The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-04-10

halls, my suspicious far from dulled
A bold-faced woman widened her eyes
at me on one stairway and through An
open door below I caught glimpse of
q tumbled bed and soiled blue slip
per, with half-smoked cigarette be-
side it on the floor. Pausing in the
vestibule read the names beneath
three or four bell buttons and learned
enough 10 convince me that the old
woman's boast as to the good charac-
ter OF her tenants was q falsehOod.
When l told my reawakened suspi-
cions to Holt he frowned and said:
'If you permit yourself to 60 on in
this way you'll be In bed again. There
Is no reasonable doubt Of your hallhci.
nation. The books are full of such
cases. Furthermore. the woman could
not have been actually murdered or the
crime would have come to light before
this, and if she was only wounded it is
not your business to ferret the matter
out, Hyou're not careful you'll get in
to the newspapers and be made ridic-
ulous."
This last argument was enough,
gradually came to accept the theory of
my friend. passed through the win
ter without further illness, but gained
strength slowly, and when spring APP
peared my sleeplessness returned.
With it came an irresistible attraction
towards the bathroom window whence
my vision OF few months before had
been seen. Whenever l lay awake l
went some time during the night and
stared out towards that uncanny apart
ment house. Night after night saw
nothing and turned away, relieved at
the assurance that one symptom of my
former illness was wanting.
Finally, at one o'clock, on cool
April morning, after three hours of
vain tossing in bed, entered the bath
room, with my eyes directed towards
the tenement house. For an instant l
could not credit the vision that met my
gaze, On the luminous curtain where
| had seen the shadow pam
tomine before the same tragedy
was being enacted. This time
l had arrived little later in the
progress of the scene. for all saw was
the falling woman and the withdrawn
dagger in the hand of her companion.
The man stopped as before towards his
victim, and l waited to see him rise,
in hopes of obtaining some assurance
that what had seen was real. saw
nothing further. If the shadowy slay-
err had stopped to real victim he must
have risen in such spot that his figure
was not brought again before the light
and the curtain. Filled with forebod-
ing of new illness l awoke Holt and
told my vision. We went to the WIN
dow, looked toward the tenement
house and saw only the faint CLEAN of
unlighted panes. Holt gave me an
opiate, and next morning the doctor
had me removed to the country.
remained out of town all summer,
bathing, fishing and boating. For three
months l went to bed tired and slept
ten hours. Then I took long sea
voyage, and arrived in Philadelphia
about the middle of September more
robust than l had ever been before.
Holt and l laughed at the hallucina-
tons, and the doctor rallied me con-
siderably upon my detective spirit of
the winter before. On the first night
in my lodgings forgot the tenement
house window and slept without dis
turbance. The next night, how
ever, / came in late, and yielded to d
sudden whim that led me to the bath
room window. As l entered the bath
room looked over towards the tene-
ment house and gave a little start at
seeing light in the very apartment
that had so long possessed for me a
fascinating interest. The night was
warm, and the window whence the
light shone was hoisted. The curtains
were drawn also, and could see pref
ty clearly a man and woman sitting
opposite each other near the center of
the :oom. l shivered little on dis
covering that the couple were very
like those of the pantomimes. The
man was smooth-shaven and well-feat-
ured. The woman seemed older than
he, and her face fitted we'll with the
names of evil suggestion that l had
seen in the vestibule eight months be,
fore. As l gazed I saw the woman
suddenly start towards her companion
with some cleaning weapon in her up
raised hand. l felt my heart quicken
and my breath come thick. The man
arose to receive the attack, and l saw
a shining dagger plunged into her
bosom. Trembling with horror I " as
about to cry out when a hearty, nat
ural laugh burst upon my ear from
the hall. On looking round l saw
Holt in the doorway.
Good heavens, man! did you see
that?" | gasped.
Certainly" he said, with another
laugh.
Then how can you stand there
laughing? If we both saw it there
can be no doubt of it's reality"
1T was real and unreal old man
Your sight is indicated and the doc
tor and are put to shame, but Their,
is no cause for horror. See, the ligh
has been turned out and there is moth