The Opelousas courier., 1902-09-06
ssThe falling of your club aroused

| were replaced, the organ T~el0cked, ana
| every picture righted. The next night
Mrs. Writers and myself were to go on
guard, she to remain in the parlor, as
George had done the night previously,
| and | in bed, as | was not quite strong
| enough yet to remain up.
At midnight the house was again
| quiet, Mrs. Writer'S IN guard. | heard
the clock struck twelve, then one,
| and
MY hair stood on end. A scream
| came from the parlor. Hastily lighting
a lamp, / beheld Mrs. Writers standing
in a corner, swinging the club franti-
cally, and screaming.
"Eleanor, what in Heavens name are
you doing?"
"You nearly frightened me to death"
she gasped.
"I?"
What did you firo9at"
1 had discharged the gun and it lay
smoking against the footboard, the bu-
reau looking glass havins\ round hole
through it.
did 1 fire?"s
"Did you? Mr.. Wilters. Amorrow
night Matte shall be on gu9 I'd, and
neither you nor your gun can Brighten
herr"
Great Heaven, see!v"
Every pictuse was again turne&ta
ward the wall and the organ was
open.
eleanor, what mystery is this?"
MY wife was speechless. Just at that
moment George and Matte appeared.
"Father, we will try it tomorrow
night, and failing, We'll call in the po-
lice to watch for u.s." George said,
when the situation had been ex-
planned.
And SO once more the pictures were
turned back.
ST prefer a revolver to a club" Mat
tie said stoutly.
Thus armed we again awaited events.
Singular that / should hear the clock
striking every night toward morning!
But so it was. 1t struck twelve, then
one, then two, and
I leaped from bed. Matte was firing
her revolver rapidly, the light reveal
ing her in an attitude of despair.
"Well, Matte, what have you hit?'
"Nothing" she said doggedly, throw
ing her smoking revolver into a cor
ner.
"Oh, yes you have! You've shot
four holes through my new oil paint
ing, costing five hundred dollars. One
hole in the perspective, one in the
background, two through the noun
tain. Good! Just one hundred and
twenty-five dollars a shot. Matte,
you'll do"
AS we came back to a normal con-
dition of mind we found that the pic
lures had been reversed as before.
"It is terrible!!' said Matte.
"But why did you shoot:"
81 heard footsteps.
"Whose?"
II do not know.m
"Leave me to watch tomorrow
night, said my wife, determinedly.
"WelI and good; we will" / an
swered.
When the fatal hour came Mrs. Will
tiers commanded:
"Mr. Writers, you viii now retire as
usual"
I retired gun in hand.
"George-Mattie-your father has
gone to bed. Come"
The three left the room, going to the
spare chambers above. What it meant
| had no means ef knowing at the time,
but it all came out afterWard. When
/ fell asleep they returned to the sitting
room, each holding a revolver and a
dark lantern. Mrs. Writers was at the
head of the undertaking. her idea be-
ing to flash the bulls eyes full upon the
parlor adjoining at the slightest noise,
and should a person be discovered
tampering with the organ or pictures,
to shoot him.
AS usual I heard the clock strike
twelve, one, two, and The next I
knew the par1or was suddenly illum-
mated, and crack! crack! crack! went
the three revoIvers. They had i'll
prised the man in the very act of dis
placing the pictures, and after firing
excitedly, rushed into the room.
"Great Heavens!" cried my wife,
fainting and falling.
"Are you burt?" gasped George.
"We have shot father" screamed
Matte, s%pringing forward and clasping
me in her arms.
Matters were soon righted, but if
my bold warriors had not been too
badly frightened to shoot straight I
should not be telling this story. It
is all explained by the fact that I was
a somnambulist, and did these things
-