Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-13

sounded like fowls when we heard
that noise just now"
"Fowis!" retorted his superior Of
hcer contemptuously: fowls, you fool,
You've got fowls on the brain since
you got those boys convicted. No. tia
something worse than fowls. can tell
YOU always did think that Hall
wasn't all he should be. And him so
quiet too! Well! well! there's no
knowing what any ones character "a
till he's found out. It's harem. that's
what IL is. I've seen a picture of one
In the Windsor Magazine, and recog-
Hize IT easy. There's hanging lamp.
that don't look as II they was meant
to burn respectable oil in decent
houses. And there's couches without
any legs. like bed made up on the
foor-divans, don't they call 'em?-
oil In stripes and gaudy colors, and
beaped up with soft pillows. Down
right heathenish, call II. There's a
big table in the middle that's got big
white cloth flung over It as II there
was something on 1t that was too
wicked even for Hall to look at long.
We shall find something pretty there.
I'll promise you, when we get down.
Well, well, it's wicked world we live
in"
rs there any women tnere?" in.
quired the intelligent Stocker, with
more interest than he had previously
manifested. "a barem's a place where
they keep a lot of lovely women. amt
it? I've seen one at the 'Quarium
whnn I fD T
golden hair, and wore trousers made
of gold and stuff, and lay about on
couches and looked cross"
mo, that's what I can't make ont
replied his chief. There amt no wo-
men, but there soon will be. You mark
my words. Hall and lubbock have
gone to fetch 'em now they have got
1t all ready. That's why there's no
one at home to-day. A pretty pair of
rascals they are, bringing their Ro-
mand Catholic ways into a Christian
country. I'll harem 'em before I've
done. You go and see If you can find
me a bit of rope so as can fasten It
to the chimney stack and let myself
down Into the room. I'm going 10 see
what's on that table, harem or no
Earem."
The search for a rope was appar-
emily successful, and as the sergeant
had In the meanwhile been working
hard to make the hole in the roof
! large enough to admit his body, he
| babe Stocker come up and hold on to
| the end which was hitched to the Chin
ney stack, while he lowered himself
into the ROOM
Curiosity getting the better OF dis
erection, l very guardedly inclined my
head outward an inch or two beyond
the projecting rim of the table, and
twisting my neck round, looked up.
The sergeant, hanging on to the rope,
had just got clear of the hole in the
roof, and was preparing to lower HIM
self down hand-over-hand Through
the opening over his head, the red
and bovine face of Stocker was star
ing. He was watching the sergeant's
progress with eager interest but the
movement of my withdrawing head
apparently attracting his attention, he
craned through the aperture. and
catching sight of me, pointed down
WIN III SNCllSQ yen 10 NDere L was
lying.
Whether the shout so startled the
sergeant as to cause him to lose his
hold, or whether what happened was
caused by the letting go by Stocker
OF the end of the rope which was
hitched around the chimney stack, 1
cannot say. All / know is that the
unfortunate sergeant fell with a crash,
pulling down with him one of the
lamps that lighted the table. This
lamp, though of oriental and ancient
manufacture. had been prostituted by
Hall to so base a use as the burning
of parafin and as artificial light was
necessary, even during the daytime,
In our prophets chamber, the lamp
was unfortunately burning at the time
AS 1t fell il struck the edge of the
table and cannoned-a terrible tongue
or fire-against the wall, which. as
the reader knows, was draped. tent
wise, from floor TO ceiling with some
Indian fabrics. The room, being di-
rectly under the roof, was always hot
and this fabric had evidently become
as dry and inaammable as finder.