The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-09
STATE JOURNAL WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 9. 1898
THE LIGHT WENT OUT
AND THE YOUNG MAN LoNGED TO
GO TOO.

Suddenly Left Alone With an Angular Fe-
male Stranger In Dark Room He was
Threatened with Bodily Harm-An. EN-
barrassine Predicament and Its Sequel.
A young Cleveland man claims to have
been placed in very embarrassing predic-
ament recently. He says he was calling
on certain young lady who resides IN a
fashionable down town apartment house.
and as she happened to have gone out with
her mother, but was expected to return
shortly, he said he would wait in their
parlor. The servant ushered him in, and
he was surprised to find that another call
er was also waiting. 1t was q lady caller,
q tall. somewhat angular person of ques-
tionable age, with white gloves and a very
large black hat.
Left alone with this lady, the young man
felt little uneasy. He hadn t contracted
for silent tete- a-tete with q lone female
in strange house. For a time he sat
stiff1y quiet Then, as the silence grew op-
pressive he arose and busted himself in
specting the pictures and bric-a-brac. AS
he moved along one side of the apartment,
keeping at safe distance from the stran-
ger in the big hat he happened to approach
the electric button that controlled the light
in the room. He had his eyes glued to
water color hanging on the wall close by,
when, to his amezement, the lights sud
denly went out, leaving the apartment in
total darkness.
OF course it was owing TO an accident
at the power house, but the young man
didn't know that and naturally expected
the lights would Immediately flash up
again.
An instant after the eclipse set in there
was a sharp gasp from the direction o. the
lady with the big hat.
"You-you did that a-purpose, - she
shrilly remarked. 81 saw you standing by
the button"
The young man wiped the perspiration
from his brow.
81 assure you, madam - he said, "that
I had nothing to do with it. It must be
some-some lapse in the current or some
thing"
You did it, - continued the shrill voice,
"because you wanted to kiss me-
mo, no, MADAME cried the young man.
"No, mol I wouldn't kiss you for the
world
Then, in his desire to escape, he started
for the supposed location of the door.
Don't move" cried the lady, cor I'll
scream"
He halted for moment, then softly
Erept along the wall again.
81 hear you,'' cried the lady. "Don't
you dare to come near me.
MADAM, - said the exasperated youth
nobody wants to harm a hair of your
head
CHATS just what the burglar said the
night our house was robbed moaned the
lady.
"But must find the door, said the
youth. ''We can't stay in here indefinitely
in the dark.
81 should think not, y snapped the lady.
"But don you dare to come this way. If
You do, I'll stab your face with hatpinl
And don't you think you can fool me.
hear your miserable squeaky shoes every
step you take. -
Perhaps - said the youth, for his sense
of humor was beginning to return, cit
would be well to take them off"
''Mercy, no!' cried the lady. "Don't
you dare to-
Then the youth felt his way forward,
guided as to the ladys location by sundry
shifts and starts of alarm. and after he had
run squarely into the 1nanteI and banged
against screen and tumbled over a foot
stool and several chairs, he finally found
the doorknob and bounced into the hall.
1t was pitch dark, but almost Immediately
he saw servant coming up the stairs with
a lamp.
'Show me the way out of this, - said the
youth, and the servant escorted him to the
front door. AS he stepped on to the side
walk be drew a long and refreshing breath.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.