The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-11-03
From the Galaxy.l
NUMBER THIRTY-NINE

4 -
! ghastly shape, as the door of a house in
Firth street, New York, was softly open
ed from within. and woman glided
forth like spirit, and, swiftly passing
out, was almost in an instant lost to
sight If any lonely watcher at any
! window had seen her form, his recollcc-
tion of it would have faded away as u
dream fades away before the light of
cloudless sunrise.
Slowly the gray sky melted into Il
paler gray; slowly the gray sky soften
ed into pearly tints that in the far-Off
:, horizon We're 'tinged with gold; slowly
1.-THE golden halo stole all over the firma-
ment, vanished into unfathomable
depths of blue; and the great sun, ris-
ing, flashed his beams from roof and
steeple, then on inland stream and gay
flowers, and it was day. The great city
awoke. The football in the street ceaS-
ed to echo, the distant tap of the patrol
was heard no more. The rattle of the
cart and rail-car began to shake the air
I again, and the thousand sounds of city
life rose up. Windows and doors began
ITO teen with life, and everywhere there
was the going forth OF humanity to its
pleasures or its tolls.
OF all the busy thoroughfares i'll New
York, Firth street was one of the most
busy, and the houses in it were general
ly pretty full of people. To this rule
No. 80 was an exception. 1t was small
two-story building of brick, and had
about it an old-fashiOned, quiet look,
which distinguished it in singular
manner from its neighbors. The blinds,
the curtains, and the whole aspect of
the place, while not seeming in the least
neglected, were indescribably forlorn.
While the dwellings each side and fac
ing it were cheerful with voices and
home sounds, No. 80 was always silent.
OF an evening a white hand might have
been seen to move window, or Hit
! ting figure to pass across, throwing IT'S
shadow upon blind; but these not Of
ten. And all the people round about
knew, though scarcely had seen them,
that an old French lady and her daugh-
ter lived there alone. None knew their
history, but only that they had lived
there alone these dozen years or more.
| Why should closed door look differ
ent at different times' / am msure can't
tell, but somehow !, who lived opposite
to No. 80, found myself looking at Mad
ame Herbert's closed door with feel
ing which / could not define, but which
affected me strangely. 1t was not often
open for days together, why should 1t
have been so now? l knew the habits
of the little family enough to be aware
that neither of the two women would
he likely To appear, but that they were
invisible to-day seemed something new
and strange. / remarked this to my
wife, who only laughed at me and said
that my lawyers habits made me con-
slider things that were neither singular
nor suspicious just as if they made up
pointS in case. OF course | could only
laugh also, and soon was snug i'll my
Office, down town, in the company Of
my law books and papers. Nor was il
until was home again after hard
days work, that the subject of Madame
Herbert'S door rccurrcd to me.
'All is quiet opposite, of course said
/, as ! sat down 10 dinner.
''Perfectly,' said my wife, mot soul
has been seen that l know Of"
"Oh yes" said one of the children,
"thcre has been nobody there, but don't
you remember, mamma, saying that you
heard dog howl several times"
"And so did" said she, ''but | had
forgotten it-at all events, the soup is
growing cold, Charles" So the subject
was dismissed again.
1t was my habit in those days to read
late at night, and often sat up alone
until long past midnight. On this par
ticular evening did so. AT about ii
o'clock | finished my cigar and set to-
work, and was soon completely absorb
ed. But in an hour or so | became an
noycd by restless desire to escape from
some sound, of what kind hardly dis
tinguished, and which at first thought
must be the wind whistling through
some crevice or kcyholc. As the night
advanced the house seemed to become
| lonely. The curious sound became more
distinct, and evidently came from out
side. | threw up the window to listen,
and then found that that dismalest of
all sounds. the wall of dog, proceeded
from the closed and dark No. 80. A
smothcrcd wall, rs though the animal
was shut in some room. With IN impa
tient exclamation, | again resumed my
reading. But felt worried. Why should
people keep bowling dogs to be nni-
sauce to their neighborsl 1t really
seemed as if | should never get through
the brief in Box rcrSgS Cox, a case OF
disputed joint tenancy. Then a lumin-
ouS idea passed across my brain.
would smoke half cigar on the Stoop,
and thus freshen myself up. Two min
utes later was standing before my open
front door. all the better for the cold
night air. Still the dog howled. and i'll
a more dismal manner than ever. be-
gan to form theories as to the cause, and
by the time had traced the sound Of
the policeman's heavy tread from half q
dozen blocks off till he reached me, |
had made up my mind to say word or
two on the matter.
"Oh, it's you, Peters, said as rec
ognized the officer, a sergeant, whom l
knew very well. Anything newp
"Nothing in our line," he replied.
'You are working late, as usual, sir'
turbed by dog which seems shut in
over the way"
"Dog seems in trouble, don't he!" said
Peters.
!, "House always shut up-queer people;
old woman and girl live there by them
selves"
JUST SO. rTencn, btlleNt.
"Yes. l don't know, but Peters, i
can't help thinking there's something
unusual that makes that dog SO un-
easy"
Peters merely replied, Shouldn't
WONDER" and then slowly sauntered
across the street, swinging his clnb by
!, its string. He looked at the windows
and tried those within reach, and then
mounted the steps to the door. To my
surprise he instantly knocked loudly ut
the latter with his club, and thenpushed
the door wide open, calling loudly to me
as he did so.
Forgetting that had put slippers on,
/ Immediately Joined the officer. He
was evidently excited; and rs he pointed
to the sill of the door his hand visibly
trembled. / heard him calculate under
his breath, "What fool was-what an
everlasting foolr'