The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-05


dining room. Th& first night was rath-
er cold and people told them they
would freeze to death but they were
afraid to be blurred out again by the
weather, so they went out early and
made their tents ready for the night.
IL was a dull night at the club
not to exceed half a dozen for dinner
and everybody left early Barkley's
friend oplned that it seemed rather
quiet and guessed he'd drive into town
Barkley to join him. But Barley
said no: that was just what he liked
about it alI-the restful quiet-the
absence of annoying distractions. He
nad gone out there mainly in order
10 be able to get to bed early and ex-
pected to turn in at o'clock nearly
every night all summer. So he babe
his friend goodbye and went out to his
tent Tor a good, long, restful sleep.
But the quiet which had been so
oppressive on the. club house veranda
was less noticeable. in bed.
The frogs in the meadow marshes
croakeds dismally, A dog in a neigh
boring farm houke howled loud and
long. There. seemed to be a cricket
somewhere in the tent and it sang
busily. Barkley had read in poetry
and fiction that a scrickets song is
cheerful, but it did not. so impress him
and after he had stood it as long as
he COULD he got up and lighted his
lantern and began searching for the
thing which kept up its ceaseless
racket but which he could not find
any place, although he moved every
thing in the tent and even searched
the bed After he had crawled in
again and closed his eyes and started
TO count the sheep jumping over the
fence he heard soft, stealthy sound
and opened his eyes with a start to
see two big, round balls of fire glar-
ing under the tent flap. After a Sec
ond ne saw that 1t was a proving cat
and reaching over the side of the bed,
he CROPPED for a shoe and threw it at
the intruder. About midnight his
friend came stumbling along through
the dark on his way to his adjoining
tent. By this time the temperature
had fallen perceptibly and he discov-
with enough covers. He got up and
found his overcoat and threw it over
him, but he was still chilly, and al
though he finally fell asleep about 2
o o'clock, he rested all and woke fire.
quently shivering with the cold. He
could hear his friend proving around
in the other tent and knew that he
too, must be finding the simple life
somewhat frigid AT dawn he was
awakened by the unaccustomed light
in his sleeping apartment and the
twittering of the beautiful little birds, |
whose goodnight sounds he had adj
mired and enjoyed SO profoundly the
night before on the club house We
randa He lay for an hour watching |
the dawn creep up the eastern skies |
and left his bed at O'Clock with a |
greater sense of relief than he had |
ever felt before in his life. His friend |
was also ready to get up and they APP
peared on the golf links at half after |
6 looking rather pinched and blue, 1T |
is true. but still keeping stiff upper |
lips, and played round before break |
fast. Barkley had talked good deal
about the breakfast appetite he was to
have after sleeping out, but he still |
felt chilled and uncomfortable when /
he went to the table and wasn't sol
very keen for the leafs" However, he
kept up his enthusiasm all day and
told all 'inquiring friends (and there |
are a i4vays so blamed many inQuiring
friends1 that the simple life was great. |
He advised them all to join him and |
try it.
( The second night he asked a girl for
dinner in order to avoid complete soli-l
tude, for it was still pretty cold andj
everybody was isaRing tteEelub before
o clock. After dinner they sat out /
on the porch and she admired the |
view and talked about how lovely the
greens We're and mentioned the lovely |
goodnight songs of the birds and ask
ed if it wasn't lovely to be wakened |
by those exquisite twitterings in the
morning. He said, Yes, very nice
indeed. Wouldn't it be kind O. fun to
20 in and see the show at the Novel; |
" ?n-TIe understood there was a good |
iuggler this week. The girl wasn't so
Wild about jugglers but she had a |
snea king feeling that he really wanted |
10 go, so she assented. Before they |
started he tried to telephone his |
friend, who had not shown up for din |
ler. but was unable to find him. They |
went to the vaudeville. which seemed |
% him after q one nights exile from |
he madding crowd, fairly entertain |
ng, and the evening would have been |
more than usually agreeable except |