Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-08-12
The Wrong House

By LULU LANCDoN

"COnf0und those storage people
muttered Tom Bryant, as he unlocked
the door of his apartment and ushered
his friend Wells lntO-an empty room
He stared round him. We'll, Of all
the gall =. he exclaimed. Here's that
COMPOUNDED landlord Of mine decorated
the walls in saffron when l went over
the matter with him a dozen times
and he swore by all the gods to do
them in red. And the storage men
were on their honor to have my fur
niture In today l tell you, Billy, it
makes a fellow tired"
They entered and sat down upon
board which the painters had ieIt
stretched out between two step-lad-
ders. Tom lit his pipe and began pull
ing savagely.
The men we're old acquaintanceS
whom fate had driven apart for many
years. Recently Tom Bryant had been
spending his vacation with Wells in
the AdirOndacks, and the latter had
accompanied him back to his home'
to be his guest for few days. Mrs.
Bryant. who had been visiting her
mother, was expected on the following
morning.
I'm going round to the storage
men the first thing in the morning.
said Tom, land I'm going to tell them
some of the things 1 won't do to them
if they don't have my goods here be-
fore II o'clock. He paused and be-
gan wrinkling his brow. Billy" ne
said, ST you'll give me your word or
honor never to breathe a word OF 1t
III tell you of an extraordinary thing
that happened to me when I got back
from nv honeymoon four years ago.
Mrs. Bryant has never ceased teasing
me about 1t, but it was mighty serious
at the time, and this little episode re-
minds me of it."
WORD Of honor" said William
Wells. go ahead, Tom"
The other struck a fresh match for
his nine and cast the burned end into
pail of half dry paint
"We'd just got back from a blissfm
three weeks honeymoon in the noun
tains." he began, sending out clouds
Of smoke and leaning back against the
ladder. previous to my marriage l
had rented a little apartment some
thing ike this one in the West Fifties.
You used to know this town pretty
we'll. Billy; I guess you remember that
section where every house looks just
like It's neighbOr and every street Tor
blocks Is exactly the same. Wen, the
place was decorated for US and our
new furniture was moved In and we
were both thoroughly pleased we
specialized how happy and coy we
we're ching TO be, and all the way
home in the train we talked about 1t
and INDUCED in housekeeping rhap-
sodies.
"When we reached our apartment
house the ianitOr met me at the door
with a telegram in his hand. 1t was
from the office. asking me to come
down Immediately after 1 returned In
order to explain something that had
cropped up during my Absence mat
ter of which I alone was cognizant.
II wouldn't take more than a couple
of minutes to straighten out affairs.
and perhaps an hours absence in ALL
The matter proved more important
than I had anticipated. called up
nv wife. explained the matter, and
remained at the Office until late in the
evening. unraveling the tangle. 1t was
half past nine before 1 got home.
walked straight in, went up the three
flights of stairs and unlocked the
apartment door.
1T was absolutely bare, Billy, az
bare as this one The smell OF fresh
paint was about the only thing there
was In It. Not a stick of furniture,
not a rug. not a cup or saucer or
dish rag in the kitchen And Eleanor
was gone.
We'll. spent that night pacing
through the apartment, and by morn
ing | was as nearly crazy as a man
could be. Somehow or other, though.
I had sense enough to call up the Of
fee TO say 1 couldn't get down, and
when got the answer 1 found l could
get down after all In fact, got down
in record time. Eleanor had been
telephOnfng all the evening before IN
til they closed up at eleven 1--WE were
doing a rush business them, and that
morning she had camped on the door
step about six and waited till the day
Waterman came on duty, and then she
had a fit Of hysteria in his arms. And
the police had been notified and were
searching the hospitals and looking IN
all the dark corners to see If l was
living there sandbagged. When I got
down and Eleanor tainted in my arms
and then came to and had another
hysterical attack in the middle Of the
Office fioor-well, 1t was no joke, tell
you. And all because I had mistaken
the street and walked into the corre-
spending house on the same block In
the street above it. I tell you. BLY,
my sticks and rugs looked pretty gooo
to me when l got back with MIS-.
Bryant about nine o'clock.