The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-07-13
the THOUGHTFUL GUEST.


Sometimes tho best intentions are
but traps: sometimes the loftiest en-
deavor ends In disaster, says a con-
ributor to Pearson's Weekly. and IL
illustrates his meaning by tho case Of .
friend II his-a writer. already BE-
coming famous. He did not live in
London, but at the time was staying
with some friends In town. One night
they took him to the theater. At tho
end Of the play he said he would run
over to a club, to keep an appointment
with q friend Would they let him
have 4 latch-key, SO that he might let
himself In and not disturb anybody
when he got back OF course they did.
At 2 o'clock in the morning he found
that it was 2 O'Clock, and he jumped
up in hurry, got into cab. and
drove home. As he opened the door
with his latch-key his blood ran cold.
Some foolish servant had left the door
on the chainl 1t opened about eight
inches, and no more.
There was not light In the house.
There was not a soul in the street
with AhOm he could confer. not even
q policeman. Would he, after all.
have to disturb the whole household
No. He suddenly remembered that
wherever mans head could pene-
rate, his body could follow. Science
said that.
The door was open about eight inch
e. He wore q seven and three-Quara
tiers hat. He tried to see IL the top
Of the hat would 30 in. 1t would.
30, carefully maneuvering It round
the brim, he gently deposited 1t on the
mat inside. Then, still planning to
avoid Noise, he took his money, his
keys and his watch from his pockets,
and placed them besiGe the hat After
that he took of his boots. To maze
the thing thorough, he took of his
coat. and laid that also inside
Smiling at the humor of the situa-
zion, he lay down on the top step and
wormed his head in through the door.
He tried then to get m arm in, and
found that lying nat on his face and
raising himself on hs right arm, his
left arm would enter. Holding tho
position OF an overland swimmer, he
undertook to get his right arm in. tt
would not 90 in, try as he might
Besides, the strained position Of his
left arm was unbearable. He raised
On his right, and withdrew 1t. He
would get cut altogether on the door
step, and get cool and think it over.
Hs was alarmed then to hear the hall
clock strike 4, and he tried to look up
at 1t, to see II he had heard Alright.
From this time-just as tho clock
struck +he lost all faith In all the
scientific knowledge he had ever DOS
sessed. His head would not come out
again-It had grownl Either that, o.
the door had closed 4 link or two.
How time went after that he did
not know. He only knew that his
head and body were bathed in perspi-
ration, and that the wind had changed
and was blowing from the north. The
knowledge that his trousers had work.
ed well absvs his knees. and his ex-
tremitiss were stone-eold, told him
the way Tie wind was blowing; and
he began to think that perhaps Il
would have looked more heroic had he
died with his boots on,
At $50 o'clock the policeman on
the beat. passing that way ON his
first round, saw the difficulty, and
knowing that the average burglar
does not wear silk stockings, made in.
Quiries. Explanations came in a muf-
ned and exhauStsd voice. He sent the
milkman for a locksmith.
A big crowd had collected, and, al
the man was freed, it raised a cheer
Observation-Disclosures the house.
hold.