Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-04-12

6u undUl6 10 uuu uaVCu duu ONi
dently tried to 60 to bed In the
dark. Faint rumbliugs and NUT
terings caught my attention, then
a wild roar. | rushed in to find
him on the floor grasplng at the
carpet. When the gas was lighted,
he became quiet, went to bed, and
l left him in the dark agaiu.
ga second time he called and
asked me to SIT with him in the
light. did so until he fell asleep.
The next morning he telt that some
explanation was due, | suppose,
and told me that bright spots like
twinkllng eyes had peered at him
from the floor about the bed, and
when he tried to grab one nothing
was there. You may be assure d
Colonel Jagson was badly fright
ened at the effects of bis Overlndul
gencp, and from that day 10 this
be has not tasted liquor Of any
kind"
"B the explanation, my dear
Mrs. JAgson." cried the excited
Mrs. Soake.
We'll, you must keep it secret.
If the truth be found out, the
colonel might go back to drinking
again. 1t was this way: You see,
Pd been having the cOlonePs roOm
cleaned aud faucied, only fanciei.
\ Ou know, that the bed might have
some of those little pests lurking
in the GREY ices, SO l told the girl TO
use a phosphorus pO" der, and she
carelessIl let some slft onto the
carpet. OF cOulse, in the dark 1t
sbOne bright, and that Is all there
Is to the eyes that haunted the
colonel"
"Just phosphorus bedbug pow
der!' exclaimed the wife OF the old
guardsman, who had not stopped
/ slipping the cheering bowl in more
than 40 years. "J lst think OF Ii!
Broken from a habit of so long a
time by % cents worth of bedbug
poisoul | shall 60 and get some
immediately"
Thus bubbling with eagerness
the little woman rushed into the
chill atmosphere of the outer world
and into the arms of her dearest
friend. Mrs. NJ jor Everfull. So
the secret was told to one more
aud vas received again with rap.
ture.
Things began to look sad for the
old guard. With these determined
women on the trail, aud one man
already in captive chains, red eye
bourbon and applejack were doom
ed. The next day, when the group
of old timers were gathered for
the morning nips, General S)ake
raid to the waiter;
"Guess I'll have some apo linarls.
Don't feel very well today"
JAgson's Riuger aIe habit was a
shock, Sosk5 falling a victim to
the mineral habit was a calamity,
but when NJ ,or EverfuIl calmly,
bat With a quiver in bis voice,
sal /, 'Vicby, please" the bottom
dropped out OF everything.
Everfull sighed and put his
hand wearlly to bis eyes, as though
to blot out some horrible eight.
Jagson leaned forward and gazed
at the major, and General SOake
seemed fascinated by the trivial
actloU of his friend. Que moment
was given to thought, and then
JagsOn blurted out:
do your eyes trouble your"
Thus encouraged the general
looked from the major to the eOl-
onel, then from the colonel to the
major, and in a hOsrse whisper
Ureathed:
"Seen anything queeri'
The major and colonel stifiened
: md seemed like wooden men.
Their astOnishment Was 80 great
they just had streng'h b to gasp;
"Wbat did you seei'
"SpOts, b, George, sir, shining
spots, like devils eyes right in
my bedroom.
80 did l." quoth the major in
alarm.
81 saw them days ago." chimed
q
10 Jagson. THAT'S why stopped
drinking"
"GeutIeman," interjected the
fourth member of the Old Guard,
Mr.. Deeptank by name-''gen-
tleman, my wife Yesterday received
calls from Mrs. Major Everfull and
J. Mrs General S)ake, and later 10
d the day Mrs. Colonel Jagson came.'
I "Nothing remarkable iD that"
t said Soake.
o "Old friends. ain't theyf3 Quoth