Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-02-03
How Helmet HisE Fate

after listening to all the others had to
say, spoke up;
Marriage is a matter which strikes
people the same as lightning does.
Some are thrown together, some are
kept apart, some go into Il thoughtful.
iy. some toboggan into II"
How did you happen to embark in
matrimonyT asked one of the party
You speek as II you had had one Of
these experiences yourself"
my own case Ia peculiar. Like other
young men. II they viii admit It. ! en-
perienced a longing for some woman
who would be all In ali to me. But, In
the first place, didn't think / could
afford a wife. and, in the second, moth.
Ing occurred to attach me to any wo-
man. The day when would get my
affairs In shape and make marriage q
prime object was always a few years
ahead Of me.
Il had reached the age Of thirty-nve
without getting any nearer to settling
down in a home when one night. while
on a journey. found myself In bed
IN q hotel. One can't conceive OF any
probability Of a more uniting place
for that inexOrable fate we have been
speaking Of to start one OF It's matri-
monial ventures. was alone, lying
awake, did not know a person IN tho
city where ! was. and It was mid
night
II had been counting the strokes OF
city clock when I heard the door open
and the rustic Of dress approaching
my bed There were several matters
which would naturally have occurred
to me II there had been time. In the
nrst place. had forgotten to lock my
door; in the second, whoever had en-.
tered was not likely to be q robber,
nor even thief. for there was moth
ing stealthy In the entrance nor the
approach. II was pitch dark, and I
could see nothing could only hear.
A woman's voice-it was sweet and
sounded sweeter In the loneliness Of
midnight -said
"'sorry I've been so long. could
not help II. had to wake them up t.
get into the kitchen
II naturally waited for develop
ments, A hand was slipped under the
bedclothes and something warm placed
on my stomach. Then the hand was
withdrawn. and the voice said:
"'I'll light the gas
Nov. there was something pleasant
IN oil this that l knew must cease un
der the light. II was plain that had
been mistaken for sick man. and
was In no hurry to dlsabuse the owner
OF the voice who had made the mis-
take.
Don't I said In a sort OF invalid
moan. Come and hold my handr
II heard her feeling for a chair,
which she drew to my bedside and.
sitting down. took my hand with one
OF hers while she passed the other
over my forehead. Not only were the
handb soft. but | was quite aware
that 30 long as It was dark had a
soft thing wanted to say some
thing, but feared my voice would give
me away. SO contented myself with
IN occasional moan just to let her
know that | was not In a talking
mood. She encouraged me to believe
that I would soon be better, and by
several things she said inferred that
she was nursing some one
II was thus luxurlating bllssfully
when the thing she had put ON my
stomach began to burn. presume II
my face could at that moment have
been seen Il would have been WILDLY
expressive, Once the thing began to
burn II grew apace, and II was not
long before II felt as II a redhot iron
WAS being pushed about among my
entralls.
ibid you ever hear of the boy who
with one baud shoveled ice cream INFO
bis mouth and with the other held the
space between his eyes that the cold
made painful, crying all the while2
Well. was like that boy. l had never
before held a woman's soft hand at
night anywhere, certainly not In a
lonely hotel. aud | couldn't make up
my mind to let 80, knew l had
some sort of plaster on and might
take II on with my loose hand. but she
would hear me and the situation would
be closed The thing kept burning and
burning until ! could stand Il no
longer.
"'Great scottr ! cried at last. start.
ing up. This l. the IRE Of purgatOry.'
II heard the scratch Of a match. and
IN an instant q gas Jet lllumlned the
room.
There stood u girl In dishabille--a
wrapper and q plgtal. She looked at
me with a holy horror. then exclalmed;
"sGO0d graciouAg
"'You must have got into the wrong
room remarked.
81 should think So
"'Who Is the patient you are caring
forY
MY brother. | went down to get a
mustard plaster and coming back got
into the wrong room.
"swell. you've burned hole pretty
near through me.
II took the thing or and aung Il out
on the floor.
.sas. - - - -. =.