The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-05

ways swirl TO Hollow death. But whether Tie
present had been due to the sealing OF
the narrow room, chemical treatment of her
body and garments after death, was all sur
mise. But there was the fact. On the dusty
floor in a little apartment scarcely larger
than an ample bath, as if she had fallen in
a faint one hand spread abroad and the other
hand at her throat slept young beauty, ar
rested in mid pleasure ESQ she looked) and
held there in duresS while the busy round OF
life rumbled in the streets below. 1t must
have been the very pathos and usefulness OF
beauty-the image of that shadowy loneliness,
snatched away from the midst of joy and
the common boon of oblivion. Where was she
all this while, the radiant spirit who had
dwelt in that comely tenement? Had she
herself, too, like her frail, ndestructible per-
son, been held in suspense somewhere, neither
among the living nor the dead?
1t white, white silk and mass Of
white lace that she was dressed in. And
under the soilure CT dust the pale gold of her
hair was shining and alive. But the only.
clew to her identity the small cambria
handkerchief, initiated II one corner N. D.
I When L had read the article Collins said:
'How's that?"
Fine"
why don't You Investigate it?''
Investigate it? What is there to invest-
gate? This is ali ancient history
We'll, perhaps Sull 1 have an idea. You
know the building, don't you?"
Yes, I have saen it. = have never been in
it." L answered.
Very good" said he; now l know an old
fellow who lives there; has in
of the towers; the tower on the southeast
corner. I'll give you card to him. Go and
see him. He is full OF stories of the building;
has had a roost there for fifteen years.
more and, II you get him to talk, you
may hear something
Collins gave his gnome-like, inscrutible,
childish laugh, and his eyes danced in elfish
glee. He might have known everything or
thing at that very minute.
What sort is he?" 1 asked.
We'll, he is old, queer, character, a gen
ltieman. You must be punctilious. You must
be ceremonious. Hand him your card along
with mine when you knock at his door. And
by the way, you will have trouble in find
ing the room. Enter from either side, walk
to the middle of the long hall, then turn to
the east out into the court, and after that in
at another door to the south; then climb
stairs until you can climb no more, and
knock anywhere in the dark ahead of you.
You can't miss the door If you feel carefully,
you will touch a brass knocker; that will
please him better"
.'And what time shall I cail?"
This is good time as any. You would
be sure to find him in about this hour
Very good l said; Il will go up there
now. Give me your card
Collins scrubbed line on his card intro
ducing me to Nicholas Denny, Esq, and 1
left him-not, however, before 1 had time to
catch another mocking smile as it vanished
from his eager face. aaeL j
In less than half an hour I was crossing
Washington Square in the gaslt gloom, with
the gray bulk of the university rising before
me. l went by to the Waverly Place en-
trance, pushed in the heavy, changing door,
and walked along the low hall, as Collins di-
rected me; then [ turned to the left into the
arena, and next to the right into another
hall of the building. Then L began to climb
the stairs, three or four flights, lit by sin
gle, Pickering gas jet each one. All the
top OF these l was in the last hall, as l
thought. with several doors going into it;
and L fancied 1 must have made some mis-
q wi hon L ir,f 1,a for
OF the hall space blacker than the black
ness opening high UP from floor to ceiling
like gorge in the mountains, and right up
this gorge the narrow treads of yet another
stair leading into pitchy darkness with sheer
wall on either hand. There was nothing for
it but to venture. Up climbed step by step
until suddenly a crack of light at nv feet
little to the left, told me L must be on his
landing.
1 stepped quietly to the door, felt for the
knocker-a huge old affair, very stiff in the
Joints-and knocked. A chair moved inside
and l heard the rustic of curtains or draper
les. Then steps came slowly, stopping alto
gether once or twice, and opened the door
to me.
Mr. Denny?" said I.
Yes SIR
Mr.. Denny, may I have the honor of pre-
senting an introduction from my friend Mr.. |
COllinS?'
Certainly, sir-certainly; and very pleased
to see you. too. Walk in, sir, and pray be
seated Sit you down by the fire; you must
be chilly. disagreeable evening is it not ?' |
Yes it is cold; but you are very coy I'D |
here all by yourself
ooh, yes, snug enough. You see, have the
whole tower to myself, small as it is There
is no else on the same floor. That is |
something
We drew our chairs up to the fire The
fireplace, like the room, was narrow and tall |
with small CRATE of Goals high up from the
floor in the old-fashioned way. The room