The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13
MY HOTEL ADVENTURE.
Author "The FeIIthOrpe Ghost Etc,
Copyrighted 1897, by Lucy Hardy.
BY LUCY HARDY.

! the world and stayed al numbers of no.
| tells And, besides" a bright idea striking
| me."Carrie and Lily Trevellan were going
| 70 stay with Mrs. Simpson at the hotel.
| You know how particular Col. Trevellan
| is; he would never allow his daughters to
| do anything unusual or fast "
! This was true, Aunt Agatha acknow-
| lodged, and l saw the consideration Of Col.
! Trevellians sanction had weight; and
| when our cause was backed up by visit
from Mrs. Simpson in person, I knew our
| expedition was secured. Aunt Agatha
| sighed and hesitated and worried, but was
not proof against Mrs. Simpson and Fan
ny, ana her secret desire to give her dar-
| lings pleasure.
Il shall be very, very glad to see you
safe back again." she said, solemnly, as
she parted from us at the station, and
do hope you will have no disagreeable ad-
ventures while you are away
What adventures does the dear old
| lady expect will befall your" laughed Mrs
simpson, into whose charge Aunt Agatha
had anxiously consigned us; but mind
now, you girls, no catching cold, I shall
never hear the end of 1t il you come back
with sneeze or a cough. Please remem-
Der, Miss Fanny, no going out on balco-
MES after dance. as you did at the Nor
ris party with Capt Graham"
II had my cloak on" said Fanny blush
ing holly; "and it was only for few mo-
ments, just while Capt Graham showed
me where Orion's belt was In the sky"
Yes, my love-" said Mrs Simpson Sc
renely. Il know a great many girls have
gone out on balconies to see the stars; you
need not blush about it. Only, the even
ings are cod now, and even in a cloak
twenty minutes is a long time to stay in
the open air after a waltz" and Mrs. Simp-
son buried herself in her railway novel
while poor Fanny blushed redder than
ever.
Only girls who have led as quiet a life
as ours can understand what plunge into
the great world 1t seemed when we arrived
at the large busting hotel, our first ex-
perience of such a halting-place. The long
corridors of apartments seemed bewilder-
ing to our unaccustomed eyes, but Mrs.
Simpson hustled along with the aplomb of
an old traveller, crticising the rooms and
giving orders to her maid.
There is your bedroom, dears," she said
next but one to the staircase you see;
and mine only two doors off Moxon cher
maid) is overhead, and 1 have engaged q
private sitting-room downstairs. / want
ed to have all our rooms en- suite, but the
ball has filled up the hotel, and l had to
take what l could get, but all our bedrooms
are comfortable"
Ours at least, appeared luxurious 70 our
unsophisticated eyes, and we rejoiced at the
prospect of making our ball toilettes with
the unaccustomed aids of large
cheval glasses and candles
fixed to the mirrors, not to
speak of the unwonted indulgence of a
blazing fire in the crate. We thoroughly
enjoyed the dinner in the coffee-room (such
new experience to us to dine amid a
crowd of strangers). and the evening pass
ed pleasantly in the snug private sitting
room, where Fanny, who was very must
cal, played and sang to our kind hostess.
And now girls. l shall send you off to
haA a
struck 10, for l want you to have all your
roses at the ball tomorrow. You remem-
Der the number of your bedroom?"
"Oh, yes" said Fanny, confidently; 'be-
sides, l should always know it by its be
ing so close to the staircase" and we
found our way back readily enough. Fan
ny, who was tired, was quickly ensconeed
in bed, but ! fingered over the fire. toast
ing one foot after the other, and enjoying
my new surroundings.
Agnes" said my sister, suddenly sit
ting up in bed, did you bring up my music
portfolio?"
mo, 1 thought you had"
Then it's left downstairs" said Fanny.
excitedly, land it may be lost; and there
is that MS. piece of music which Mr.. Rig
by lent me TO copy on my solemn promise
that / would take care of 1t. It's his last
composition, and he means TO sell it for a
large sum-"
MI Rigby is always meaning to sell his
musical compositions" l remarked some
what disrespectfully, for 1 did not share
Fanny's professed admiration for our To-
cal organist cher music teacher) with
whom my sister had long carried on one
Of her many demure fiirtations.
"Well, can't let that portfolio be about
downstairs" replied Fanny. sinking back
on her pillows. agnes, you have not be-
gun to undress yet-you must fetch It,"
demurred at first but nobody ever sue
ceeded in outstanding Fanny. With some
trepidation at traversing alone what SEEM
ed to me like a gigantic bee hive. thread
ed my way by passages and staircases I'M
til 1 found the sitting-room where Mrs
Simpson, was stil drowsily reading her
novel, repossessed myself of the portfolio,
and retraced my steps bedwards. As ! ran
up the staircase ! remembered that l had
not noticed the number on our bedroom
door; but 1 was sure of the position of the
room, close to the stairs, and also recol-
lected that, outside the next door to ours,
was pair OF boots. I was too inexperienc-
ed a traveller to know that this landmark
is but a misleading one at any hotel.
Yes, there were the boots, this our door,
and / opened it confidently, but had
scarcely entered the apartment before /
| saw had made a mistake. The bedcham-
Der was furnished much like the one we
/ occupied. and a cheerful fire burned in
| the CRATE; but our room had not a tall.
curtained shower-bath standing in one cor
ner. nor half-opened portmanteaux lying
about the room. 1 hastily turned to re-
treat, when, oh, horror! / heard n step
"a mans step-on the threshold IL Is a
universally-accepted maxim that hasty
actions are always foolish ones. In my
| furry, did about the silliest thing could
| under the circumstances. Instead Of turn
ing TO face the entrance Of the apartment
and explain my accidental intrusion, /
| yielded TO the wild desire to conceal my
self, and dashed behind the curtains OF
! the shower-bath. In another moment my
retreat was cut or. A gentleman, who
had apparently fingered outside for a mo-
ment TO kick Off his boots las he entered
In his stocklng-feeD. came In with an easy
air of ownership and-locked the door be-
| hind him
Here was a pleasant predicament for me.
| BY the lght OF the candle which the stran-
! ger carried, now fully perceived that this
was quite a different room TO ours; and
| then the thought flashed across me that
| had 0scended more stairs than I had
| descended; had in fact entered an apart
| ment floor too high. OH TO sink through
| the flooring TO my own rirhtfu1 ohaurhcr