The Harrison times., 1908-10-17

world On the afternoon OF our mar
.iage day we started on a long, lei
surely journey through the south.
The eve of the Mardi Gras festival
found us in New Orleans after a lazy
ride upon a steamboat from Mem
phis.
Luckily | had written some weeks
previous for apartments which l had
occupied once before upon a similar
occasion, and we experienced none or
the annoyances incident to packed
hotels. The house where we were to
stay was a long, irregular struggling
mansion, set back from the street up
on the Bayou st. Jean. Along the
front ran a wide veranda supported
by round brick pillars, now somewhat
crumbled, on which rOseyines massed
in wild luxuriance. 1t was a house
OF the old city, which, being aban-
doned, had fallen into decay. Ten
years before an old, white-haired Gre
ole had patched up one end of it, dry
ing the rooms and furnishing them
comfortably AS the building was
piped for gas, and the old man had
put in electric bells, it was just the
romantic sort Of a place | loved.
The larger part Of the mansion, un-
touched by the present owner, re-
mained in the same dilapidated state
tn ubiob bo bod found II SpnCp
of potential mystery lurked in the
dark, low passages and damp, moul-
dy rooms. But since the old creole,
Matt Favreau told us himself that
that part of the house was solidly
locked and the windows barred, |
smiled when my wife looked down one
passage that ran from our hall into
it, and told her there was nothing to
fear. The house had not even the
reputation Of sheltering spooks.
The afternoon we spent in driving
about the city already gay in antici-
patton of the evening when King Ko-
mo should come with his Krewe.
Of the suite which we had, one of
the rooms served as dressing room,
and its dainty little mahogany table
and tong- pier-glass had caused my
wife upon entering it to burst into
rapturous exclamations.
The room next to it, and the front
one of the apartments, looked out Of
the house where the tangled garden
lay, and down the street, This street
ended at the wall of the garden, for
the bayou had made further advance
impossible, and from the window we
could look along the street for several
squares to where it joined at right
angles one of the buster thorough
fares.
After finishing our dinner we en-
tered the dressingroom to dress for
the evening. Upon one Of the little
tables, covered with piece of MeXi-
can drawn.work, my wife laid the
Jewels she was to wear at the ball.
The chief of these was a magnificent
necklace of pearls, given her upon
her wedding day by her father; and
beside this she placed my own gift of
diamond clasp, and three or four
rings. among them a large, heart
shaped opal, burning with incessant
changes of rainbow color When she
took this last from her jewel case,
she pursed her lips thoughtfulIy for
moment, and then said she did not
know whether to wear it, 1t would
bring bad luck. she knew, for when
ever she had worn it before something
had always happened.
Yes" ! laughed, Didn't you have
it on when ! asked you to marry me?"
"Tho ideal" she exclaimed, Il had
on only a turquoise. Wen, I'll wear
It. It's such beauty-but lock the
door dear. This Old housewife
knows?" She continued opening her
eyes ominously, and then there are
darkics around"
laughed again But she persisted
and ! locked the door leading from
our rooms into the hall 4 small
transom, above the dressingroom
door, | closed but as there was nc
screw attached to the rod | could
not rastcn it more securely, This
caused her some unrest, until | point
ed out that not even a child could
crawl through It,
We began to chat of the ball and the
carnival. After a while there driftec
through the windows Of the other
room the noise of the first reyoers
and the crash of band We bott
rushed to the front, like excited chill
dren. At the interval whore the
thorough'arc joined our. quiet street
we could see the flare Of torches anC
dark. moving pictures, tumble o.
people and lights,
But comet | cried finally. There
is our carriage and we must hnisl
| dressing For at that instant IN,
one which l had ordered pulled up
clatteriug, before the gate We turned
/ back to the dressing room My wife
who preceded me, gave a. scream anC
cried; 81 knew It! | knew 1t woult
lring bad mck!"
The jewels were gone, Even tn,
beautiful piece OF Mexican linen upol
which they we're spread had vanished
| The fears crCpt out OF her eyes an,