' it -r-nr-iw
THE HESPERIAN
A Night of Horror.
Night brooded darkly over the University.
The last society had given the college yell
and dispersed. The electric lights no longer
lit up the grounds and, except for the occa
ssional movements of the night watchman,
stillness reigned. One by one the lights
disappeared from the windows of the build
ings, lingering longest in those of the
museum. Hero alone and unguided wan
dered a thoughtful senior. Ho heeded not
tho ilight of time, completely absorbed as he
whs in tho wonders and marvels of tho
room, until with a loud clang tho outer
doors wero closed and tho light suddenly ex
tinguished. Then with a start, as one
awakening from a dream, he rushed after
the janitor and beat frantically upon the
door. All in vain, for there came no
answer. He tried to raise a window with
somo faint idea of dropping down to tho
ground but tho windows were immovable.
With a thrill of horror ho realized that he
was doomed to spend the night alone and in
darkness. The cold sweat stood upon his
forehead and a host of wild expletives rose
to his lips, but wore checked by tho lonely
echo of tho first word which seemed to come
back to him mockingly from every part of
the vast room. He summoned all his
courage and essayed to cross the room but
stumbled and fell and falling struck his
head against the case containing tho ancient
alligator, and conciousness mercifully left
him for a time.
How long he remained thus he never
knew, but when he again looked around
him he found tho room lit with a strange
phosphorescent light such as is said to haunt
ancient graveyards, which shone from every
case and glowed brightly through tho ribs of
tho horse and cow. They, strangely enough,
though not clothed with flesh, seemed to be
endowed with tho power of motion. In
fact the whole room seamed strangely alive
The preserved and pickled specimens in tho
bottles quietly pushed out their corks and
crawled and crept around tho room. Spiders
and flies forgot their ancient enmity and
f rol ickod unmolested. The alligators yawned
and, rubbing their eyes, seemed waking
from a long sleep. The baby alligator
dropped the egg it had so laboriously held
nil day and proceeded to turn somersaults of
delight. Tho turtle came ponderously across
tho floor and gazed wistfully at the beavers
which now began to work energetically at
the tree stumps in their cage. Tho birds in
tho corner sang musically and tho owls
hooted as loudly as if in tho security of the
green woods. Tho senior realized with a
shudder, that ho alone was powerless and
motionless.
"Ah my beauty! give me your soft cool
hand. The wearisome day is over and the
night is our own. Let mo look in tho depths '
of your dusky eyes and toll my love."
"Alas, my chief! tho dawn soon comes.
Let us remember tho past while we may.
How can thoughts of love come to us when
wo are so far from our own lands and people. "
These voices camo from tho mummies
case and turning his eyes heavily in that
direction the senior beheld a sight which
caused him instantly to remember his first
prop days.
Tho chief had placed one arm tonderly
around the maiden, and her head, which had
so long been bent in sorrow, lay confidingly
on his shoulder. Even in tho midst of his
surprise tho senior could not help admiring
tho skill tho maiden displayed in balancing
herself on the pine board which had so long
been her only support.
ul feel Chili," sighed tho maiden, and
tho chief instantly wrapped half his striped
mantle around her. "Little did we think,"
she resumed "that it was for this fate we
wore preserved. When wo, tho most loved
of all our tribe, wore placed with loud wail
ing and lamenting in tho tombs of our
ancestors, little did wo think to bo thus sub
jected to tho cool criticism of a race far below
us in beauty and culture. This very day a
youth, far below us in ancient classics thoro
ho lies made light of my attractions, com
pared my raven locks with tho flaxon tresses
of the sophomore girl ho loved, much to my