The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-13
A Composite story.


This story with a tragic ending is
cited by Woman's Life as showing
that there may be too much of the
helpful spirit in domestic life. Mr..
Blank begins:
"A curious thing happened to me in
the year eighty seven
No dear, it was eighty-six If you
mean that one about the man who
Very well, then, Wen say eighty
six, but it makes no difference to the
story if it was eighty-six or eighty
severn
"Oh, yes, it does, darling. because
you were in Calcutta in eighty-seven.
l know, BECAUSE
"All right, my dear, we have decid-
ed it was eighty-siX, so now Well pro-
coed. 1 CHANGED to be staying one
night in the month of September at
an hotel called the Black Lion when
NAM
Dearest, it was the Blue Lion,' II
you remember because"--
We'll call it the Pink Lion,' If you
like, my dear, only let
"Oh, no, darling. no one ever heard
of a Pink Lion l am sure 1t was
Blue because 1 had a sunshade OF
the same color as his name and"
Never mind the sunshade, Maria,
L III BOlIlB DdCh W NlAC A@AOAA'
YES, dear, the Blue Lion.
We'll call it simply the Lion, Ma
ria, and then perhaps you'll allow me
to proceed"
why, of course, darling, wouldn't
interrupt you for the world, you know
l love to hear you tell that story"
Very WELL then, L was staying at
this hotel, and was sitting late over a
cup of coffee and newspaper
hon
you used to say a book, dear, not
a paper. l know it was a book be-
cause you threw it.
"A book a book, ye gods! let it be
book if you prefer it! Sitting over
cup of coffee and IL book, when dis
heveled looking man with a pale race
entered the room hastily and slammed
the door sharply behind him. Then he
planted his back against 1T as II ne
were determined to keep out some one
who was following him. and glared
around the room as if anxious to assure
himself that the thing he was fear
ing had not rushed forward and got IN
before him. l rose from my chair has
tily, knocking over my coffee cup and
dropping my newspaper while
mot paper dear, book
dropping my book, 1 asked the
newcomer what was the matter. Mat
ter he replied in a hollow voice, muir
der's the matter!' Come, come, l said,
trying to reassure him and myself at
the same time, pull yourself together,
man! You're safe enough now, no one
going to murder you here' The man
here burst into a horrid laugh. 1t
made my flesh creep to hear him. Ha-
ha-hai No, no. he exclaimed, I'm
not the murdered one. I'm the muir
derer!' You may imagine L commenced
to feel far from comfortable, and L
began to edge myself towards a Win
dow opposite
mo, a door, dear, a glass door
"a window leading
"a door which,
"a Widowed door which led into
shed that
"A conservatory, you told me, darl-
ing
opened upon the back garden Of
Dear, it was the front garden. be-
cause afterward you sale" -
Lets say simply the garden. felt
behind me while 1 kept wary eye
upon the intruder, and found that the
door was locked, and p
"Bolted, dear"
Locked, Maria, locked"
you've always said bolted, dar-
ing"
I'm going to have that door locked,
Maria, if ] die for it. I turned the
key, and pulled the door a little way
open, then, sharply revolving on my
heel, 1 rushed through the doorway,
caught my foot in some mating
"Linoleum, darling"
Mating! hang it! Mating! and
plunged headfirst into pile of flower
pots"-
Broken flower pots, you always said
broken flower pots -
"Oh, hang it, Maria! Break the
flower pots as much as you like. You've
broken up the story; you may just as
we'll have the flower pots, too! It's no
use my trying to tell a tale when
you're present."