Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1909-01-28
How HeMet HisFate

Three friends dining at care were
chatting on the subject why certain
people fail to fulfill law of nature in
mating. One Of them, a married man,
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 20 into it thoughtful-
ly, some toboggan into It,
How did you happen TO embark in
matrimonyF" asked one of the party.
you speak as If you had had one OF
these experiences yourself"
"My own case is peculiar. Like other
young men, if they will admit it, | ex-
perienced longing for some woman
who would be all I'm all to me. But, in
the first place. | didn't think | could
afford a wife, and. in the second, moth
ing occurred t. attach me to any wo-
man. The day when would get my
affairs in shape and make marriage a
prime object was always a few years
ahead of me.
II had reached the age of thtrty-tive
without getting any nearer to settling
down in a home when one night. while
on a journey. | found myself in bed
in n hotel one can't conceive of any
probability of a more uniting place
for that ineXorablc fate we have been
speaking Of to start one of its matri-
monial ventures was alone, lying
awake. did not know person in the
city where | was. and 1t was mid
night.
IL had been counting the strokes of
city clock when | heard the door open
and the rustic of a dress approaching
my bed. There were several matters
which would naturally have occurred
to me If there had been time. In the
first place, | had forgotten TO lock my
door; In the second. whoever had en-
tered was not likely to be a robber,
nor even thief. for there was moth
ing stcalthy I'm the entrance nor the
approach It was pitch dark, and
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 it, had to woke them up TO
get into the Kitchen
Il 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withdrawn, and the voice said;
"Tll light the gas
"Now. there was something pleasant
in all this that knew must cease I'M
der the light It was plain that had
been mistaken for a sick man, and |
was I'm no hurry TO disabuse the owner
of the voice who had made the mis-
take
Don't said in a sort Of invalid
moan Come and hold my handr
Il heard her feeling for chair,
which she drew to Lay bedside and,
sitting down took my hand With one
of hers while she passed the other
over my forehead Not only were the
hands soft. but | was quite aware
that so 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
an occasional moan just to let her
know that | was not in a talking
mood. She encouraged me to believe
that l would soon be better, and by
several things she said inferred that
she was nursing some one.
81 was thus Illustrating blissfully
IL -.
stomach began to burn. | presume If
my face could at that moment have
been seen it would have been wildly
expressive. once the thing began to
burn It grew apace, and it was not
long before it felt as If redhot iron
was being pushed about among my
entrails
Did you ever hear of the boy who
with one hand shoveled ice cream into
his mouth and with the other held the
space between his eyes that the cold
made painful, crying all the whieE
Well, l was like that boy. | had never
before held a woman's soft hand at
night anywhere, certainly not in
lonely hotel, and l couldn't make up
my mind to let go. | knew had
some sort Of plaster on and might
take it off with my loose hand but she
would hear me and the situation would
be closed The thing kept burning and
burning until ] could stand it no
longer.
Great Scottr 1 cried at last. start
ing up This is the fire of purgatory.
Il heard the scratch of a match. and
in an instant a gas jet illumined the
room.
There stood q girl in dishabille-a
wrapper and a pigtai She looked at
me with holy horror, then exclaimed:
Good graciousr
You must have got into the wrong
room ! remarked
81 should think So
Who is the patient you are caring
for?
My brother went down to get a
mustard plaster and coming back got
into the wrong room
Well, you've burned a hole pretty
near through me-.