Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-05-24


too much and a little to sinister a
background to make them really en-
joyable. Almost everyone slept out
of doors the first night, behind
screens or rugs and portieres strung
on ropes, and at a discreet distance
from the houses--student patrol and
bonfires for a foreground, and in
the background the bad red light
from the burning city. Almost every
one continued to sleep out for twp or
three nights. We used our camp
three times, explaining deliberately
to each other that we were doing 1t
just for mental attitude.
An unknown dog appeared for two
nights after we turned. in, and took
up his headquarters at the foot OF
one of the girls beds, from which
chivalrous standpoint he kept track
of the situation, ute ring detailed
protests to any noise which he con-
sidered undue. His spirit was lofty,
for he declined all compensation at
breakfast time, and preferred to de-
part grandly into the unknown
when ce he came. The third night
he did not return, and things were
generally more normal as he doubt
less anticipated.
Guarding the Girls at Night.
The fourth night almost every one
| went back into their own rooms to
sleep, though the patrol kept up and
the women folk were glad to have
men around. The boarding houses,
of course, had the desired element to
start with, but the society houses had
to make importations. Our chaper-
one asked three for Il establish
ment. The girls adorned them with
a badge which parodied the official
/ student relief. 1t read precisely:
Sorority Relief. Pass to the Theta
Precincts" The fellows put their
| mattresses, camp styles, on the porch
in front of the hall door, and slept
there in their clothes with guns and
! ammunition. AS the campus has
| been guarded with the most elaborate
| rigor, and most of us have not had a
glimpse of any but very well bred If
not altogether composed refugees,
these glorious and bloodthirsty pre-
cautions have their ludicrous side.
Our first night, in spite of the
prospects of %precipitate fight to the
front lawn, andthough she has can
didly admitted that Mars would be
her choice for a home just now, M
stoutly removed her shoes. We were
Weakened once by a shake, and then
again along about two o'clock by a
human voice, shrill and high, calling
out something in the silence. 1t did
sound a bit gruesome, there In the
dead of night, and with our ruins for
a setting. We listened keenly for a
minute. Would it come any nearer?
Was it a possible message from Lick?
(Do not criticise probabilities too
nicely, pleasei) 1t died away. But
while we were still waiting NJ sud
denly got up. There was just enough
light from the street lamp to enable
me to see her dimly, fussing around
on the floor with great vigor for a
! minute. Theh she went back to bed
and nestled down with such COM
plete contentment that | asked eager
ly what she had done.
81 put on my shoes!" she replied
with satisfaction.
Now / had private reasons for not
disputing the claim that shoes were
a good thing to have on ones feet.
But there came over me at the in
slant a realization of the awful power
of the cosmic forces against which
i the precaution was taken, which
threw her satisfaction with so simple
a measure into a relief that struck
me- as lu%dicrouS.
1t has been interesting to watch
the varying reactions brought out by
the home letters from the different
parts of the country. 1t is, of course,
not surprising that they should Ell
J Their over or underestimate our loss.
One letter asked quietly: did you
feel it?" This in the light of all
these days. | hear that n telegram
which reached the campus read: Are
you alive? If so, flee to the noun
tains. Wire At the postofice is
a large placard with David Starr Jor-
dams own stately signature:
BLANK of Boston wants immediate
news of Tom Brown"
1t sounds so solemn and pitiful,