILE. 1t sometimes strikes me. if any
thing should happen to Sue, how very
dangerous these precautions would be
to a sound sleeper like myself. in case
of fire; but it is not likely, considering
our ages, that she will be taken first
well. had turned the gas low in
the dressinR-room, and was lying
awake listening to the breathing OF
sister Sue and wishing it was not quite
so loud; as general rule don't mind
her snoring; it is intermittent, and
might be taken by a stranger for con-
versation, which is far n protec-
ton, but as it happened 1 was not
thinking of burglars at all that night.
but only wanted TO get to sleep. Then
ell of 3 sudden q most HORRIBLE thing
happened, fesAd myself suddenly IN