The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1895-05-04

A NIGHT OF HORROR.
In Search of q Drink of Water. Chugwater
Gets Stuck I'm.

~commodious down town structure built
with an eye to comfort, well lighted and
thoroughly heated.
For the proper understanding of the
causes that led to the domestic tragedy
herein set forth it will be necessary for the
reader to grasp the idea that the heating
arrangements of the Chugwater mansion
are especially complete. 1t will enable
him to understand why, in spite of the
vigilance of Mrs. C~hugwater and the ex-
ertions of Bridget, the faithful kitchen
lady, there still remained in the house in
spite Of the lateness of the season a small
but persistent colony of flies. These pestif-
erous insects kept themselves out of reach
of the broom and fybrush, refused to be
cajoled or driven out of doors and con
tinued to take an active interest in the
affairs of the family regardless of the state
of the weather and the lateness of the sea
son. They were no ordinary flies. They
were stayers.
On a certain fateful evening some weeks
ago Mrs. Chugwater, driven to despera-
ton, went to a drug store and laid the
case before the intelligent clerk.
She emerged from the store shortly aft
erward with a package, which she carried
with unusual care.
After the evening meal, when every body
else had left the dining room, she unfold
ed that package.
She spread upon the dining table an i'm
posing array Of traps designed to catch the
early rising, or, rather, the early descend
ing, fly next morning and make an end of
him, and with a smile of triumph which
Mr.. Chugwater could not have understood
had he noticed it she joined the family in
the sitting room.
Tho night wore on. The Pickering
glare of the street lamps outside family
outlined the dim, shadowy forms of belated
pedestrians hurrying homeward through
the fierce tempest. In dismal howls
the voice of the storm king rose and fell as
if rehearsing a midnight mass for the
year that was soon to lay its weary bones
in the neglected graveyard of the past,
and the unresponsive earth decked itself
in a mantle of spotless white as If mock
ingly displaying it's boundless wealth Of
material for the swaddling clothes of the
new year soon to be born.
The inmates of the Chugwater mansion,
undisturbed by the fury of the warning
elements outside, slept in peace, and ST.
lence reigned within it's walls, save that
from the apartment occupied by Mr..
SlltS Nottl y SoiiC q titAl iiiNNl
walls a jarring sound like the note of a dis
tant foghorn. 1t signified that Mr.. Chug-
water was all right. He always slept that
way. And the night continued to wear
on.
1t must nave been nearly an hour past
midnight when Mr.. Chugwater became
entangled in an unusually complicated
and obstinate snore that refused to go
either backward or forward. He awoke
with a jerk and found he was thirsty.
Climbing out of bed, he CROPPED his way
down stairs and out toward the kitchen,
with a dimly defined idea of getting some
thing to drink.
Let us not inquire too closely what he
expected to drink. 1t is perhaps none OF
our business. 1t may have been milk.
/, AS he entered the dining room he Stun
t bled over a chair that unluckily stood in
I the way. He lunged forward, striking
one of the leaves of the dining table and
r upsetting that piece of furniture. 1t fell
. toward him, and as he put out his hand
to save himself they came in contact with
!, something horribly Shiny and sticky. The
: impetus of his forward movement carried
him down with the table, and he ROLLED
over on something that stuck to his face.
= III lie IluSHlt W llCCI liloC UilS U
+; thing wrapped itself all about his face ant
o head. His hands, equally smeared AM
swathed, became more tangled and help
!; less at every wild surge he made, and will
0 a mutfied yell he rose to his feet. He wa:
f standing on something moist, sticky ant
1 terrible that seemed to trip him when HI
) moved. In vain he tried to pull off tn
o beastly w%rappings that enveloped his head
! There seemed to be nothing he could ge
n hold of, and his hands had lost their powe
r to grasp anything.
"Blank dash the dad dinged luck!'
came with a stit1ed roar from what seemed
to be the upper section of Mr.. Chugwa
ter's anatomy. "What the blanknation j
this business anyhow? Who the San
Hill has been smearing molasses and poi
a Gus plasters all over the blamed house
'Mff! Ch'f! BIZ! SIX! Glk! Gr'sh!"
g With %convulsive energy he clawed at tn
%wrappings that covered his mouth H
Q succeeded in making an opening, n hi
voice rang through the house with a fore
t and volume simply appalling.
n Bring a light, somebody" he yelled
|, "Murder! Thieves! Fire! Call the pc
n lice! Good heavens, can't you hurry? &c
t a move on you! For the blessed angels
il sake, be guick!'
j. Inc UeTTllcu IIleI1lDGTS VI tHe laI1lll
y came trooping into the dining room. Th
gas was hurriedly lighted, m there stoo
Mr.. Chugwater in his night clothes cove
@ ed from head to foot with sticky fly papel
while from a ragged opening in the shee,
that enveloped his head there came laI
e guage dreadful to hear. The table stoo
d on it's side, a broken chair sprawled nef
:, it, and the room looked as if a cyclor
.e had passed through it.
Mrs. Chugwater leaned against the sid
board and surveyed him with emotion
il that for some moments deprived her
u%tterance.
1t Its you, is it, Josiah?' she said at la
family. You seem considerably stuo
y, up"
How she helped Mr.. Chugwater to FRI
k himself from the maddening fly pape
now she soothed his wounded feeling
10 scraped the sticky stuff from his face, to-
10 him he ought never to venture alol
through the house at night, explained tn
lie she hadn't thought it necessary to nCti
ID him of the trap she had laid for the file
n but that she might have known he Won
re walk right into it-all these things beloI
to the domain of those sacred confidenc
70 of home life into which the meddlson
outsider has no right to intrude.
NJ .
@, And the flies reported for business ne
We morning, as usual. Chicago Tribune.