The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-06-27
HIS UNLUCKY DAY.
BY EDWARD f. YOUNGER.

1t was highly important that Algernon
De Forest Bagsley should board the seven
o'clock morning train. He lived in Chicago
and desired to arrive in Cleveland in time
to attend an event in which he was deeply
interested, said event being nothing more
nor less than his marriage. For this reason
he warned the cabman to call at his board
ing house not a moment later than five
o'clock. The ride from the suburb to the
station would consume an hour, which would
give him ample time to secure breakfast
and purchase his tickets-but man disposes
and queer things sometimes intervene.
Bagsley occupied apartments on the third
story, in the rear. The front apartments
on the same floor were leased to a man, a
low, coarse fellow, with whom Bagsley was
not on speaking terms. Since certain events
have come to pass, the GOODNESS between
them has been more marked than ever
but to the story.
Exhausted by the worry of preparing to
assume the matrimonial yoke, Bagsley final
ly fell into deep slumber from which he
was partially aroused by the far distant
peal of a bell. Leaping out of bed, he no
ticed that it was Il few seconds past five
o'clock. Then he distinctly heard the crack
of a whip and the sound Of heavy carriage
wheels gradually growing fainter. Heavens!
1t was the cabman and no one had answered
the bell. Bagsley, attired in a nightgown
that was painfully short, dashed out of
his room. He could not hope to pass into
the apartment of his neighbor and call to
the departing cabman from his, window,
SO he clattered Town the stairs, barking
his shins and stubbing his toes. His alb
breviated nightrobe, floating grandly be-
hind him, entwined itself about the newell
post at the foot Of the stairs. One desper-
ate plunge, and the garment ripped from
the bottom to the neckband. However.
it was no time for %triles. Bagsley threw
open the door, took a hasty glance about
him and stepped out to-shout to the cab
man. just as he caught a glimpse of the
rear wheel whisking around the corner, a
half block distant, a furious blast of wind
banged the door shut and Bagsley found
himself, barefooted and well-nigh nude,
out on the narrow stone step, with the tenn
perature five below and no key in the gar
ment he was wearing. The slamming of
the door had so startled him that he forgot
to shout to the cabman. He tried the door,
kicked it with his bare feet and hammered
it with his fast stitfening knuckles. Nothing
doing. Chicago doors are built to with
stand the assaults of burglars. Then Bags
ICY PuSiiSu l!lC DSli DullOl ultl lis lll-
gers ached. No response. He had no bet
tersuccess than the cabman, who had wasted
ten minutes and much choice profanity in
a similar effort. Despairing of rousing the
porter, Bagsley lifted his voice, gently at
first, eventually rising to a scream that was
caught up and distorted into a wall by the
bitterly cold wind. Finally he heard a y Win
dow open. A frowZled, bewhiskered face
was poked out of the third-story front and
a voice asked: whats the matter down
there?"
cts T-Bagsley-Tm locked out"
"1ou're a liar! Bagsley went away from
here in a cab a half hour ago. Get away
from there and quit your %yowling or I'll
telephone the police!''
"But | s-a-y-I SAY"
Slam! vent the window and Bagsley, his
teeth chattering like castanets, danced
from one foot to the other to keep-from
freezing to the granite step. Then he cursed
the cabman, the drunken porter, the occu-
pant of the third floor front, his luck and
everything he could think of. Just as he
was about to curl up in despair and freeze
to death, he was overjoyed to hear APP
preaching footsteps. Yes! they were COM
ing nearer, pattering along, and as Bagsley
peered out, a Chinaman, bearing a bundle
VI clOlneS, nONe Ill slSnl.
"H-e-r-e, C-h-i-n-k; r-r-u-n around
t-ot-t-h-err-e-a-ra-n-d b-b-r-e-a-k d-d-o-w-n
t-t-h-e d-o-o-r-r." Chartered poor Bagsley.
But the atfrighted Chinaman was already
scurrying across the street, muttering vol
ubly to himself, and Bagsley collapsed into
his corner. BY this time he was too feeble
to make another attempt to push the but
ton. The streets were becoming very light
and he knew the people across the way
would soon be arising. Some one would
surely spy him before he could enter the
house. As a last desperate resort, he de-
termined to make a mad dash around the
corner, five doors away, hasten through the
alley and gain the rear entrance. 1t was
his only hope. Collecting his tattered gar
ment about him as best he could, he ran
down the icy steps and darted for the cor
ner.
But it was not Bagsley's lucky day. Just
as he turned the corner leading into the
alley he collided with a Celtic lady of am
pie proportions, who was on her way to
essay the renovation of sundry linen ar
ticles for a family in the block. The impact
of the collision and the vision OF Bagsley's
despairing face well-nigh upset the we'll
balanced washlady and she crossed herself
and called upon a number Of saints to pro.
tect her. Then her fighting instinct came
to the front.
"Ye impident little whelp!' she painted,
sis it afther murtherin' me yez would be?'
Poor I5agsley vainly en~deavored to back
through the brick wall of the house. He
was too badly frightened to respond and
could only chatter unintelligibly.
cts buggley-house We ar-re!!" screamed
the ponderous lady, as righteous indigna.
ton caused her bulky frame to palpitate
like a tub of pure g%elatine. "Ill have the
law upon yez. Back to tn looney-coor
wild yez!"
Bagsley, proud and naughty clubman, who
a half hour previous would have been out.
ragged at the very idea of being spoken tc
by a washwoman, sneaked into the area
way, where two minutes later, a might,
arm of the law, summoned by the Irish
woman, swooped down upon him, and call
ing the patrol wagon, hauled him to the
station.
In due course of time he was permitted
to explain and send a policeman to hi
clearinghouse for some clothing.
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