The evening times., 1898-04-19
A THRILLING ERROR.
(From the Chicago News.)


am troubled with slight hesitation
in my speech. not a stammering or any
thing of that sort, but a kind of slow
delivery, as you might call IL, so that
when an unexpected question is put to
me / sometimes fail to form the neces-
sary reply until the occasion has passed
and my answer is of no consequence
In one or two instances / have lost
good chance to say bright thing, or at
least to make myself agreeable, to say
nothing of being courteous, simply be-
cause / did not answer readily.
late lamented public man was once
reading aloud THE Light of Asia" in
my presence, when a lady asked him
the meaning of some foreign word he
had read. ~
"A kind of hash," be promptly an
swered; then turning to me he said in
an undertone: ytij.
Answer quickly and they'll think you
know" =
Answering quickly is. not my forte.
SO they generally think L don't know
and pass on to other things.
This failing got me Into ludicrous
position once from which l had some
difficulty in extricafing myself. i had
been away from the city several weeks
and returned one night late, somewhere
near IL O'Clock. Tpe street was very
dark. but there waS a. lamp quite near
the house where Islodged, so that had
no difficulty in making out the number.
This was a matter of some Importance.
for there were ten or q dozen houses
in the row all precisely alike. / had
sent word OF my proposed return but
as ii was my custom to make the same
journey twice year-being one of the
noble army of commercial travellers
it had not seemed necessary. l was just
putting my latch-key into the keyhole
when the door was opened by woung
lady in a negligee costume and curl pa
pers, who Immediately seized my hand
and said: cordially, but in low voice:
How d'you, George?" (my name is
not George, but Henry. II am very
glad TO see you. / stayed up TO let you
in and tell you that you are 10 sleep
in the little front room on the third
floor Aunt Annie arrived today and we
had TO give her your room for tonight,
as the spare room is being papered,"
But" l began. in a HELPLESS sort
of way, staring at her.
Now, don't object, but go right up as
quietly as you can, for the old lady is
quite sick yet and has just gone to
sleep. Dear old fellowi" she continued,
squeezing my arm, Il am so glad you
have come. but what made you grow
that beaTd?"
why, as to my beard" said /, COM
pletely dumfounded by the whole pro-
ceeding. Il have always
Yes" interrupted the young lady,
who, by the way, was remarkably pret-
ty in spite Of the loose wrapper and curl
lx-lx cot "A
some time-but ! hoped the time had
not yet come"
BY this time | had hung my coat on
the hall tree. from sheer force of habit,
although / was completely stupefied by
the strange mistake-as / was sure ii
must be-and had started up the stair,
treading as lightly as possible, so as not
TO awaken the "old lady"-whoever she
might be. The situation was so awk-
ward that l made a brave effort and
turned back, saying. Il am afraid, my
dear girl'-I don't mean anything by
the "dear"-"that there is mis-
take"
No" she whispered. vehemently,
there is no mistake about it. You
should have been put in the second
floor room. but that, too, is being pa
pered, so go right up now, and / VIII
see you at breakfast
AT breakfast" thought /. Now l
know there is a mistake,' for l did not
take my meals there. but at small no
tel in the next street.
Aren't you going to kiss me good
night. George?'' was the next whispered
speech that fell from the lips Of this
lovely creature, as she again pressed
her little hand on my arm.
Good gracious
Yes. dear (this time | did mean IT'D,
said l. suiting the action To the word;
goodnight, but l wish you would tell
me"
III tell you nothing" said she in the
most emphatic whisper. If you don't
keep still and go on up to Ded.''
Well. There was no help for il. /
ought to have said decidedly, noise or
no noise:
See here, young lady, l have got into
the wrong house. l suppose. My inten-
tons are all right, and 1 think l am
sober: but I've made a blunder of some
kind. and Will, if you please, take my
departure"
But no, my unfortunate failing was
and / suffered myself
to be urged up the staircase, which
looked horribly familiar to me-same
carpet, same ridiculous bust of d. Web
ster esq, in the niche at the landing
while the charming young lady stayed
behind to lock the door and turn out the
gas. j made my way up To the third
floor and found the gas burning low in
the little front room. No mistake here,
anyway. Everything was familiar to
me there. The pictures on the walls
were some that / had contributed when
the room was occupied by little blond
girl who used to bore me with her conf
dence.
The first thing ! did was to sit down
on the edge of the bed and laugh-im-
but silently. Then it oc-
Cured to me that it was rather a seri-