The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-03-26

nize II easy. There's hanging lamps
that don't look as IL they was meant
TO burn respectable oil in decent
houses. And there's couches without
any legs. like a bed made mp On the
floor-divans, don't they call en-
ell in stripes and gaudy colors. and
heaped up with soft pillows. Down
right heathenish. | call IT,. There's a
big table in the middle that's got a big
white cloth flung over IL as II there
was something on II that was too
wicked even for Hall to look at long,
We shall find something pretty there,
III promise you, when we get down
Well, well, it's a wicked world we live
in"
rs there any ONE there?' in
uuired the intelligent Stocker, with
more interest than he had previously
manifested. "A harem's a place where
they keep a lot of lovely women. amt
it? I've seen one at the 'Quarium
when | went to London. They had
golden hair. and wore trousers made
of gold and stuff, and lay about on
touches and looked cross
NO, that's what can't make out
replied his chic There aIn't no wo-
men, but there soon will be, you mark
my words. Hall and lubbock have
gone to fetch 'em now they have got
il all ready. That's why there's no
one at home to-day. A pretty pair Of
rascals they are, a bringing their Ro-
mand Catholic ways into a Christian
country. I'll harem EN- before I've
done. You go and see If you can find
me a bit of rope so as | can fasten 1t
to the chimney stack and let myself
what's on that table, harem or no
harem."
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 CHM
ney stack, while he lowered himself
into the room
Curiosity getting the better of dis
erection, | 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
with an excited yell to where | 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, |
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 paraffln; and as artificial light was
a necessary, even during the daytime,
in our prophets chamber, the lamp
was unfortunately burning al the time,
As it fell 1t struck the edge Of the
table and cannoned-a terrible tongue
of fire-against the wall, which, as
the reader knows, was draped, tent
wise, from floor to ceiling with some
Indian fabrics. The room, being d.
rectly under the roof, was always hot,
and this fabric had evidently become
as dry and inlammabIe as finder.