The Tomahawk., 1919-10-30

l SuStE VI AuAo oAu oJ0@
books, does bring out something COM
Portable in you; and rather after the
midday dinner, a. a natural result,
the Traddles hunted out sacred music,
and we sang and sang and sang, then
read and discussed Improvements In
time-servers and sang again.
Some way. felt really good and
pleasant and loving all round-kind Of
in short frocks and hair ribbons. But
| as John 10. with a distinct stoop OF
| piety between his shoulders, led the
| reverend toward the library to look
| up the heather in books my fingers
strayed irresponsibly to dancing Jig
notes that could not fail to get into
his toes and shake the Sunday humps
out before he got there.
In this mood Of good will toward
everybody thought Of letters I owed
! to people who really deserved them,
and made myself comfortable in kl-
mono and unbound hair before seating
myself at the desk that my room
boasted.
| Then that wretched cat of the Trad
| dies began.
Ifelt sure 1t was shut outside win
| dow somewhere, and, going through
! the main hall, I houndered down 4
| darksome, alley-llke place, hunting Tor
the thing. The sound seemed close
beside me and as opened door out
scudded the cat.
What insane notion made me step
into the room I don't know, but no
sooner had passed the threshold
than a wind from somewhere banged
| the door behind me. When l turned
| to find it it was gone. I ran my hand
along the wall to find the light BUTTON
| but that was lost too.
I shouted and banged and reshouted'
but no one appeared. So closed the
| window and tried to make 4 bee line
| for the door.
With an e"Allah be praised !" turned
the handle and walked boldly forth. l
caught hold of neutrality-suspicious.,
supposed, but they were queer OF
shape and seemed to be hung on
wires. Clothes. by all that was un-
pleasant, and-men's clothes at that
They seemed to stretch out and clutch
at me.
Hastily began again to hunt for
the right door. I found a handle, but
it belonged to a bureau. Then
knocked against something furry
some of the Traddles' bugs and cater
pillars, I knew (they have mania tor
horrors); and shrieked as they 1elI
about me, and imagined them crawl
ing round from the upset box. More
things tumbled over; more crawlg
things crept after me.
In agony i reached high up out OF
their way, and something bit my arm
I yelled and yelled, and the thing bit
harder the more I tried to get away
! and then came bouncing down upon
| me. I could feel the blood tricklns
| down my arm; but, not satisfied II
! gripped and dragged at me, then feA
| to the floor with thud and wr1ggleo
around my feet.
I cried again in terror and gingeriy
put down my hand to push 1t away
but it would not bulge and my arm
was tearing. 1 knocked against some
thing-a bed, and sank convulsed pe-
| side It. MY last hour had come, and
with ferverlcy I began to say my
prayers: and, in their midst, gained
strensth to try and rid myself OF the
awful ~something. It was hard ano
striney: that reassured me. I touched
nv arm. Yes, it was a hook, caught
deep in the flesh. I had knocked
fishing contrivance down bodily ana IT
was having its revenge.
| I could not get it out, so began Win
the litany, went on and on as far as
glove honor and obey" and there !
halted. could get no further, and kept
muttering the words to myself that l
had vowed would never pass my llps'
Then I heard q sound-someone was
coming. I tried to shout, but 1t was
Of no use. "Love, honor and obey"
was all could cry out.
The door was pushed noisily open
far away from any direction mao
even thought of, and a person almost
danced into the room to the tune u
that dancing-jg. stumbled over tne
fshline and said words inappropriate
to the day.
The Jerk hurt excruciatingly, but 1
bepan to laugh I laughed and laughed
and could not stop. Then, without the
slightest warning, it turned into q
howl of a sob, and down came the del
uge-great, big, uncomfortable soos
that shook me and shook the room'
and made the whole earth convulse.
Light was turned on, and there was
the reverend leaning over me, patting
nv head with "Poor little grille" say
ines while he disengaged the hook.
Somehow I was unbound and LED
away.
The aftermath Of the sickening
thumpings of a two-days' headache
is the nearest to heaven that we NOR
tails get.
| I lay quietly in a hammock on the
upstairs piazza-no one near me