The Princeton union., 1891-12-03

serious iilness. Rising one night after
vainly counting sleep for two hours, |
determined to take warm bath. The
hour was o'clock. Having thrown
on a dressing gown Ientered the bath
room and turned on the hot water.
While the bath filled Igazed out at
the rear OF q house about one hun
dred yards distant, in W street.
Suddenly, on the illuminated curtain
of a room two or three floors above
the street. I saw figures OF q man and
woman in silhouette. Stirred by
curiosity / watched the curtain, with
its tell-tale pictures, wondering what
movements they would execute. AS |
,gazed, surprise and horror sleZed me,
for | saw the man raise shadowy
arm and pierce the woman's bosom
with a dagger. She threw her arms
wildly in the air, opened her mouth
as if to emit y scream and fell to the
floor, whence, OF course, her figure cast
no shadow on the curtain #.E.,-
All this had occupied perhaps less
than two seconds, but in that time I
endured a mental torture such as I
had never felt before. AS the dagger
descended 1 involuntarily threw out
my arms, as if to shield the victim,
and uttered all excl amation Of mingled
rage and horror. The absolute silence
of the pantomimic murder made it
more shocking, and for an instant 1
felt as if the darkness and loneliness
OF the night had shut me in with the
murderer and made me a. participant
Or in his guilt. / turned shuddering
from the window just as the shadowy
criminal stopped toward the spot
where his victim lay, and before I
could cry out l reeled and fell heavily
to the floor.
My fall aroused the whole house,
and Robert Moss, whose rooms were
on the same floor with mine, carried
me to bed. The vision of that night
hastened my long-threatened illness,
and ten days passed before my facul-
ties returned sufficiently Tor me to re-
late what I had seen. The doctor
smiled at my story and said:
twas pure hallucination,m my dear
fellow. Such things are common to
persons in your condition."
But" said l, ''the thing happened
when was broad awake, and in every
detail it was as distinct as any genu-
Inc occurrence l ever beheld."
"Not at all remarkable" was the
reply. "You ought to be satisfied with
the knowledge that there has not been
a word of such crime in any news
paper. An affair OF that kind could
not have been concealed in ten days.
Don't think any more"
Two weeks later [ was in my usual
health, save that my old trouble of
insomnia hovered threateningly near,
and recurred with any imprudence in
eating, worry or excitement.
Not entirely satisfied with@the doc
tors theory OF my vision T went to
the lodging house in W--street and
inquired for rooms. A snuffy old hag
with peering, suspicious eyes and an
air OF undetected criminality showed
me through the house and offered to
let a furnished suite consisting of bed
room, sitting-room and bathroom.
AS near as l could guess the sitting
room was the one where the crime of
my vision had been committed. g..
''Who occupied these rooms last?"
I Inquired.
"Mr. Case and his wife," answered
the hag, with evident unwillingness.
"Do you know Mr.. Cases. business?"
THE tenants business hain't none
O. mine" she replied sharply.
''Wben did the Cases move out?"
"AbOut three weeks ago."
HDid Won 500 Mrs Casa IN +bo.N1ov
they left the house?"
Now, what do you ask me thatfor?
l don't watch peoples doings in this
house. The tenants Is respectable
families, and they don't like no med
din. Ii you want these rooms you
can have 'em, but you won't stay
long if you ask too many questions
about your neighoors. We don't
want no troublesome or worrying
people here"
1t was evidently useless to ask fur
ther questions, so l tramped down
ward through the ill-smelling narrow
halls,m suspicious far from Iulled. A
bold-faced woman widened her eyes at
me on one stairway, and through an
open door below caughta glimpse of
a tumbled bed and a soiled blue slipper,
with a half smoked-cigarette beside it
tOn the floor.
When I again spoke to Moss on the
subject, and told HIM that my sus-
;picions still existed, he frowned and
said: 'If you will permit yourself to
go on in this way you'll be in bed
again. This woman you speak OF
could not have been actually murder
ed. cor the CRIME would have come to
light before this, and if she was only
wounded, lit Is not your business to
ferret the matter out. If you're not
careful you'll get into the newspapers
and besmade. ridiculous.
This last argument was enough. /
gradually came to accept the theory
of my friends. 4 passed through the
Winter without further illness, but
gained strength slowly, and when
Spring appeared ray sleeplessness,re-
turned. With it came an irresistible
attraction toward the bathroom
window, whence my vision 9f a few
months before had been seen.
Whenever [ lay awake, / went some
times during the night and stared ,out
the window. Night after night Isaw
p0fhinu ord t,,,.e,oJ