New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-01
THE FACE AT THE WINDOW.
BY w. w. FEM.

you take anything, sir ~
: This was the salutation with which ! was met oy
the maidservant who opened the door OF my
friends house. No 90 Carnton-terrace 81. J9nn s
Wood. | was to sleep there. and arrived aPo ;t
1890 on one of the few sutry evenings with wnicn
we were favored in the summer of 1881; An nthls
omnibus brought me to the corner of the We,,ing,,
ton-road and little black bag III hand. lhad waikeu
to nv destination past Lords. In front OF that
celebrated cricketer's home aud hostelry had been
obliged to move of the footpath on account on
small crowd gathered there in high alterca'Ion ION
What the row was about did not stop to note, out
gathered that lady and gentleman apparently
wero wishing to hire the wheeled CAP Mirn
ing to take the fare, while the ronghs and idiers
hanging about were either backing him mp OF
bullying him This j; about about al v noted es s s
canct Here | merely mention the fact as ieadlIiS
up TO my arrival ut my friends house. IL should
also be said that such trltie as the roadway mime
diately in front of their door being up for repairs
had its bearing upon what eventually happened;
In obedience to the servants invitation ! walKed
into the dining room, where a lamp was burning,
and where soda water, wine and sandwiches awaited
the tired playgoers. They were man and 'wiie anu
old and valued friends OF mine who aad o in,e of
the hest and largest of the detached villas common
in the neighborhood. and, although standing IN q
row fronting broad highroad-but within It's own in
walls-it was peculiarly favored in the character
of the garden at the rear. dense mass OF hhely-
grown trees skirted each se ana al lne emu rcresh
inr To n street-imprisOned Londoncr ike myselI:
Emnently suburban though it was. the contrast
which this leaiy retreat Afforded 10 my own sn"h
dried chambers in the Adelphi. induced my friends
kindly to offer to take in for few nights during
the hot weather And this was the hrst oil lily
sOiourn.
The French window of the dning-room opened
mon little terrace and flight of steps leading down
TO the long strip OF treesurrouDded lawn, ana III
await my friends return. The sash was closed
when entered the ROOM but the girl threw IL oack'
saying as she did so:
If you are going to sit here. sir, need not keep
the window bolted. Master and mistress Will come
in by the back door at the end of the garden with
their own key. carriage cannot come 10 the iro.t
door while the road IL up. But 1t would not DE saio
to leave the window open when We are gone to bed
"Ah! see you don't usually sit mp for them when
they n as soda an np whSsS I'll
light cigar and keep watch and ward unlil they
come | shant want anything else Tonight, ana
YOU had better all go to bed"
The servant acquiesced, and lin n few minutes
more the closing and locking of doors. followed by
the sound of retrcatns footsteps upstairs told INC
that had. n il were the place all 10 myself.
So there sat with my back 70 the lamp quietly
putting at the cigar, ENJOYING the silence and sol-
tude and looking out INTO the deep arknen' on ,e
heavy clouded night. NY mind travelled over May
things, and the time slipped by until ! heard the
clock in the hall strike IL. Save for IT. ticking and
the gentle rnstling of the leaves outside now and
then a. q titful breath! of hot air swept through
them, and the far-oif murmur of the great clty
lch never seems to sleep. broken at intervals by
the rumbling OF carriage along the road NJ tho
farther end OF the villa gardens, there was nothing
to disturb the tranquility. How long this IDLE
dreaminess continued hardly know. but at length
remarked almost autom atcally that one Of those
occasional vehicles aforesaid had stopped. probably
at the corner of a narrow road which. ~ j knew.
ended with the wall of my friends garden In this
wall was the door through which. rs the seryaIt
had said. the playgoers would enter tonight. fuHy
supposIng therefore. that II was their hrougham
had heard stop. and that they would now soon
appear. ] was surprised after considerable inter
val at their not doing So No sound either OF the
footsteps followed. and concluding | had been
mistaken. lighted n fresh cigar and again resumed
my quiet musing in a stiffness more complete than u
had.vet been. The pitchy backness of that outlook
into the night, male blackcT far by the lamDlght
falling on the white window sashcs which framed
il in like a square blackboard, seemed also TO have
increased in intensity. As sat looking on 10 IL
perhaps began IN dozo. but, whether INV eyes were
open or shut was at hrst surprised. and then sud
denly startled and terrified. by the consciousness,
that there was ghastly pale face gazing In upon
me-a face only. as II appeared. for could 500
form beneath 1.-THE face Of n woman staring at me-
and seeming to have growp AS by some phospho-
resent magic upon that square field of blackness at
which WIS looking My heart stood still my
blood chilled | shivered with the fear OF one
awaking In the midst Of n bad dream. Was not
dreaming after all. or was ] losing nv senses
Neither for. with the lapse OF lew noment- there
came the conviction that this was no phantasma-
gorical fancy or phosphOrescent illusion. but the
face of q real, living. breathing woman Her large
dark eyes were bent implOringly on me. and III
another instant. with outstrctched hands, she
stepped INTO the room. Then, "a rose from the
chair saw that she was dressed IN gown a. black
directly why IL was had az first only seen her face
floating "a II were. in ml-air. The lamplight bad
fallen strong upon that, n, It did on the window
frame but II hal not been caught by the dun
wonllen stan OF which her garH ent was made. This
explanation OF the first effect Of the apart on
merely flashed through my mind of course for had
no time or inclination to dwell on II then, but II Is
set down here rs the fitting place. She spoke:
"Oh, air. pray forgive thls-prly pardon this
intrusion but | am IN dire distress aud danger
Pray help 10 escape or % hide for awhile IN your
house If YOU knew all. you would not hesitate.
you would not scruplo to take pity on me. however
extraordinary this cOnduct must seem"
Her voice was soft. melodious. pathctic-clcariy
that of lady and now that she stood fully re-
vealcd there was no donbt of her beauty; bearing
though it did traces of long suffering and distress
Really, my dear-nv dear madam ! STAN
mercd, you must excuse my being little startled
OF course anything can 90 but Won see. this ~
not my house. was sitting mp waiting for my
friends, whO-who-'
"Ohi | can quite understand, sir. the difficulty
place yOu in" she went on. " IL Is incXcusablc,
Inonstrous-ny conduct. But | was driven 10 IT.
He would have murdered me had he found me- !
saw him get out Of the cab and come down the
there at the back of your house. lie must have
caught sight OF ran into IL. not thinking that
there was no thoronghafrc through IT, watched
HIM come staggering along, and when found there
was outlet ut the end OF the road was half mad
Then IN INV agony CROPPED along the wall and came
upon the door pushed it with al, my might, aud
fortunately 10 yielded. ] entered the garden and
closed it behind me. heard his footsteps coming
nearer every moment. | felt about and at last
he too was pushing against the door, but il was
secnre and presentyi he went-up the road again
| listened and heard him speaking 10 the cabnan
and-and the cab is still there. dared not go out
again, and then turned, and through the trees
saw this open window with the light and you
sitting by it-and thought il You should discover
NEWELL! did not know what TO DO. At last
Thought it better to como and throw myself upon
your generosity. but now"
The poor lady had poured forth these words
rapidly. but with gradually Increasing signs of ex-
haustlon. She now seemed on the point of fanting
and sank upon "a chair. Without considering much
about the awkwardness and stIangencss of the SIT
uatOn, though was indeed fully conscious OF 1t,
put little restorative to her lips. Although she
soon seemed to recover, she sat for "a long while