Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-22
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
: MR.. J0HNST0N'S ADVENTURE.
J Chicago Daily News.
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a quiet street in Auburn Park. Eacn
of them has a grass plat twenty-five
feet square in front, while the houses
themselves are as like as three peas.
But there all similarity ends Mr..
Stapleton Johnston lives in the middle
cottage, ignoring the family on the one
side and ignored by the family on the
other.
And this is what worries Stapleton
Johnston when he tells the following
story.
In the Johnston dining room is a
china closet built into the wall. AT
the bottom double doors of wood open
outward, disclosing three shelves on
which sundry articles of domestic use
are stored.
One night about a week ago Mrs
Johnston heard a rat gnawing behind
the wall OF course she called TO her
husband to come and kill it, which, of
course, he didn't do.
wait till he gets through and I'll
fix him." said Mr.. Johnston in a supe-
rior tone of voice.
The very next night the rat got
through the back wall of the closet and
finding the front doors fast he began
to cut away at them with renewed en-
ergy.
The next evening when Mr.. Johnston
came home he had ball of heavy
Irvine and some eyelets, such as are
screwed into the backs of picture
frames. He fastened one eyelet to the
inside of the door having the latch and
tied one end of the string into it. He
fastened another eyelet to the back OF
the cabinet, passed the string through
it. drew it out of the cabinet and trailed
it into the bedroom, tying it to a bed
post
IN leave the door open" explained
Mr.. Johnston, and when M. Rat be-
gins to raise Cain in the house III pull
this string. That will snap the door
shut and then | will have him.
Mrs. Johnston thought 1t remark
ably ingenious scheme. only she sug-
gested that the rat would still be at lib
erty.
NO. III close all the doors excepting
tbe one that opens into our bedroom.
III have the candle ready and you can
mold It while | knock the rat on the
head with a stick
Everything was placed in readiness.
About II o'clock Mr.. Johnston was
awakened by sharp dig in the ribs.
"Stapleton," she whispered, Il do be-
lieve that rat is in my bowl of yeast by
the stover
Cautiously Mr.. Stapleton Johnston
raised I'D. grasped the cord firmly and
yanked it vigorously. From the dlnlng
room there came a sound as II the
brakeman on the suburban train had
slammed a car door and Mr.. Johnston
bounded out of bed, with every muscle
tense -,
Hold the candle high, now he said
a. he handed il to Mrs. Johnston To-
gether they passed into the dining room
With their shadows ambling grotesque-
" along the wall.
"Oh. Just look al my yeast eXclaiih-
ed Mrs. Johnston stopping short IN her
dismay.
"Hang the yeast, responded fer nus
band, peering under the laDle' "''i'
a crack at that rat" -
"There he isl whispered Mrs. JOhh-
son: there under the couch
Mr.. Johnston poked the broom manure
under Il and a dark, scurrying buncn Oh
soueaky fur dashed out, straign, tcWaru
Mrs. Johnston's bare feet.
"Wee-e-e-ow-c CHI she screamed IN
high soprano. almost dropping the
candle in her fright
"Tsabel Johnston! What do you mean?
AZ this hour CT the night. too! People
VIII think I'm killing you. Such
se1seless thing, too-yelping that way
If Won cant keep you mouth closed give
me the candle and you go back 10 DeI'
Mrs Johnston's lip Quivered a mo
mem at the harshness Of the tone Dul
she was TOO much Interested 10 BACK
ont of the affair She got up on an
ing room chair. holding the EgAt as
Mr.. Johnston directed.
There he goesw he exclaimed am
ing blow at the black streak mat
whisked mast him. But he missed.
closer and closer he pressed the little
animal Finally the rat got away. Every
time Il ran past its tormentor It squeak
cd and snapped vic:ously. Twice ii MADE
movements as if to stop and fight.
You'd better look out, Stapleton'
warned his wife from her chair.
Don't YOU worry" he returned; /
won't be believing fit to raise the neigh
bors. whatever happens.
It was rather cold weather, and in one
corner of the dining room, near the
base burner. was a small keg coVereu
with a board, in which were some po-
tatoes which Mrs. Johnston was afraid
might freeze if left in the kitchen. The
rat had lust run from behind this to
The friendly shelter of the couch. john
ston had just made movement toward
il. when. like a fury, the rat charged
upon him.
Johnston turned and ran. The rat
was sharp after him and, hard pressed,
Johnston sprung upon the keg OF po-
tatoes. For one brief instant he stood,
tottering: then, like a fallen column,
he pitched forward at full length upon
the floor. shaking the house to its foun-
dations.
When the world finally righted itself
and the stars had ceased to fall, Mr.
Johnston discovered that he could stand.
His wife was wholly unable TO do 50,
but from a different cause.
We'll. Stapleton," she gasped. be
tween commissions. you made nearly as
much noise as | did,
Mr.. Stapleton Johnston didn't say
word. Looking neither to the right nor
to the left ne marched into the spare
bedroom, turned down the covers and
crept in. For an hour afterward the
chickering's of Mrs Johnston N the
-. non, l1nnt him awake