The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21
HE SAW REL RATS.
The Peculiar Position In Which Such a
sight May Place n Man.

From "a, NeU Orleans Tirlti' Democrat.
1T was a most peculiar dilemma said the
young man who told the story. ''one Of those
situations in which a fellow can't explain him
self for fear Of being misunderstood.
"A couple OF weeks ago I rented a suite OF
three rooms In an old building not far from
the Hotel Royal. one OF those ramshackle
barracks that were once handsome mansions.
and precisely adapted to the picturesque semi
Bohemian snuggery | had been longing for
several years TO establish on that side Of town.
Well, | moved in. and everything went all
right until the afternoon OF the second day.
when | was smoking a corncob pipe In the
rear room. which overlooks a very quaint
bricked courtyard. and happened to notice a
red rat on top OF the cistern--"
A red rat" exclaimed his listeners in
astonished chorus. Did you cay red rat or
dead rat,"
Il said red rat and meant red rat replied
the narrator. The rat | saw was abnormally
large IN size and bright yermilion in color.
Natural ~ | was somewhat startled. In fact. !
got such a sudden move on me that ! fell over
back ward. and when | picked myself up the
rat was gone, tried to argue that the thing
red papcr which the wind had carried to the
c%istern top and blown of again. hut IL was no
GO, | remem Der the beast too distinctly, .
Il wentto, bed trying to solve the enigma
continued the Young man. and got IN still
thinking al out red rats, or course It was
and Il disturbed my 'y' train Of " thought II that NJ I f %ind
myself unable to do some writing which | had
mapped ont and was particularly anxious to
But, why didn't you question the neigh.
bors?.' Interrupted one OF the party. who were
now deeply Interested.
That occurred to me, but they were all
strange. foreign-looking folk, who never smoke
English. and ! was satisfied ! coul dn't make
them understand. Besides, it is an awkward
lob to approach a. total stranger with Inquiries
about red rats. He is apt to conclude that YOU
are either crazy or guying him, and in either
case will probably punch your head before you
close eve on the old court. and after three or
four DAYS had elapsed | was beginning 70 think
It was all q dream; when ! again sdw the red
and equally red, The two creatures were sun
ming themselves at the end Of my own back
gallery, ant | saw them through a win.
no earthly. chance for a mistake. they
were large. I've rats. the exact shade OF old
fashioned red flannel, e,ared at them per-
wher' and they both sud ienly vanished down
q drain ripe. That visitation determined me
a anJ JoIye the 5m =, r : or p1 5sh in the sttempt
on The same block Excuse me- | said to the
nronristor. but dir you ever see any red rats
ANYHOW, he burst out laughing. Only once. he
said. They Wore little tin caps and carried
blue parasols.' Oh but seriouslvn insisted
loull fnd 1t serious said he. unless you quit
drinking.
That discouraged me. I had inten led 60
ing through the whole block svstomaticnlIy
anh questioning everybody. but saw IL was
bound to land me In the Jim-Jam ward II per-
sisted, So went quickly back To my room and
tired to view the situation philosophically.
lhere are some red rats about the pre- n isas. :
! SAID To mvsel'. / don't know where thev
came from or how they acquired that peculiar
color, and what, Is more | don't ca e. will
dismiss them from my mind But that was
easier said than done. ] hate a mystery and
was haunted by the horrible fear that was
ne Vlctln OF a hal lucination. Do what / would,
mos Internal red rats g~alluped through my
brain morning, noon anf night went into a
store 10 get q cigar and paralyzed the clerk hy
asking MN Tor an imported red rat not too
cry. ana, q correspondent wired 10 know what
me dickens ! meant BY writing him that
red rnts were certain TO drop five points before
the, close Of Mondays trading ~
rlnaiIy couldn't stand II any longer. and
althongh had seen nothing more ~ the rats
1 uecNied 10 quit the rooms. hat was last
thursday. and when ] told the landlord |
me hard for a reason, Well. to tell you the
ruth, ! said at last. Idon't like the color OF the
RAYS IN thnt. house. They don't match the fur
hirure. on the red rats" he said, laughing:
iair,y yelled. and for goodness, sake tell me
qnics what YOU know about en- Why. there
were two German feather dyers on the third
nnor last spring. he said, and Just for fun they
killed most ~ the lot. but three or four seemed
20 get, tat on i. and I've seen 'em running
around lnts OF times, Surely they haven't scared
you out, have they. Then I lied abIec,ly and
Io,t nun 10: mat 10 was something else. and
let nm tax me into staying.
The red rats don't bother me now, In fact
innd them rather decorative. Come down and
sake q look at them some time"