The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-20

Certainly like a dungeon in that re-
spect,' remarked, lightly.
Lord, ma'am, you wouldn't want to
have to spend a night in sech a dun
geOn, now, would We? In the first
place, there's the rats"
Rats" I cried. a%hast. But, why
don't you catch them? Have you no
traDs?"
Why should I. ma'am? The rats
and me IS the best of friends"
/ did not fancy the idea of having
our precious, gjlt-edged, velvet-bro-
caded Lares and Penates gnawed by
predatory rodents, so L said:
But it is your duty. since they are
sure, sooner or later, to injure the fur
Eiture stored here for safe keeping
Somebody else kin ketch 'em, then
not me. Oh. We needn't he getherin' up
yer skirts, ma am. 1 amt seed no rats
on this floor for six months or more
Wild so much furniture in sight We
might lind place to set down. ma am. -"
and he returned, forthwith, to his ele-
vator duties.
Convinced by this time that he was
not the cutthrOat villain / had mag
med, / sought a convenient seat where
might invite my soul to a contempla-
ton of the lovers in the bOsky dell
None of the tiers of sewing machines
bath-tubs, stoves, clothes horses, towel
racks, offered inviting seats for a lazy
mood: so. exploring the Canaan of the
neigh boring cells, which were mostly
securely padlocked. ] found one of them
enticinSly open. and with its long
diVan, tossed with eiderdown pillows
seeming TO say, Enter, child, and rest
awhile"
Norris and I had spent the morning
shopping together for tables, and I
was not only tired, but very sIeeDy.
determined. however. to deive into nv
novel, where the thunder storm was
luridly raging, and release the lovers
from their unpleasant situation.
Wherefore. / possessed the land of the
dlNan. sans ceremOnie. and ensconced
myself therein. for the light was excel
lent with the tin door open.
Deiiclously balmy was the afternoon
/ air and | was thoroughly comfortable
so comfortable. in fact. that I had not
even read to the end of the chapter be-
fore l had fallen into a deep dream
less sleep Forgotten were the stark
realities of this wOrk-a-day world. and
the furnishing of houses, which is the
underside of all our little romances. I
only know that ! had entered a lotus
! aeters land, where it is always after
noon, and never night, and that in this
I fascinating earthly paradise 1 fingered
too long.
When finally awoke found myself
( in utter darkness
So bewiidered was I that l could not
Tor some time collect my wits. At first
lost in the bosl1y dell where the thun-
der storm was raging, and had become
separated beyond recovery. but when [
telt the luxurious divan pillows I was
! brought down suddenly TO realizing
sense OF my situation.
Il have been locked in" was the
thought that flashed through me. Nor
ris had failed to return before s with
the keys, and now he supposes 1 have
gone to Orange. How black everything
is! There's nobody in this vast build
ing except the night Waterman and
myself, and he would murder me. I'm
sure. for the contents of my purse.
Now, let me see; he makes his rounds
only once every hour He has proba-
bly, just gone by. Still. if I could man
age to grope my way cut there to the
elevator and call down to him. perhaps
! he might help me, for he may have a
I kind heart. after all Anyhow, I'll try
it. But. OH how scared 1 am. The
loneliness and the blackness are so ter
riblet''
Gathering up my skirts 1 began to
make my way toward the place where
| knew the door ought to be. once out
in the corridor. E. would probably be
lighter. and / could tnen see to steer
my course to the yaWning elevator
chasm. Coasting along the divan, and
then past pictures and tables and
screens, l had soon reached the door
! to the cell, but instead of finding the