Evening journal., 1898-02-15
G1ALuANnRY's PENALTY.

NAAAaA-tA4NAINA > I iE4lNAl4I1.
Al least once in a lifetime, and
sometimes Oftener, every man pays
dearly for volunteering to assist some
body else out of a difficulty. 1t is one
OF the penalties which the presiding
deity OF the court of gallantry exacts.
The Wayfarer believes that there is
not one Of his readers who has not on
one or more occasions essayed to do
some particular act of gallantry and
regretted it for months to come. The
recent case of this kind he heard re-
lated in. store in the neighborhood Of
Tenth and Lombard streets
A woman and her son were about to
so out to spend the evening.
You so out and bolt the alley gate -
she said to him.
He did it, and did il properly.
They then went out the front door.
1t so happened that there was on
the front door dead-latCh which was
never used, reliance for safety from
intruders being placed in the regular
lock. How 1t happened neither the
mother nor the son knows, but when
the door was closed on this particular
night the dead-latch fell, and both went
off without knowing it.
The mother was the first to arrive
home Inserting the key I'M the lock
she turned it and then essayed to en-
ter The door stood firm against all
her endeavors to open it. Then il
dawned upon her that the dead-latch
had played her a shabby trick. Going
to the alley gate she endeavored 10
open it, but found that her son had
obeyed her instructions too we'll for
her comfort and peace of mind. The
gate was too high for her to climb. and
the bolt was too low for her to reach.
IF | could only get in the back yard
/ could effect an entrance through tn,
kitchen window" she sOlilOQuized.
The next door neighbOrs had moi
been there very long, hence she was
not well acquainted with them How
ever, better to presume upon theil
short acquaintance than to stand ou
on the doorstep waiting for a son VIII,
had no regular hour for returnin,
home. She rang the bell of the mex
door house. The housewife answere,
the ring.
II am awfully sorry to disturb you,
she said by way OF apology, but tn
dead-latch has fallen and / am locke,
out of my own house. / want to know
if you will object to my going through
your house and climbing the fence int
our yard, for then l can get in through
the kitchen window"
Certainly not" responded the neigh
bor
Just then the husband of the neigh
Dor put in an appearance. He wa
dressed in his best and ready to ac
company his wife to church. When tn
difficulty was explained to him he vol
unteered to do the fence-climbing. Tn
victim of the dead-latch insisted tina
il was more than she could expect
but. within her heart, she was glad I
have somebody to volunteer.
"Wen. II you insist she said. "I'
go around to the alley gate, and aftC
you have jumped the fence YOU ca
come around there and unbOlt il. an
then 1 can get along all right"
The gallant man was both short an
stout, and he had on a pair of trOt
sers which had cost him 81 of GOO
money just three days before In n
time he had been somewhat of an atl
lete, and he was confident that he coul
vault over the fence and never touc'
lie was ignorant of two impOrtaI
facts. The first was that the top of II
fence was full of spikes, and the Sc
end was that the yard next door ",
three feet lower than his own yard. A