The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-10-17
ANITA'S STRANGE
ADVENTURE
In The Mountains Of Italy She Found
An Experience.

py MISS AIlAA uSIsth- MISS ANITA 4
one Of the brightest young girls know
Her parents are very fond of travelling
Every year they choose country that
both are desirous OF seeing. and lear,
all they can about It. The study Its
language. its history, and its literature
Then, in the summer. when Miss Ami
ta's vacation begins. they take her will
them to visit all the delightful scenes
and places OF which they have beei
reading. In this way she has been abl,
70 see a much larger part OF this work
than have most other young people
Until last summer, however, Miss
Anita had one grievance to mar IN,
pleasure OF her holidays-she had never
met with a single adventure. It wal
most annoying. this entire lack OF any.
thing marvellous or thrilling in her va
rfed existence, for Miss Anita has an
impnlsive daring nature, and aspires
to things heroic. People she met in her
wanderings would recount TO her tht
queer. the grctesque. and the some
times even horrible things that they
had seen, or done. or escaped. and Miss
Anita would clasp her hands and ex.
claim:
''oh. IL only had been there,"
But she never was there. Events
that were strange. ridiculous or excit.
ing seemed TO hurry up and occur Jus,
-n.. ~
Of action. or to purposely vast over until
a minute or so after she had departed.
Las; summer. however. when she
started with her parents on walking
known as the Scotland Of Italy. her
hopes began to revive. She confided TO
her mother at the outset. her belief
that. in the heart OF those vast noun
tain ranges, there was every chance OF
meeting with truly blood-curdEng ex-
perience
Her parents were perfectly content to
accept the commonplace in life. Indeed
they would rather have avoided a
''blood-curdIing" experience than other
wise. n was by no means a disSppoint-
ment TO them TO find that modern no.
tels lad replaced many OF sthe old
mountain TINS. and that modern con-
veniences were obtainable.
When. upon one occasion. they found
themselves obliged to pass the night in
a disreputable-looking and litue-fre-
delighted at the prospect. Miss Anita,
however, was enchanted. It was q
weird and lionel situation and the house
seemed 10 have weathered the winds of
more than a century. When the land
lord led them through dirty brick courts
and dark passages to two large. dreary
rooms on the first floor. and announced
that they were his only guests for the
night. Miss Anita was delighted. Only
an adventure was wanting to complete
her happiness.
After supper she took one of the long
that were their only means OF
light and started to examine their
apartments. Then she became aware
that the walls Of both rooms were. 10
use her own expression, literally lined
with closets. In an instant she had
terked open several OF the doors and
TO her surprise. discovered that these
closets were not at all the kind TO which
she was accustomed. Most Of them were
so long that she was sure they were
l.
length and found they had no outlet.
Some OF them curved and wound I'm and
out through the walls. or branchei in
several different directions. and in most
Of them were dark recesses, where the
ceiling slanted so low that one would
have to creep on hands and knees TO
penetrate them.
'Papar' Miss Anita exclaimed. after
opening about the tenth door, there is
room enough in these closets for a
whole band OF brigands to hide in. I
cannot think Of sleeping in either Of the
rooms until I have searched every cor
ner of every closet"
MY dear" said her father. III there
Is anyone in the closets. the safest plan
FOR you is to keep well out Of them"
But Miss Anita did not agree. She set
BILE ambush even crawling into all the
Iark. low places. The first room was
rery large and there were at least |
Eozen closets in its walls. BY the time
har avdO
was almost exhausted. Her father no
tieed that she glanced rather wearily .
At the six or seven in the next room.
which was TO be her own that night.
Suppose you don't bother with those
.losets, Anita" he suggested. 1 think
The day OF br1gands is about over: don't
rou?"
But there are robbers still, papa"
'asd Miss Anita, land never should
lose my eyes tonight unless I know
here was no danger of my not opening
hem again.
I'm spite OF this energetic statement,
however. these closets were less care.
ully examined than the others had been:
Ior did Miss Anita think It necessary
o indulge in the crawling process. She
vas about to open the last door. when
er parents entered to say goodnight.
hey suggested that Miss Anita should
save the door between the two rooms
pen during the night. as she would be
lone Then they went out and every.
hing became dark and quiet in the next
oori.
Somehow this made Miss Anita feel
ather lonesome, and she suddenly
hanged her mind as TO the necessity
T looking in that last closet. The day
nd been fatguing one and she was
tired.
The furnishing Of the old inn was ex-
emely crude. In Miss Anita's room
OGDEN table was made to serve as
After washing, she looked
vain for something to hold her soap.