The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-29

Louis, made the journey there from Now
York and stopped at q hotel In bach
street As he wss being shown to hia
room he was startled by most demoniae
yell, succeeded by the most horrid laugh.
| GER, apparently from some one In a,room
ON the oorridorsthey were approaching.
! The servant hastened to explain that II
was gentleman who had been drinking
too much and was suffering with delirium
| tremens Not Eelishing such neighbor,
my friend hesitated about proceeding far
ther; but, on the assurance OF the servant
that this was the first time that the sick
man had made any noise, and that he was
In charge of two friends who had volun-
teered TO sit up with him, Charley con-
cluded to proceed
1t was with much misgiving that he de-
posted his valise on the small table in the
room, and prepared to take possession of
his quarters. The wind was bowling
mournfully around the house, and the
rain beat wildly on the window panes He
would have liked fire II he could have
afforded it, for the weather was chilly and
the room damp. Hastily disrobing himself
and extinguishing the candle, he enjoyed
the luxury of the first stretch In 4S hours.
No one appreciates that luxury better
than he who has been confined In the ex-
asperating limits Of a seat In railroad
car for two nights in succession.
He fell asleep almost instantly. How
long he remained so he could not tell; but
some time during the night he was awak
ened by quick, sharp noise at his bed
side, resembling the overthrow OF piece
of furniture, or the bursting open of a
door. Starting up In his bed he was hor-
riaed to see standing near him figure In
white, with glaring eyes and disheveled
hair, apparently about to spring upon him.
He at once realized the situation. The
victim Of mania potu had escaped from
his watchers and obtained admission to
his room. The thought passed like light
ming through his brain, and his heart
stood still with alright. Almost as sud-
denly, however, the apparition vanished.
The disappearance affected him no less
seriously, for he knew not from what
quarter to expect an attack. Anything
was preferable to such uncertainty, and,
momentarily expecting to encounter the
maniac, he groped his way in the dark TO
the table where he had left the candle.
Never will he forget the horror of that
situation. 1t seemed an age to him be-
fore he succeeded in obtaining a light
When it's feeble glimmer penetrated the
room, to his astonisbment it was empty.
Aiming himself with his cane, he COM
menced search, but without discovering
the intruder The door was locked on the
inside and the windows secured There
was but one closet in the room, and that
was empty.
After looking everywhere that it was
possible or impossible for any one to Sc
crete himself he drew q long breath, in
the assurance that he was the only occu-
pant of the room. Conid he have been
mistaken Could 1t have been dream?
At al events, there was no more sleep
for him that night. After dressing him
self he was about to go to the Office of tho
hotel and apply for another room, when 1t
occurred to him that 1t would be rather
to explain his reason for de-
a change. And in the hope that 1t
was near morning, for he had no watch,
he wrapped the bedclothes around him and
sat in a chair awaiting the break of day.
The candle burned to it's socket before day
iawned. It's first feeble glimmer had
hardly made it's appearance when he de-
scended to the office and awaited his
breakfast, with the determination of seek
He had decided to say nothing of his
scare But when the clerk, surprised at
his early appearance, inquired II he had
conflde in him, with the hope of obtaining
an explanation of the mystery.
The clerk, after hearing all the circum-
evidently believed that it was
nothing but a dream; but, to satisfy my
hnc t.. inc q Ill
had left his room during the night.
He received the positive assurance of
both the watchers that he had rested very
quietly and that such thing was impossi-
BILE, as neither Of them had closed his eyes.
Strong as this testimony undoubtedly
was, 1t failed to shake my friends belief
that some one had visited his room. In the
hope Of setting his mind at rest, the clerk
suggested that he should sit near the door
Of the breakfast room and inspect the faces
Of the guests to identify, IL possible, the
intruder,
The arrangement was carried out, and
after the last guest had breakfasted my
friend was forced to believe that none of
them could have been the intruder, but
the impression yet remained that he could
not have been deceived.
The clerk, surprised at his hrmness in
his belief, determined to go up stairs and
make an examination Of the room. This
was done In the presence Of my friend, who
accompanied him, without discovering any
possible means Of exit other than the door
and windows, all Of which he confessed
were secured when he had examined them
after his surprise in the night. vexed and
annoyed with himself for having invited.
by his confession, the i'll concealed amuse.
ment OF the clerk, he sat upon the edge of
the bed, endeavoring to recall all the CIR
Of the case. While In this posi-.
tion he slowly raised bis head when b.
eyes encountered what seemed to be the %
partition that had previously present. up
self. A second glance Redeemed his ~ ~
with shame whom he recognized h. cneeks S
q mirror. .msen ia
The explanation flashed ur
and with this clew on MN IN
he discovered that the D 10 guiue MIN
awakened him was mad oise whicn nae
the hotel, who ovcrturD oy the porter OF
tempt to extinguisb sd chair In an az
burnt IL In tho corr, lamp which wa'