Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-10-14
That is an English superstition. too


"'Bahr said the innkeeper, with con-
centrated scorn; these are not times for
such foolish superstitions. Monsieur
has no such foolish fanciesy
II laughed. 'Ah, monsieur is brave!
Look. The Austrian's room is that very
room monsieur wished to have when he
first came. 1t looks out upon the gla-
cier, and is perhaps my best room.
Monsieur thought he would prefer one
less expensive on the floor above. Mon
sieur remembers? Well, courage de
serves TO be rewarded. Monsieur shall
have the room for the same price as the
one he has now.'
81 thanked my friend, the landlord.
1t was certainly room | had coveted.
The view was superb. II was nearer the
dining and smsking room-in every way
a great improvement on the one ] was
occupying.
"Can have il oncer asked.
"Oh, certainly! OF course monsieur
knows the landlord went on slowly
and looking little doubtfully at Inc,
that it is the room next 70 tho sick
room where that old man is lying illr
II laughed, and think tho expression
of my face reassured the landlord as to
my being completely Indifferent to such
matters. for he went on:
"Monsieur is a man! The room is
ready and ut your disposal
He was going away, but came back
quickly Only monsieur will pardon
me for reminding him that the doctor
has ordered that no nolse shall be made
near the sickroom He says The old
mans life depends on his sleeping quiet
ly. 1t would be better, perhaps. not to
move monsieurs luggage down till the
evening.
"Of course assented; but feeling de
sirous Of seeing my new and much COW
eted possession, and feeling sure Of my
ability to enter il without making any
noise, went up stairs, quietly stole
down the corridor, and entered the
room without u possibility of my having
been heard. 1t was u large, bright,
cheerful apartment, in the older part OF
tho hotel 1t was wainscoted, with
oak panels. The window was large.
and, as have mentioned before, com
manded one Of the most exquisite views
to be found in Switzerland.
II looked around the room with
sense of satisfaction. have told you
am observant of my fellow creatures:
am not less SO Of inauimate objects. /
have an eye in such matters IA detective
might envy. l soon saw mark or cut
in the wainscoting oil one side Of the
room. 1t was SO small that | believe
many men might have passed days in
the room without noticing It, | am an
inquisitive man. and l at once went to
it and examined it. It WAS Il chink in
the wood; stopped and looked through.
The whole Of the interior Of the sick
room was visible. Three silent figures
were the occupants. On the bed lay the
old man sleeping, his gray hairs on tho
pillow; at the side knelt in prayer his
blind daughter; behind the daughter
close behind-was the wife She alone
seemed living. She was drawing stealth
ily-oh, so stealthily and slowly-a small
round table laden with jugs and medi-
cine bottles across the floor
"At first l did not realize what shc
was doing. knew she had every motive
to be silent in her movements, but
caught sight OF her face, 1t was the
face Of devil! Never was eyes so
hideously expressive Of murderous hate
In a fash understood it all.
"She was moving the table To posi-
ton such that the slightest movement Of
the kneeling figure Of the blind daugh-
ter, praying for her fathers life, would
hurl it and 1t, fragile burden to the
ground.
81 dare say you think am a callous
sort of fellow, but ! assure you ! was
horror struck. would have given
worlds 10 warn the poor child, but knew
not how. To have called out would
have been as fatal as the catastrophe it.
self.
Il felt stupefied-paralyzed. The end
came before my swimming brain could
find any way to help. The poor girl
rose. her hands still clasped. saw the
table reel, and as |, sick with horror
withdrew my eyes ! heard the crash,
followed by piercing shriek"-
hcllhcH pduscu. OiNc hic lHS WI hiShy
old chap. Thanks"
"Did he die:" asked.
"He was as dead as il you had fired a
pistol through his BRAIN" said Menken
quietly.
After a pause he went on: 81 slipped
out Of the room before the hubbub be-
yan. No one ever knew ] had been in it.
had, however, TO sleep in il that nigit.
and though you know ! am not IA super
stitious fellow at all, assure you II was
very uncomfortable night. kept
starting out of my sleep, thinking
heard the crash and scream next door
1t took me nearly a week to get over it,.
We smoked in silence for some min.
utes.
IL wonder what became Of that won
an!' said.
"Oh, she married again. The daughter
died about year after this happened, !
believe"
"How did you find OUT" | asked, n
little surprised.
"Well, it was rather curious. ] went
to stay down in Deyonshire last summer
in country house. The first person |
SAW was our ingenious friend, the mur
deress, quite cheerful and jolly took
her in 10 dinner"
Somehow don't like Mesken. bnt h3
never bores ne.--Cornhill Magazine