Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-01-24


and my thoughts flying back. with some.
.pine o. regret, to the storm had coma
nut mans htbits are not easily denied.
~ tne END OF three minutes the dog had
not moved, and ] was down on the door
mat unihcing my soaked boots Slipping
snem on and taking them III my left hand
$1,000 Up and tried 70 step toward ths
STAIRS. with eyes alert Tor any movement al
the mastih; but he never stirred.
was glad enough, however, on reacbino
tne stairs to find them newly built and
the carpet thick. Up 1 went, with glance
- every step for the table which now hid
the brnte's form from me, and never !
creak did wake out Of that staircsse till
was almost at the first landing. when INV
zoe canght loose stair rod and ratified Il
In way that stopped my heart. and then
set II going In double quick time.
! stood still, with hand on the rail
MY eyes were now on level with the floor
OF the landing, out Of which branched two
passages-one by my right hand, tho other
to the leftr-at the foot Of the next fight
20 placed that | was gazing down tbe
length OF 1t. And almost at the end tbere
fell parallelogram of light across It from
IN open door,
A man who has once felt IL knows ther.
Is only one kind Of silence that can be fitIv
called dead" This is only TO be found II
great house at midnight For q few 49,.
onds after l ratified the stair rod YOU might
have cut the silence with a knife. II The
house held clock 1t licked inaudibly
Upon this silence, at the end OF 4 min
ute, broke light sound--the ciipk. clink
OF decanter on the rim Of wine 0lass
It came from the room where the uUbt
was
Now perhaps 1t was the very thought ~
liquor put warmth into my cold bones- II
Y certain that all Of sudden straiohtened
my back, took the remaining stairs a. two
strides. and walked down the passaoa a.
bold as brass, without caring lot for the
noise made.
In the doorway halted The room va.
long, lined for the most part with hooLs
bound in what they call divinity calf,
and Uttered with papers like barrister,a
table on assize day. Before the fireplace
where few Goals burned sulkily. was
drawn ieathern elbow chair, and beside
1t, on the corner Of writing table. were
set an unit candle and pile Of manu-
scripts. At the opposite end Of the room a
curtained door led fas | guessed) to the
chamber that | had first seen Illuminated.
All this took In with the tail of my eye
while staring straight in front, where, In
the middle OF great square Of carpet be-
tween me and the window, was a table
with a red cloth upon it. On this cloth
were couple Of wax candles lighted, In
silver stands. tray and a decanter Of
brandy.
md t.nfr A.
man.
He stood sideways, leaning little back.
as If to keep his shadow off the threshold,
and looked at me over his left shoulder
bald, grave man, slightly under the com
mon height. with long clerical coat Of
preposterous fit hanging loosely from his
shoulder, white cravat, black breeches
and black stockings. His feet were loosely
thrust into carpet slippers. judged his
age at fifty or whereabouts, but his face
rested in the shadow, and could only note
pair of eyes, very small and alert, twin
king above large expanse of cheek.
He was lifting wine glass from the
table at the moment when appeared, and
it trembled now in his right hand.
heard split drop or two fall on the car
pet, and this was all the evidence he
showed OF QlScOmpOSure.
Setting the glass back, he felt in his
breast pocket for handkerchief, failed to
find one, and rubbed his hands together to
get the liquor off his fingers
"You startled me-" he said in matter
OF fact tone, turning his eyes upon me, as
he lifted his glass again and emptied it.
How did you find your way imp
by the front door," said /. wondering
at his unconcern.
He nodded his head slowly.
"Ah! forgot to lock it. You came to
steal, | SUPPOSED"
81 came because I'd lost my way. I've
been travelling this God forsaken moor
since dusk"-
with your boots in your hand," he pus
in quietly.
II took them off out of respect to the
yellow dog you keep"
HE lies in a natural attitude, chr"
"You don't tell me he was stuffedl'
The old mans eyes beamed with con-
temptuous pity.
"You are indifferently sharp, my dear
| sir, for housebreaker. Come in. Set
down those convicting boots, and don't
drip pools of water in the very doorway, Of
all places. If l must entertain burglar
prefer him tidy"
He walked to the fire, picked up poker
and knocked the Goals into blaze. This
done he turned round on me, with the
poker still in his hand. The serenest gray
| ity sat OIL his large. hale features.
"Why have done this," he asked.
"Isuppose to get possession of the poker. F"
"Quite right. May inquire your next
novel"
"whyi" said l. feeling in my pocket. a
carry pistol"
(which suppose to be damp"
by no means. carry it. as you see, in
an oilcloth case"
He stopped and laid the poker carefully
In the fender.
THAT is stronger card than possess
| might urge that by pulling the trigger
you would certainly alarm the house and
the neighborhood and put halter around
your neck. say / might urge this, and
assume YOU to be an intelligent auditor.
| But it strikes me as safer to assume you
capable of using a pistol with effect at
three PAGES. With what might happen
! subsequently, will not pretend to be con-
cerned. 1t is sufficient that dislike the
notion of being perforated. The fate of your
neck'- be waved hand. We'll, have
known you for just five minutes, and feet
but moderate interest in your neck. As
for the inmates of this house, it will re
fresh you to hear that there are none
have lived here two years with butler
and female cook, both of whom dismissed
yesterday at a minutes notice for conduc'
which will not shock your ears by ex.
plicitly naming Suffice it TO say carried
them off yesterday to my parish chu.cn