The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1908-10-13

Late IN january, lew years dEN, !
I was married to the girl whom |
thought, and still think. the most
charming and beautiful in nll the
world On the afternoon of our mar
siage day we started on long. lei
surely Journey through the south.
The eve OF the Mardi Gras festival
found us In New Orleans after a lazy
ride upon steamboat from Mem
phis.
Luckily ! had written some weeks
previous for apartments which I had
occupied once before upon similar
occasion, and we experienced none OF
the annoyances incident TO packed
hotels. The house where We were TO
stay was 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 rosevines massed
| in wild luXuriance. II was a house
! Of the old city, which, being aban-
doned, had fallen into decay Ten
] years before an old, white-haired ere
ole had patched up one end of II, dry
ing the rooms and furnishing them
comfortably. As the building was
piped for gas, and the old man had
put in electric bells. II was just the
romantic sort OF place ] loved
The larger part Of the mansion, UNI
touched by the present owner. re.
mained in the same dlapidated state
in which he had found It. A sense
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 soldly
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 tc
fear. The house had not even tho
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.
or the suite which we had. one o
the rooms served as a dressing room
and its dainty little mahogany tabl,
and long pier-glass had caused m!
wife upon entering it to burst int,
rapturous eXclamations.
The room next to It. and the from
one OF the apartments, looked out o
the house where the tangled gardel
lay, and down the street. This stree
ended at the wall of the garden, 70
the bayou had made further advanc
impossible, and from the window W
could look along the street for severa
squares to where It joined at righ
angles one Of the buster thorough
fares.
After finishing our dinner we en-
: tered the dressing-room TO dress 70
the evening. Upon one of the littl
tables, covered with a piece OF Mex
, can dTawn-work, my wife laid th
jewels she was to wear at the bal
The chief of these was a magniiicen
necklace of pearls. given her upo
her wedding day by her father; an
beside this she placed my own gift G
a diamond clasp, and three or fou
rings, among them "A large, hear
shaped opal, burning with incessar
changes of rainbow color. When sh
@ took this last from her jewel cas'
n she pursed hor lips thoughtfuily fC
p a moment, ana then said she did ne
y know whether to wear It. 1t woul
y bring bad luck, she knew, for whel
!, ever she had worn it before somethin
had always happened.
o Yes" ! laughed, Didn't you hay
Il It on when ! asked you to marry me-
"The ideal" she exclaimed, IL ha
d on only a turquoise. Well, I'll wet
If It. It's such a beauty-but lock Il
II door, dear. This old house-wl
knows?" She continued, opening h
h, eyes ominously, "and then there al
id darkies around"
ID laughed again. But she persiste
= and / locked the door leading fro
our rooms into the hall. A sma
transoLl, above the dressingroo
door, / closed, but as there was I
N screw attached TO the rod cou
Iv not fasten II more securely. Tn
N caused her some unrest, until ] poiT
W ed out that not even child cou
ID crawl through it.
!" We began to chat Of the ball and Il
TO carnival. After a while there drift
i'd through the windows OF the 9th
in room the noise Of the first revele
,e and the crash Of bard. We DO
I'd rushed to the front, like excited ch
ut dren. At the interval where 4
z, thoroughfare joined our quiet sire
we could see the fare of torches al
dark, moving pictures, a tumble
people and lights.
But comet" l cried finally. "The
VI is our carriage and we must fini
dressing" For at that instant q
le one which had ordered pulled U
ie Clattering, before the gate. We turn
back to the dressing room. My vii
H. who preceded me. gave scream al
IN cried: Il knew 1t! / knew it wou
Lring bad luck!"
rba fauaIa Uara pOna Evar 4