Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-30
Gales ano Sketfbes.
MI yIGHY At Az Inn.
Fl. BAgToS BAKER. II BELGRAyIA Az
SCAL.
fcontinuued tom ye..erday. }

Continued from yesterday
I'VE charge more for this room. mon
sieur,- she said. again eyeing me doubt
fully II can find you another room. very
good, much cheaper" This OF nothing.
madame" | interrupted; and 70 assure
her Of nv ability TO pay, notwithstanding
my disreputable appearance, ! brought
out my pocket book. which was cramu.ed
with notes and gold, and put louis-d'or
into her hand. I saw her face light up At
the sight Of my book. and in a moment
she was overwhelming me with apologies
for her .'hesiiaiiOn.' but La Croix
dor is hotel Of repufe. and we are
very particular whom we receive, and
am s1re monsieur will not blame Us for
that. II was with some difficulty | got
her out of the room. Her afa3iity im-
pressed me less favorably than did her
previous sullenness.
As soon az had changed my clothes
from my knapsack went down stairs and
found nv hostess waiting 10 conduct me
into the salts-a-DIdHger. where fire was
kindled and the table was already laid for
the meal had ordered. no~ discover
ed that was the solitary guest. although
she protested that the house was usually
FFEt lGtA iIBtEAs -hBRfA dtttF-- h1HEftl.
did not coun;enanee this assertion; there
was only one servant about. stupid look
ing country wench, and there was that in
describable air Of siagnatIOn that one al
WAYS ieels in "a httle-frequented inn.
The dinner was served by the host him
self and he had evidently cooked it as
well. He was a man who looked about
forty. with stra ght black hair aud beard
Of
there was a furtiye. treacherOus look in
the small. dcep-set. glitterlng ewes. and
gross animalism about the heavy chin and
thick under-lip, that his sycophantsh
smile aud Obtrusiye humility heightened
rather than softened. He spoke little, but
his cringing manner was peculiarly repul-
sive to me. Madame was equally servile
In her way, aud servIity so ill--uited her
hard features and greedy-lookiBg eyes.
that the effect was equally disagreeable.
| begged them 10 serve my soup aud
chicken and omelet a,tr fines herbes, of
which my meal consisted at the same
time, as | desired 10 be alone, and felt
it quite a relief when the Unlocking pair
quilted the room. The meal, however,
was excellent. and did justice to it.
When had finished. | lit cigar and
by the fire. Feeling little shvery and
fearful of a cold. rang the bell for some
cognac. hoping that a servant might an
swer the summons. But no, to my intense
disgust, there was madame with her grin
ming sinister face. and her thousand in
quiries as 10 whether monsieur liked the
potage and the roti and the omeette and
with dissertations upon the cooking of La
'rnix dor fbpp tho merits IF ba
were discanted upon. it was Fin cham
payne thirty years old At last with the
aid of the girl have before mention, the
table was cleared and | was once more
alone.
What is there associated in my mind
with the sign OF La Croix dOr?' /
asked myself. as soon as the woman's ir-
ritating jabbcr had ceased to ring in my
ears. It was some time before nv mem
ory went back as far as the night on which
read the paragraph in the Weekly Dis
patch. and remembered that it was the
sign of the inn at which that mysterious
death had taken place. But that was
up in the southeast hundreds of miles
away, and no sign is more common
throughout France than La Croix dor
Every one knows how easy 1t is t. build
up a series of condolences and link to-
gether a chain of suspicious circumstances
when the mind is irritated or depressed
| thought of the vllanouS-l looking land
lord and his scarcely less il-looking wife,
of the peculiar solitude and gloom of the
house; the mans face had remarked was
OF southern type; what ii he WERE
here | grew angry with myself and swal-
lowed a good draught of brandy and water.
What allied me? Wen. the drearness of
the day and my long walk through such
Accountable weather were quite sufficient
to account tor any amount ef depression
no doubt an incipient cold was upon me
| mixed another glass of cognac and tried
to persuade myself that | had reasoned
away my mcgrims. but the next moment
was muitering, IL wish she hadn't seen
my pocket-pook.n After that | threw
away my cigar. jumped up and rang for
candle, though with a positive dread of
that sallow face and those greedy eyes.
As rose felt that | had not swallowed
two stiff tumblers of brandy and water
with impunity. That man. it was sup
posed. was little inebriated when he
went TO bed. thought
My bete fsoire answered the summons
and spite OF my brusque declaration that
| did not require her guidence. insisted
upon showing me to my room. and sing
ing the praises of the bed. which accord
ing to her description was the softest and
finest in all France. Taking the light
from her hand almost thrust her out and
locked the door. Thank heaven, | am
free of her for tonight" exclaimed in
wardly. My copious draughts had not
succeeded In raising my depression or
even in dispelling those chilly. shivery
sensations which | feared were harbin-
gers of u cold. and they had superadded
strong disposition to splitting headache
Bad liquor, thought. or perhaps it was
drugged. Again / tried to get angry
with my nervous fancies. but the attempt
was unsuccessful.
Before retiring to bed | resolved thor
oughly to examine the room. | began
with the door; that WAS satisfactory
enough; it was strong and had good
lock. and a bolt rs well, both of which
made secure. No person could enter that
way without awakening me. next
turned my attention to the window; il
was deep set with heavy frame and small