, 1886-01-20
SHADOW ON THE CURTAIN

One day Arthur Wynis' clearinghouse
burned down, obliging him to transfer
his belongings elsewhere. He found new
quarters in n street which had once been
fashionable, but had now declined to
aeminently respectable" being mostly
given over to lodging-houses. Altogether
the retirement OF the place, with Its
large, handsome buildings pleased
Wyllis very well. He was n refined and
imaginative young fellow, not, indeed,
nverse 10 society, but still capable, at
times, Of preferring n quiet evening and
n good book to the noise and excitement
OF the "madding crowd" a. exemplifed
by his associates. His business kept him
down town all day, 30 that, except on
Sundays, he was not familiar with any
but the nocturnal aspect OF the street.
FNcry feature OF that he knew by heart,
from the first glimmer of the gas lamp on
the corner to the color OF the curtains at
the different windows. In one OF these
windows he became particularly inter
ested, partly because 1t was directly OPP
poslte his own, and partly because, Mt the
hour OF his return, there WA almost al
ways the shadow OF q head outlined on
the white curtain.
After his fashion, Wyllis began to
speculate about the owner Of this head.
On the Sunday following his remova he
looked over ~curiously to see what he
could discern by daylight. Some one
was certainly In the window, but 30 dis
euiscd by the lace draperies that he
could only perceive q general feminine
outline. Later when the church bells
were ringing, he saw a very pretty girl
leave the house, but, devoutly MS he
hoped 1t, he had no proof that this was
his unknown vis-a-vis. For all he could
tell this sweet divinity might live upon
the third or fourth floor, perhaps at the
back, w~here-horrid thoughti-she firted
with some fellow similarly placed; while
the Lady of the Shadow was perhaps
some venerable dame. In the midst OF
his uncertainty chance, in the shape OF
n fire alarm, came to his assistance.
When the bells began to sound Wyllis,
wondering II he was going to be burned
out again, leaned out to see, II possible,
where the fire was. Then he glanced
across the way. and saw his neighbor en-
gagged in the same attempt. Before
the window was closed and curtained
again, Wyllis had ascertained that she
was the same pretty girl he had seen
lehve the house.
His mind was now at rest, and his
speculations began TO take n more def
mite form. Undoubtedly his beautiful
neighbor was musical, and the nightly
shadow was seated at the piano for the
regular drill. Upon this basis he built a
fine castle-in the-air. In fact, he con-
structed an entire romance, OF which this
unknown pretty girl was tile heroine,
whom he worshiped under the name of
Mabel Her whole history was-in i'm
aginntion-as familiar to him as his own,
an1 10 ...a1l .Fs.v. ,... ,.nnn tho dir
cumstances which left her a lovely waif
upon the tide OF city life. He kept all
this jealousy from the knowledge Of his
companions, who, he felt, would break
the charm, even II they did not go fnr-
Their and try TO establish an ordinary.
commonplace Irritation with the sacred
Shadow.
Here energetic youth will ask; Why did
not Arthur Wyllis, living rs Inc did OPP
posite his divinity, follow up his advan-
tage M eontrive an acquaintance, as he
easily might have donei The answer is:
Precisely because he was Arthur Wyllis.
Retiring to n fault, he was n good deal of
n dreamer by nature, and he was
quite capable OF romancing about q girl
for weeks, until she suddenly disappeared
from his horizon, leaving him with his
awakened sensibilities thrown back upon
himself. How long in the present case
he might have gone on in this fantastic
way 1t is impossible TO tell. for one day,
several weeks later, something happened
which startled him out OF his natural
world. This was the robbery and at
tempted murder of n lady occupying the
second-noor apartment In n boarding
house not many squares distant. The
mar had assembled by means Of n porch,
aaa .nt.roI bw,,nI n x-t,Hnt.r - - y n
icating with a balcony. II was dusk Of n
winter night, at an hour when the in
mates were presumably at their evening
meal, and the burglar no doubt expected
TO find the rooms empty. AS II happened,
however, the lady who occupied the first
which he entered was indisposed, and
was lying half asleep on a lounge. The
gna was turned down very low, and as
she was In an alcove out of the range of
the window, the burglar did not suspect
her presence until he was fairly in the
room. When he did, he probably thought
he would not have his labor for his pains.
At any rate, the Indy, In her subsequent
account OF the affair, said that some
thing made her open her eyes to sec n
man standing by her toilet-table, with
his hands on her gold watch; that she
sprapg forward with a SCREAM and
caught Mt the watch-wbich had been
been the gift OF a dead friend-that the
burglar tried to mike his escape, and.
while she stil qluuG.to him, In her en-
deavor to got Possession Of the watch,
struck her savageiy on the head until, at
the approach ofthe people who bad been
alarmed by her cries, he wrenohed him
self Violently from her hold and disap-
pcared by the same wayh he had come
~ ata-- --It--.--
and the lady wgs weil-known In society.
and the whole affair naturally made a
great sensation In the city. Wyllis, how
ever, had his own special reasons for
feeling excited about It. Did not Shadow
also live on the second floor, and
though there was no porch to the
house, was there not a trellis, by means
OF which an evil-3sposod and tolerably
agile fellow could gain an %entrnncei
When Wyllis cpme hofne onsthe evening
boating heart. Hthad hsAtdthe details,
as given by tho dany papers, discussed
all day long, and his ready Imagination
had yarsod and expahded them to suit
tho case he had in mind. a. soon Ms he
came IN SIGHT Of the window he looked
up with eager anxious haste. But there
was the beloved shadow peacefully out
hnod upon the sttl, whfte curtain, and
stirring only with the povsmsnts of the
hands, as they went up and down the
keyboard in the exigencies OF tbe music.
Wyllis drew n long breath OF relief, as he
urn the latch-key in his own door and
went upstairs.
For a few evenings all went
well. but on the fourth the ques-
toning eyes Of the self-appointed
guardian saw a sight that chilled
his blood. He looked mp AZ usual, and
whati-lust above the u~hsuspecdpg shad-
sr, distinctly drawn upon the Anooth,
white surface, Is another heed, and two
hands that slowly, cautioysfy descend
until thev rnaoh The 0ialia ahfx{A-