Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-03-03

THE MAN SEEMED TO ARGUE.
ated it with the uncanny and with acts
Of lawlessness. In going to and fro |
had passed it so often between o'clock
in the evening and o'clock in the morn
ing that knew the routine of its solitary
inmate. Few people ever saw her. l
had passed the house a thousand times
before ] caught sight of her. Her even
ing programme was about as follows: As
! passed Oh my way to police headquar-
ters at o'clock there was light in the
wing or kitchen part, and the old woman
sat at table reading book. Her shad-
ow was thrown on the curtain very dis
tinctly. | could even make out the spec
tacles on her nose and the corkscrew
curls in front of her ears. | could not
make out what sort of book it was. but
supposed it to be the Bible. At s o'clock
she picked up the lamp, carried it across
the room and wound the clock. Ibid not
always see this operation, but often
enough to know that it was the fixed rou-
tine. She returned and read till 8. Then
she looked to the doors and windows and
went to her bedroom. which was off the
kitchen. but on the other side of the
house. By 20 minutes after her light
was out and the place given up to silence
and solitude. ! never saw a door oDen
or sash raised in the two years | was
watching the place. Doors were always
locked and the front curtains at least al
ways down. Now and then Of an after
noon happened along when agents or
beggars knocked on the doors, but none
of them ever received response.
/ think every night reporter has his
peculiar fad or mystery. He is more or
less detective. He is more or less
philosopher He catches more or less of
the romance Of his strange life This
old house was my fad, In Imagination
explored the rooms and noted their
contents. had mental photograph of
Miss Weaver, the old spinster. had
robbers break in. had her commit sui
eide by hanging herself. had her MUIR
dered and chuckled to think what a
scoop had on Briggs of The Courier.
Had that old house been sold and torn
away to make room for business block
should have regarded it as a sacrilege.
Had | passed and missed the light, or
found door open, or discovered Miss
Weaver on the front steps, should have
been thrown into that mental and phys
ical condit ;nown as broken up"
Things h.. run along without the
slightest change for two years, when
received sudden shock. | left police
headquarters at 1920 o'clock one winters
evening to return to the office. AS |
walked up the street, fully expecting to
find the old house dark and deserted, |
came to dead halt and rubbed my eyes.
Was there light in the front room or
was it the reflection of a conflagration
somewhere on the north side? 1t took
me minute to make sure. The room
was lighted by a lamp-something un-
precedented in its history since began
my observations Not only lamp there.
but two persons as we'll! | instantly
identified the shadow of the old spinster.
The other was that of man. They sat
facing each other, with the lamp beyond
them. and their shadows were thrown
out on the white curtain ':e pictures
from magic lantern Mis- Weaver sat
up very stifily. The man had a careless
attitude and occupied a rocking chair.
1t was dark, wet night. | had rubbers
over my shoes, and they could not have
heard me halt in front of the house.
What meant this innovation-this penal
pffense, almost! The idea of that room
being ighted-of Miss Weaver being
over an hour late in going to bed-of
there being man in the house! Well,
was simply knocked out. stood there
winking and blinking and feeling indig-
nant over the break in the routine when
the man passed her something. From
the shadow ON the curtain it i, seemed to
be what is known as an official" envel-
ope. She received it, took out paper,
glanced over it and handed it back with
shake OF her head. Then the man
seemed to argue. He made many mo-
tions with his head and hands. He sat
with his left side to the window, and as
he gestured with that hand | noticed a
certain stiffness of the arm. His shadow
showed long, sharp nose, a high fore
head and large head. figured to my
self that he was short, thick necked
man, with bald spot ON his crown.
His argument lasted about five min
utes Then he got up and walked about,
and lost his shadow, though hers re-
manned as before. From her gestures