The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-20
CHAPTER I'm HIDING.

tnQt i met Will all iuN - ''-'
deed, to be compared to theirs YET
worth telling. as hope to prove.
Chrysalis fascinated me when nrst
saw its gray walls loom in winthrop
story; and the impression MADE IN
youth survived in manhood. Wheh'
after college. and some years of DRIFT
ing about the world. l found myself III
New York, l would have lodging no.
where else.
Apparently there We're many others
of the same opinion, for Chfysalis was
crowded The last successor of Janitor
Locksley gave me little encouragement;
but | was not to be turned away. 1
selected the apartments that suited me
best of those to which l could gain ac-
cess, and paid the tenant what he
asked, to cede il to me. Thus | became
possessed of a small bedroom and a
large parlor, amply provided with every
discomfort which could be expected in
SO old a building.
In forty years there seems to have
been but little improvement in the So
cialbllty of Chrysalis. My immediate
nelghbors were invisible and inaudible.
! had only the janitors word that the
OtHtl IOOHlS ul'pi my wi iN''A "''N
tenanted. Occasionally, when coming
in late at night, l heard sounds of
carousal in remote portions of the struc-
ture, and there was piano tnot to be
located by any effort of tine ear) which
often uttered the prayer from Semira-
mide and never anything else In snort.
Chrysals was quite what l had thought
* would be.
My arrival must have been unnOt0ed
in a place SO given over to minGing
its own business. / caused no com
motion, for l bought my predeccIsJ,'s 5
furniture as it stood, and the tritllng
matter of the trunks was managed with
exemplary quiet. But once, in the first
two weeks of my tenantry, did l see a
sign of any dweller in the rooms that
opened on my corridor. That single
occasion had something of mystery in
it-enough to promise an adventure in
a place so suitable as Chrysalis to
strange occurrences.
One morning as 1 was dressing some
one raped smartly upon my door. 1t
required less than a minute to make
myself fairly presentable; and then l
answered the knock No one was
there. l looked along the corridor. 1t
was empty; but opposite me was door
that was slightly ajar, and in the crack
of it l saw an eye that caught just
enought light to be visible. 1t vanished
instantly, and the door was softly
closed.
/ liked this performance very little:
1t looked like a trick to subject me- to
scrutiny. l stepped across the hall
and Knocked several times upon the
door, but could get no response. Dur
ing the day l asked the janitor about
my neighbor.
Hes a queer old fellow" was the
reply. II don't know anything about
him."
AT least you know his ma me-" said l..
"Oh, yes; of curse l know his name"
he answered, with great frankness
"Its Smith,
l thanked him brusquely for his les
son in the etiquette of Chrysalls. and
added that when l wanted to know an
other tenants name I would guess at
1t. He nodded approvingly, and turned
away.
1t may have been a week later that
was returning to my room, after mid
night. 1t happened that there was rain
and l wore rubbers, which made my
steps noiseless. on the stone floors of
Chrysalis My corridor, which was
never light, was dark as Erebus that
night. The usual feeble jet of gas was
out, and the high window at the end Of
the hall admitted scarcely a ray. The
densest of the shadows lay under It.,
and thence, as / advanced, there came
to meet me the sharp sound of metal
railing on the stones. | paused. a bit
startled Then match that made no
noise as struck upon the floor and in
the light of it saw the face of Freder-
lex Dane.
HAD 1t been any other face I might
not nave recognized 1t by the scant
illumination of the waVering. blue
name; but his / could not mistake. for
mad studied it with to deep attention
IN the years when we were friends. I
say friends, though ] think his feeling
toward me had never justified the name
OF friendship, but had certainly pre-
ferred him to any man on earth. and
would have made the last possible sac
rifice to win his regard. I had known
him at college and for a year after
mad been told that he was dissipatlng
ms small property and generally going
to the bad
1t was with infinite pleasure that I
FOUND him again. l had had no idea
that he was in New York. did not
give seconds time to wondering what
ne was doing there at midnight before
the door OF the mysterious old man
IL f.Cy
called Smith" Instead / sprang for
ward with a cry of welcome.
instantly the match went out.
heard the click of key in a lock. The
door was hastily opened, and would
have been as hastily closed again had
] not thrust in my foot.
Fred! I exclaimed. TITS I. Open
the door and
Hush" he breathe6, in a voice that
checked me instantly. Don't speak
my name. Come in
l obeyed wondering at his manner
Re closed and locked the door, Then
he lit jet of gas. and turned toward
me. saw that he vas changed His
face was thin, and less agreeable to the
eye than in the days when I had
Thought him the handsomest fellow in
the world. Not only was he very pale
but 1t seemed to me that his face had
something of the grayish hue that
marks the prisone..
"You were alone of course?" he said
"Yes," replied; but what's the mat.
ter? You were not so easily startled in
the Old days Give me your hand. and
cay you're glad to see me, whether you
are or not"
IL. L.. u = A ,