Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-08-04

0-ur following amusing narrative Is,

upon his III rlNaI that the time WnlGl,
under q lapse ii memory, he had chosen
for his visit, was most inopportune..
THE races were on" and every house
OF accommodation was crowded TO ex-i
cess. Upon application 10 the landlady'
OF the hotel whore lie had been IN the
habit Of staying he ses informed that.
every bed IN the premises lad beea be-
spoken for week before his coming;
and, more than this. that even the very
floors and tables CT tie dining room
would be burdened at night with rae
ing men and weary pleasure-seekerB.
I'VE sre extremely sorry, sir" said.
Mrs. Boniface, that we cannot receive
you, an accustomed patron OF the house,
but under existing circumstances III is
Impossible that we can. But" she
added, II Will give you the names of
some persons in the town who let
rooms, and perhaps you will find
emong them some one who can put you
up-st least, hope So"
Our friend took the list of names
with n rueful face, and at once set
about the discovery of place of rest
FOR the night. But all his search was
fruitless. Every bed and posi- BILE
'shakedown" in the whole district was
preengaged; and II he would remain
In the town he must walk the streets
until morning. But sooner than do
this he resolved to return to his good
lan6'ady of former days and cast him-
self upon her benevolent contrivance
and sympathy.
Upon NV word. SIR" she said. you
greatly distress and puzzle me Ireally
do not know where in the world
can put you" But, after thinking for
q moment, she said: "Will you consent
TO occupy the hostler's room, sir? 1t
stands in the back part Of the premises,
and perhaps we can manage 10 make
it-nt least, in some degree-comtort-
able"
The traveller thanked her warmly
ard declared that the accommodation
she spoke of was the very thing I'M
der the circumstances.
In about half an hour the hostleT
was called, and told TO take lanterD
and conduct the gentleman to his bed
room The way proved to be across
& large yard il the rear Of the inn, up
stepladder, along a narrow, boarded
passage, then up three stairs, and final
IL through a doorway into the sleeping
apartment. Our traveller found upon
looking around that good use had been
made OF the half-hour he had been kept
waiting. A carpet had been put on the
floor; the blankets and sheets were IN
exceptionable.
II was late In the autumn of the year
tho nights were long-and our friend,
rather tl1ed, soon fell asleep, and die
not wake until the gray dawn OF the
morning, and not even then, had he lot
been reused by some one coming along
the outer passage With ahesyy step, and
entering his bedroom. Turning round
in his blankets to learn who was the IN
truder, he perceived a Iaar, tall, gaunt
and grim. his throat bare the sleeves
OF HIS shirt turned up, and his hair all
uukelapt and standing upright in the
most disordered manner. The dark
figure drew near the travellers bed.
STOPPED over him, and peered down
closely IN the dim light, evidently
anxious to find out II the person lying
there was awake. Pereeiving that this
was the case, our traveller saw him, in
the dusky light, draw himself upright
IN the room, then solemnly raise one
arm, extend 1t, and point with his hand
through the window TO a place outside;
after which, more impressively still, be
slowly recovered the extended limb,
and mot.oned with his foreffDger three
times across his throat. This done, ths
strange aDparition abruptly departed,
his feet sounding as distinctly upon
the floor ard stepladder on his going
out as they had been heard to do when
he came in.
The commercial traveller was not a
nervous man, and he had knowledge
more or less, of the strange occurrences
and rough usages Of the world. Yet
this dark, grotesque, and absolutely 81
lent intruder, and his most singular
gestures, did not strike him IS alto
gether pleasant or agreeable; and he
would much rather not have been dis
turbed in such an unreasonable and un-
warrantsbls manner. He would, how
ever, take no action in the natter--at
least, for the present. Indeed, he felt
himself powerless TO DO this in
this lonely part of the prem
ises. But he certainly, when he
got up, would make complaint to
Mrs. Boriface of the way in which he
had been annoyed. Fixing this purpose
in his mind, our isolated lodger betook
himself again to slumber, and bad 81
most reentered the land Of dreams
when, both 10 hts vexation and alarm,
the footsteps he had previously heard
again sounded upon his ears--the same
firm and measured tread-and soon his
former visitor repeated his mysterious
Intrusion.
This time the gaunt figure looked egi-
tatcd and angry, and, 70 our travellers
smazement and fear, carried in his
right hand large, long and cleaning
knife. Pointing his hand IN a similar
direction as before, he shook his grizzly
head, and violently winked his eyes,
and stamped his foot, yet uttered never
a word, but kept perfectly silent, and
concluded his wild actions by drawing,
not his finger, but the huge knife, de
terminedly and slowly across his ey-
posed throat. After this ghastly panto-
mime, a second time he took his leave,
proceeding along the narrow hoored
passage and down the stepladder 20
the inn yard.
he ~4,ry
dumb show had been performed
crouched and trembled In his bed. He
had often heard OF spectral and super
natural appearances, and had affected
to laugh at those who declared they
believed in them. But was not this,
after all, an unearthly visitation? II
looked extremely like it. He would not,
however, fully conclude that he had
really seen an apparition; yet he
would guard against third invasion Of
this uncanny guest. He would do what
he now remembered he had unfortunate
" neglected-he would tssten the door
of his room and thus put stop TO any
further ipgress.
TO his disappointment, however,
when he came TO secure his room door,
he found that it was destitute of all
fastenings. Feeling with his fingers In
the dim twilight, no lock, nor bolt, nor
bar could he discover. Hero was des-
perate fix; and what plan foF bis safety
could he now resort to? Thinking rap
idly over the matter, nothing better, it
seemed to him, remained to be done than
70 roll his heHatnad hand fnrennnsf