News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-11-12

]
Bahl' said the inkeeper with
concentrated scorn; these are not
times for such foolish superstitions.
Monsieur has no such foolish fancies!'
81 laughed. 'Ah monsieur is bravel
Look! The Austrian's room is that
very room monsieur wished to have
when hefirst came; it looks out upon
the glacier, and is perhaps my best
room. Monsieur thought he would
prefer one less expensive on the floor
above. Monsieur remembers? Well,
courage deserves to be rewarded.
Monsieur shall have the room for the
same price as the one he now has
81 thanked my friend, the landlord.
1t was certainly room had covert
ed. The view was superb; it was
nearer the dining and smoking rooms
in every way great improvement
on the one | was occupying.
Can have it at once?' l asked.
=" oh, certainly! OF Ofcourse. Mon
sieur knows the landlord went on
slowly and looking a little doubtful
at tine, that it is theroom next to the
sick-rOOm where the scare old man is
lying ill.,
81 laughed, and | think that the
expression of my face reassured the
landlord as to my being completely
indifferent to such matters, for he
went on:
Monsieur is u man! enfin-a mani
Tne room Is ready and at your dis
pOsal.'
"He was going away, but came
back quickly. Only monsieur will
pardon me for reminding him that
the doctor has ordered that no noise
shall be made near the sick-room. He
says the old mans life depends on his
sleeping quietly. 1t would be better,
perhaps, not to move monsieur's lug
gage down till the evening"
"Of course | assented; but, feeling
desirous of seeing my new and much
coveted possession, and feeling sure
of my ability to enter it without max
ing any noise, | went upstairs, quiet
ly stole down the corridor. and enter
ed the room without possibility of
my having been heard. 1t was a
large, bright, cheerful apartment in
the older part of the hotel. 1t was
wainscoted with oak panels. The
window was large, and, as | have
mentioned before, commanded one of
the most exquisite views to be found
in Switzerland.
81 looked round the room with a
sense of satisfaction. | have told you
| am observant of my fellow-crea-
lures; / am not less so of inanimate
objects. | have an eve in such mat
ters a detective might envy. | soon
saw a mark, or cut, in the wainscot-
ing on one side of the room; it was
so small that | believe many men
might have passed days in the room
without noticing it. | am an inquisi-
tive man, and l at once went to it
and examined it. 1t was chink in
the wood; | stopped and looked
through; the whole of the interior of
the sick-roOm was visible. Three 81
lent figures were the occupants. On
the bed lay the old man sleeping, his
gray hairs on the pillow; at the side
knelt, in prayer, his blind daughter;
behind the daughter-close behind
was the wife. She alone seemed liv-
ing. She was drawing stealthily-oh
so stealthily and slowly-a small,
round table, laden with jugs and med
icine bottles, across the floor.
cat first did not realize what she
was doing; knew she had every mo-
tive to be silent in her movements,
but caught sight of her face Itwas
the face of the devil! Never were eyes
so hideOusly expressive of murderous
hatel In a flash | understood it all.
"She was moving the table to a
position such that the slightest move
ment of the kneeling figure of the
blind daughter, praying for her faith
er's life, would hurl it and its fragile
burden to the ground!
81 dare say you think | am cal
lous sort of fellow, but | assure you |
was horrOr-struck. | would have
given worlds to warn the poor child,
but knew not how. To have called
out would have been as fatal as the
catastrophe itself
Il felt stupefied-Daralyzed. 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 a piercing
| Shrek"
Menken paused. "Give me the
whisky, old chap. Thanks"
"Did he die?" | asked.
"He was as deada as if you had fired
IA pistol through his brain" said Men
ken quietly.
After a pause he went on: 81 slip
ped out of the room before the hub
bub began. No one ever knew | had
been in it. l had, however, to sleep
in it that night; and, though you
know am not a superstitiOus fellow
at all, | assure you it was a very un-
comfortable night. | kept starting
out of my sleep, thinking / heard the
crash and the scream next door. 1t
took me nearly week to get over
it."
We smoked in silence for some min.
utes.
81 wonder what became of that
wOman?" said.
ooh, she married again. The daugh-
ter died about a year after this hap
pened, believe"