Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-09
&C ,pyright 1875. by Racheller. johnson
and Bacheller)
PART |.

city where the inevitable brown stone
holds dominant sway in the endless
rows of streets. and where even an ir.
regularity in the bell pull is conspcu-
Gus.
The air of complete desertion and sol
itude which hung about the place IN a
street where everything else was tecn.
ing with energy and life had often
called forth wandering speculation to
my mind. | wondered how long it had
ste cd so, idle--wiiat state of former
mngnificence, now falling to decay, was
hidden behind those green shutters;
whether il would ever again throw
them open to the air and sunny cheer.
funess which it's neighbors enjoyed.
was at the time n junior member of
a private firm OF detectives with head.
quarters in Fifth street, ard with. on
my own part, u vast amount of conccit
concerning the importance of my
chosen profession. ! had. as il then
seemed to me, Il natural bent toward
the foxy game of getting in my nose
and then making the body follow;
while n fondness for adventure and a
fhe mysterious gave me the notion that
1 was particularly adapted to the work
] was. besides, young man of strong
athletic habit, energetic and deter
mined to make my mark in the world,
my fortune, which usually is put for.
ward first, being already sufficiently as.
surcd.
] lived in n bachelor apartment in
East Both street 1t had been my home
for three years. and it was. therefore.
with n good deal of annoyance ard
thagrin that received from my land.
lord, at the end of this time, the in,
tcllirence that no leases were to be r..
ncwed, as the old building was about
to give place to Il new business block.
! had. therefore. to look about for
new place in which to set up my Pen.
ates, and in this quest my late landlord
was able to render me good service.
He recommended to me n house which
stood directly facing my friend of the
Green Blinds. Upon investigation
found the place to be admirably suited
10 my needs. and week later found ma
as comfortably installed in my new
kquarters as young bachelor could
hope to be. In order however to escape
from The actual moving of my effects
from the old place to the new. had left
everything to the mcrcies of the van
men. and elected to spend the eventiul
day in playing tennis at the c. club,
up the river. From this place returned
at night accompanied by n severe and
n ,sifi tn nff &C Ia. Al
ten days confinement to my new home
which followed, frequently amused
myself in specializing about my visa.
| Wis. 1t was. to tell the truth. an or.
binary house enough, brown stone, like
its neighbors, with the usual four
stories, the heavy outside shutters. nj.
ways SO tightly closed, being its most
distinctive feature. The entrance was
boarded over on line with the vesti-
bule, while even the area region pre-
scented no sign of occupancy.
The entire darkness which the front
thus presented to my view had the eP-
feet of annoying my weakened sensi-
bilitics to such degree that the thing
became positive fascination TO me. |
could scarcely keep my eyes or even my
mind off it. For hours at time. pre-
vented as | was by an illness from any
more serious diversion, | sat in nv
window. gazing across the hot street.
Sometimes smoked, oftener did moth
ing, until the lazy action OF the light or
the soothing monotcny of the street
sounds lured me finally to sleep.
1t was when in this semi-somnolent
condition one afternoon at the end of
my convalescence, that | was startled
by very unusual manifestation. NV
half closedeyes had been lazily scanning
the green blinds for some moments
when, suddenly, one of the blinds on
the third story middle window opened
TO its full width, disclosing to nv view
the head and SHOULDERS OF a man. For
pm instant | saw him plainly. A
strange figure, small-judging his
height from that of the Nindow-a
dried, attenuated face, with sharp ewes
CHANGING this way and that, white
shirt or bed gown seemingly his main i
attire, while cotton nighs cap ludi-
frously framed his face. After hurried |
9crutiny of the street his eyes fastened /
themselves upon myself; a thin, nerv- |
ptis hand went with half hesitatinp
movement two or three times across his
forehead, and then the blinds closed .
with snap, leaving the space blanl,
pnd inpenetrable as before. Being half
Inclined to doubt the evidence of NV
bwn senses and to think that [ had !
been dreaming, for some minutes nj. |
owed myself to watch conspicuously
or repetition of this strange occur
encc. Nothing more, however, an.
beared.
On the third day, with my breakfast,
letter was brought to me. II was nm.
addressed, and the maid told me that a
passenger boy had just left it, with the
obstruction that it was to be given to
he gentleman in the third floor front.
)pon opening 1t found sheet of thick
White note paper upon which was
asted, in words carefully cut from
newspaper, the following communica-
ion:
Ring the area bell as the clock strikes
Inc and wait in the shadow of the steps
e prompt. be sure. be silent. Three and
bake"
read 1T over several times, but at
rst could make nothing of it. The
hief, in some instances where q case
eeded to be carried on with extreme
ccrecy and caution, had been known to
ldress missivcs of a similar nature to
Is Juniors, but to 10Y knowledge we