The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-03-17


not a wide one and dare not enargr
the space, yet saw sufficient to yieIG
me full knowledge CT the party and
its occasion The floor was crowded
the men almost without exception in
Federal uniform.
The couples whired past, circling
the room. | watched the faces ca
gerIy, but they were all strange No
doubt some of those young women /
had known as girls. but they had
grown out of my recollection None
among the officers present, so far as
! could tell. had ever come in con
! tact with-ah! yes! there was Whit.
lock sitting disconsOiateIy alone below
the judges bench Clung to my
perch determining to assure myself
out my eyes encountered no other
familiar CountenanCe. OF course No.
| reen would not attend, but there must
be some special cause to account for
| Raymonds absence He was the sort
10 whom such an occasion as this
would naturally appeal.
Satisfied by my scrutiny. explored
the opposite wall IN vain for any SINH
lar opening As remembered tber.
we're Offices there whore in dave of
peace the county officers held sway.
and the noor above uae on u,fur
nisbpd attic EXTENDING tho ruu lenotr
Of the buildino bayiro . low rncoiI.d
roof IN ,ho ID 1a,- :. -. ...
used for storage nurnOsps and rhere
was a narrow stairway leading down
into the sheriff's office. Az, and there
was a cOntrivancp there once in which
they used to burn waste PAPERS. | re
membered a certain house cleaning in
which assisted. and was assigned TO
the job of stirring the papers fire
Qucrtly with an iron noker though
it fun, and the chimney funnel was
a big one Possibly il was there stili
but could succeed in getting nm that
far? The light shining through the
broken paper permitted faint g,imnse
OF my immediate surroundings vet re.
vealed little to encourage me Tho
chimney was barely large enough TO
admit the upward massage of nv hody
and was a black mystery. However
the irregularty of the stones promised
finger and foot hold. II offered a
chance, a hope-and | could ask no
more.
| was climbing before the music
ceased, clfnging desneratoIv n every
slight projection and hracine mv.ols
against the walls Progress was SLOW
and occasionally nainful. tho co,.
tracted sDace gave me feeIino of emf
location. and disIodged anongb eoot
so was comnelIad 70 strnggIo oor
stantly To refrain from copghing Nv
only relief was 10 hind a handkerchief
across mouth and nostri,s
While the music remained silent !
rested fearful lest NV struoo,es would
be overheard, taking sucb meaeer
comfort as could The first hIare
of the horns started me- off onca mora
careless in the midst of so much no,ee
as TO whether | ratified the Ioosored
plaster, or even disIodeed an III.
secured stone. But at the hest the
massage was mode nv incbeo ord
took more than one desnerate chance
of Shining. twice | chung hreathIoss
as the music ceased bit the secord
time | felt convinced | had attained
to the level Of the INNER Aoor
With the next hurst NJ moIodv from
below, now somewhat mellowed nv
distance and the intervening walls /
made another ATTEMPT to ascend hut
had scarcely attained more than
foot or two when nv right hand
plunged into a wide opening, Clingins
as best | could to a precarious foot.
ing, | ran nv arm deeper in until |
came in contact with a tin covering
which fell rather noisily to the floor
paused. startled at the sound. hut M
CLEAN of light came through the open.
ing, and instantly realized that the
attic was unoccupled. The rattle Of
the tin would, In all probability. ere
ate no alarm because OF the din be.
low.