St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-10-19
A CURTAII1ED VISIT.
BY A. b. DE MILE.

Jim was having house-party at
his summer place in New Hampshire,
and invited me down to escape little
of the hottest New York weather.
He asked me for two weeks; my actual
soiourn lasted about 12 hours. This
story tells why. Jim and / were close
chums until he married Mrs. jim.
Then, naturally enough, our paths
diverged. / was determined bache-
lor, and didn'tmind saying gso-Which
worried Jim.
dts all very well" I would say,
snow. But just wait until the noy-
city wears off
''Nonsenset" Jim would break in.
tI've been married six months, and
there's not the least change in my
feelings, or-O, you needn't grin like
that!" and there our conversations
would generally end.
However, ! at once accepted his in
vitation aforesaid, as Jim was far too
good fellow to lose track of. He
held out as extra inducement the
prospect Of meeting Mrs. Jim. /
swallowed this with the invitation.
And so it was that, one blstering Au-
gust afternoon, I drove with Jim up
to his house.
taThe Others are all cooling off in
the woods" he said. "All except
Alicia. So when you have had a
brush up, you can come and see her. !"
"Alicia" was Mrs. Jim.
The journeyshad been hot and dus-
ty, and I was in similar condition.
| was therefore Immediately CON
Quoted to the bathroom a Sumptu-
ous, white-tiled apartment, with a
huge porcelain tank sunk in the floor.
E was at one end of a long corridor
which ran the whole length of the
seconds story, with numerous rooms
opening off each side. At the other
end were the stairs.
ssThere's not soul about said
Jim, $50 you can slip on your dress
ing gown over your paiamas, and run
in here from your own room. It's
only step along the corridor =
My bath was distinct success.
When / emerged | felt vigorous
enough to 60 through some gymnas-
tic exercises, at the termination of
which ! kicked my dressing gown and
pajamas into the water This cooled
my enthusiasm. The next point was
to regain my room. I donned the
wet dressing gown, listened for a
moment, then trayersed the corridor
and dashed into my own room. But
when | looked for my yalises, brushes
and clothes, they were nowhere to be
seen. Instead, I saw a number of
small, high-heeled shoes scattered
about, while the mirror was draped
with quantity of white, fuzzy stuff,
and upon the bureau lay mysterious
silver mounted articles and many lit
tie brightly-colored boxes and bot
ties. 1t was not my room. ] hastily
withdrew to the passage. Therewere
a good many doors in that corridor.
In fact, it seemed to me at the time
as if the walls were entirely composed
of doors. Itried one. 1t was locked.
Another. Same result. Then a
third.
saThank Heavenln Icried. sThis
ones openw
1t swung back, revealing fight
of stairs leading to a wide yard, on
the other side Of which stood barn.
And just then 1 heard footsteps and
the rustic Of skirts. In moment /
was outside the door, clinging des-
perately TO the handle Presently the
footsteps ceased and the handle
moved, | glanced at my dripping at
tire and stockinged feet, and meas
ured the distance to the barn. The
footsteps went on. / felt instructive
" that they had gone for assistance.
There was nothing for it. / made a
dash for the barn. Ii was cool and
airy, and the gravel hurt my feet, and
I felt all alone in the world, but I
reached the barn. Then | sprang
up a ladder to tie loft WrecRing my
dressing gown on the way !. and land
ed headforemost in pile Of hay. For
the time beng I was safe. In mo-
ment Or two ! emerged from The hay