How She Got In.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 502, 3 January 1906, Page 7

How She Got In.

A husband and wife, both of whom are middle-aged, were invited to one of the choicest parties of the season, The gentleman, who is a prominent educationalist and litterateur, was indisposed, and so the invitation was declined for him and aocsptea fox tbe lady.

At about leu o'olook the carriage was announced, and Mrs E. said good nigh) to Mr E in his library, bidding him not to sit up for her, as it would probably be very late when she returned. Mr E. said all right, he would not. It was late when Mrs E. drove up in her private carriage to her own door. It was after two o'olook, so she dismissed the impatient Patrick, telling him to drive at once to the stable. She stood on the steps* for a moment enjoying the absolute stillness of the deserted street, then unlocked the outer door, passed into the front hall and attempted to nnlook the inner door. In vain she tried. The heavy look was turned, She rang the bell, and rang and rang again. Mr E , she knew, was a. very sound sleeper, and there was evidently nothing on tb.6 consciences of any of the servants. Opening the outer door again she looked for Patriok. He had gladly availed himself of her permission, and was well on his way to the stables, Then she knew something desperate must be done. She took off her long oloak and laid it in the front hall, looked the outer door upon it, and ran for dear life to the baok of the house. She olimbed over the low wall with considerable difficulty, the worst of it being not the getting up, but the getting down on the other side. When at last she reached the windows, it was to find these looked as well. She took off her handkerchief, wrapped it round her hand, drew off and smashed the glass in the door, drew the look, and at last stood in her own kitohen. Tired and nervous, she then stopped a moment to get some water, and then started on to go upstairs. Worse and worse and more of it I The timid servants had oautiously looked the door at the foot of the stairs, and the poor woman was once made a prisoner at her own portals. Having done so much for liberty, she was surely not to be daunted now. If she had known how to • break and enter' she would oertainly have done it, but not knowing how, she did the next best thing and «oreated disturbance.' She rolled the kitohen table aoross the floor two or three times, then took the broom and. standing on the table, swept baok and forth, not the cobwebs from the sky, xut the obamber bells in the oorner. This sLe continued until her tired arms refused their labour, and she stopped to rest. The servants heard the din, and thought it was 1 spirits,' and hid their frightened heads beneath the olothes.

Mrs E. began again, and by some miraole Mr E. heard it and awakened. Hastily dressing he was on bis way downstairs when Mrs E. Btopped to rest. He thought, of .course, it was the front door, so he hastened to draw the bolt he had thoughtlessly turned down before. He opened tha door, and in the swaep of red satin thought he ga^Jjhe_&rgsi-g*'Si torn ot mio, upon it ohly to find her oioak alone. Visions of murder and every other horrid thing flew through his brain on the wings of fire. Hark I the bells. He rushed below, opened the door into the kitchen—softly—there he saw his wife. She did not see the door open and soreamed when he spoke to her, 'Eleanor, what are you doing V She turned around, saw the door of her deliveranoe open, and then, at half-past two in the morning, she sat down in the middle of the kitohen table and cried.