The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-11-06


showing her contempt for me.
BY the time / had finished this frs
dance | was ready 10 leave the room
take OFF my bird costume and go ava,
In anger | think should have don,
so had not Dan Wilson, an intlmat,
man friend of mine, told me that bu
one course remained to me-to carry
out the Joke as though / enjoyed IL
To give way TO anger would only make
the matter worse l saw the sense OF
/ this advice and resolved to act upon It
Having taken this resolution, | did
! the best could to play my part, and
! 1t might have been after all out
successful plot on the part or
her abettors had not her M
spoiled it all. | gradually N
my equanimity so far as to DIN
with her and conceal the bitteriN\
felt against her for leading me NJ
such trap Possibly this encouraged
her TO go further. Having borrowed
match from the box of one Of the
men, she lighted the tissue paper on
the tip end of my tail.
Very young persons are not overbur-
dened with common sense, and as tPI
little flame quickly spread 1t gree/
amused the company Feeling n
warmth, | turned my head and, see
ing the flame, my body. In an effort to
put out the fire, giving a swish that
famed 1t into confiagration.
The laughter OF the lockers on sud
denly gave way to anxiety, and sew
eral men rushed to my assistance.
But by this time the flames had ac-
quired considerable Roadway, and the
task was difficult one, My tail
were all afiame and those on
my back were being ignited. A thrill |
Of horror passed over those standing |
about me. The women, in their flimsy |
costumes, drew back, while the men |
pushed forward toward me. One, who
was dressed as an Indian, took blan- |
ket from his shoulders and wrapped 1t
about me, while the others kept pluck
ing the burning tail feathers. This
saved me from death, but not from
My back and my legs were
seriously scorched. l was led out of
he hail. and | remember seeing
Imong the throng of horror stricken
aces that of Sue Gwinne. the very
licture of remorse and despair.
The incident finished the ball before
I had well begun. | was told after
ward that few persons remained
nd attempted TO carry on the dances.
nut the fact that was known to have
zen badly burned took the spirit out
t the affair. and before midnight all
yas dark which should have been a
rilliantly Illuminated scene OF gayety.
IL was month before | left my
Dom. | confess | acted very badly to-
yard the perpetrators of what though
attended for an innocent joke, very
early became frightful tragedy. Sue
ent me word of her distress and beg
ed that she might be permitted to
0 something for me. But. believing
nat her action toward me had been In
,nded to be contemptuous, | did not
nd 1t In my heart TO forgive her l
lowed my spleen by making no reply
her massage. She sent others to
tercede for her. but | was adamant
was not the burns that restrained my
rgiveness, but the fact that my love
30 | considered-had been spurned.
Finally my chum Dan Wilson, whose
Unions had great weight with me,
Id me. that while Sues act was TO be
nsidered as foolish and reprehensi-
e In the extreme, the whole affair
d been conceived In spirit OF mis-
lief. and had no bearing whatever
her feelings toward me, unless II
ght be construed to indicate that CT
e was favorably inclined toward me. Ii
. represented that the poor girl was et
ffering intensely in consequence OF m
r act and my treatment OF her was re
lie short of cruel. OF
10 | wrote Sue that had come to 81
, conclusion she had meant neither IN
rm nor ftsrespect in providing me IN
III bir- of paradise suit and firing hi
) tail feathers, and begged that she es
uld not distress herself further
nut H. especially since my wounds pc
re nearly healed. pc
his brought her to see me- Kneel-
beside me. she took my hand and IN
{ IL with her tears, withdrew my ar
nd for the purpose Of lifting her IN
e and made bold to kiss away her I'M
rs.
ny contemplate cause is good
ugh TO bring about an understand