Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-10-01


the opening as wide as we thought
we dare for fear the button would
fly of. We got a pretty good
view of the room inside. The beds
were all made down and the girls
were all dressed in their white
robes ready for retiring. They
had brought in some snow and
were throwing it at each other in
good fashion, washing each other S
faces with it, sprinkling it on
each others feet, and screaming
at each application Of snow.
We boys were enjoying the fun,
there, all unknown TO those limo
cent girls, and doubtless would
have got off fine had it not been
for Dan Crews. He was always
making blunders and getting his
foot into things and doing what
he had no business to do, that too
at the most unexpected time. lie
got his curiosity excited and re-
membered that crack in the door
and thought he'd slip down aud
have picnic all to himself.
Now it happened that BillStokes
in an unguarded moment had left
one Of his feet on the steps above
him, and as Dan came slipping
down he trod on that very foot. He
would have, missed that foot under
almost any other circumstances.
Now, Bill had no arrangements
for any one to trod on his foot so
it came as such a surprise. And
1T seems that Dan had made no
more calculation for such a thing
to happen than did Bill. Instinc-
lively Bill jerked that foot down.
That brought Dan with it. Great
Scott Before you could say scat
he struck that stair door, coming
head first, the button few off aud
the door opened with a bang and
Dan shot oyer our heads into the
room like q rocket. Turning al
most somersault he lit upon one
of those straw beds. Fortunately
for him the bed was there. He lit
right by the side of Polly Mayo
who was just dartimg under cover
to get rid of a bunch of snow. 1
was mashed down against the stair
steps and could not move till Bill
got off of me. That he was not
long doing. AS he went over me /
looked up into his face. He looked
like two thousand horrors had got
ten hold of him and no won der, for
right in the IN iddle of the floor
stood Samantha Starks in her
white robe looking like an angel,
and as she caught sight of the fly
ing machine coming down stairs
her face began to grow pale and
when she famed the air with those
white arms she seemed to be tax
ing on wings. l knew what Bills
thoughts were. He gave a deep
groan and said Oh Lord as he
took the inevitable plunge. He
knocked and dragged me down to
the bottom of the steps. 1t seemed
to me that those two boys get
reckless and lost their respect for
a friend. BY the time Bill had
gotten stretched out on the floor
Dan was ready to go back, and he
looked like he wished he hadn't
come. He seemed to take me for
a spring board, for the first jump
he lit on my back and then
up the stairs three steps at a time.
Bill acted just as reckless and in
different to my welfare. II seemed
they didn't either Of them care
whether ever got up or not. The
first bound Bill made he struck
his foot ag ainst the top Of my
head and knocked me into the cor.
ner and then he Just fell upstairs.
Bill had always been dignified but
his dignity seemed to all fash out
at once. He had entirely lost his
grip, Well, Of course i got up
and got away the best / could and
felt as tho the life had been crush
ed out of me.