The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-21
AsomNAMsuL,sT's PROMENADE
Walking on a Gutter Six Stories Above
the Pavement.

BosToN. Dec. 2O.-An evening paper
prints the following:
A rap at the door. 1t was 10 o'clock few
nights ago. The Technology students, who
occupy room on the second floor of Tre-
mont street boarding house not far from
Worcester street. were about to retire.
They supposed the rap was made by some
school friend, and accordingly shouted
"Come in
The door slowly opened and revealed the
outlines of gaunt figure in white. The face
was CHASTITY pale.
The boys sprang to their feet. The figure
glided into the room and faint voice
gasped:
"Hello boysi'
Astounded, nonplussed, almost speechless,
the boys recognized the face and voice of a
friend whom they supposed to be lying at his
home. half-dozen houses away, critically i'll
with delirious fever.
rs that you,--?'
YES" replied the weak voice.
How for heavens sake did You get in here
well, boys, | hardly know. I'll try to
tell you about il" and he sank into a chair,
shiyering with the cold. They wrapped him
IN overcoats and he went on TO say in a
erazed sort OF way that the last he remem-
bered was dropping to sleep In his own bed
at home. Suddenly he was awakened by
something striking him on the head, and he
found himself in strange house, cropping
about the hallway in his night robe.
lie heard voices. He went down a flight
OF stairs and listened at door.
He recognized the voices. They were those
OF friends at the institute. Hearing them
ne knew where he was, and raped at the
door.
But how did you get into the house?"
Il don't know. have no recollection of
anything more than / have to Id you," and,
overcome with his exertions. he sank back in
a stupor. The boys applied what restora-
tlyes they had at hand, and bringing him
partly to himself they clothed him in gar
ments from their wardrobe and carried him
nome. lie lived six houses away, in the
same block. They walked him up the steps
and rang the bell The party was ushered
into the hall by the servant, and there the
inyalid's mother confronted her son, whom
she supposed to be lying asleep in bed up
stairs
The Technology boys explained, as far as
they were able. The amazed and thorough
ly frightened mother hastened her boy up
stairs and to bed again. When there she
found the first clew to the solution of the
7 ystery OF his journey to the boarding
house.
The window of his room was open. In his
sleep he had arisen and through the window
made his escape to the roof a mansard edged
by a tin gutter, six stories from the sidewalk
Thence along the edge of the roof, balancing
himself by an almost supernatural power, he
made his way along the gutter, past the DOR
mer windows Of five houses and paused at
the sixth Here he found window open at
the Top. He lowered it still further and
climbed in.
1t was the landlady's room. At the time it
was vacant, and the delirious sleeper made
his way, through it to the hail. Here he wan
the stairway. Then he felt his way down
the stairs to the next floor and began his
wanderings anew.
Here, by chance, he struck his head against
a door jamb. and the shock brought him to
his senses. He heard the familiar voices, and
the rest of the story has been told.