Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-01-28

illiS HuuT.
Very good said. Il will 90 up
there now. Give me your card
Collins scribblcd n line on his card
Introducing me TO Nicholas Denny.
f.sq.. aild | left him not. however. he
fore had time tn catch another mock
ing smile as il vanished from his Eager
lace.
In less than half an hour was cross
ing Washington square in the gaslit
gloom. with the gray bulk Of the uni
verSity rising before me. went hy
to the Waverly place entrance. pushed
in the heavy. changing door. and walk
ed along the low hall. as Collins di-
rcctcd me: then | turned to the left
into the area. and next To the right in
to another hall of the building. Then |
began To climb the stairs. three or four
flights. lit by a single. fiickering gas
jet on each one. Al the top of these
| was in the last hall. aS thought.
with several doors goin. i'll To IL: AMI
| fancied | must have made some mis-
take when noticed in the farther haci;
end of the hall Il space blackt'r than
the blackness. opening high Q :rom
floor IL ceiling. like Il gorg in til.
mountains. and right up this gorge the
narrow trcads of yet ano;dcr stair
leading into pitchy darkness. with
sheer wall on either hand. fhcrc was
nothin. for il Int 10 venture. Up |
climbed. step by step. until suddenly
crack of light at my feet. Il little tu
the left. told me must De on his land
ing.
stepped quietly to the door. felt
g., 81. ~. 4 -
very stiff in the ioints-and knocked.
4 chair moved inside. and | heard
the rustic of curtains or draptrics.
Then steps came slowly. stopping nj
together once or twice. and opened the
door to me-
Mr.. Denny?' said l.
Yes. sir
"Mr. Denny. may I have the honor
of presenting an Introduction from my
friend Mr.. Collins
Certainly. certainly: ana very
pleased TO see you. too Walk in. sir
and pray be seated Sit You down by
the fire; you must be chilly \ dis
agreeable evening is il not:
Yes. it is cold: Dut you are very
cozy up here. all by yourself"
'Oh. yes. snug enough. You see.
have the whole lower to myself. small
as il is. I-.ere is no one else on the
same floor. That is something"
We drew our chairs mp to the fire.
The fireplace. like the room. was mar
row and tall. with a small CRATE Of
Goals high up from the floor in the oil
fashioned way The room might have
been sixteen 10y twelve and was very
lofty.
All the upper walls anu the ceiling
were painted a heavy dark blue which
swallowed up all the light the fire
and one candle in n silver candle stick
could give. The door by which | had
entered was in one corner. and the
fireplace in the middle of the other
side. Directly opposite the fireplace
was wide double doorway hung with
heavy por,ercs which were closeu.
The old gentleman talked casny.
with smile. spreading out his hands
TO the fire He seemed just the one To
be full of stories and traditions Of the
place. and only waited the oppor;uni-
ty to interest him in that direction.
"Yes. | said in reply to his last re-
mark the atmosphere of cn"'s sur
roun,lings is ore important than the
surroundings themselves: don't you
think so:
"Ah. YES. indeed: that is very true =
''And your atmosphere here is 50 ro-
mantle. There is really no other place
like this in the city. should think
there would be- innumcrable tales
about II: are there not :
But he froZc at this: gathered his
fingers in from the blaze and opened
them wide two or three times befor"
he spoke; and caught sudden hunt
ed glance quite ont of Keeping with
his courtly dcmeanor.
He seemed 10 consider before he
said:
YES YES. indeed. | believe there are
many legends about the old building.
hear them repeated from time Ia
time: and usually they have been a
good deal emhelliShed Il good deal en-
heliShpd Neracity is Il difficult accom-
pliShment. sir.
And he turned TO me with the most
winning and wise smile said moth
ing. and he relapsrd into his attitude
of consideration watching the fire. II
was ;uSi here that Il curious thing hap
pened. leaned my head back on the
10 take M the conversation where hs
had left il With hesitation. As dii
50 noticed for the first time small
mirror hung OVER the fireplace and N
il | could see g dull green porticrs
behind us. thought how rcstful the
color was to The eye. And them abou,
five feet from he floor. they parte'l
and crlish fa % looked through and
.f.t n
smiled very me rrily. and pressed tn,
soft curtains against her yellow hair
then her dancir. yves ran unsuspect.
incly over the mirror and caught mine
fairly watchin" fr- and she vanished
IL conStprnati"t u seemed.
"Oho," thought I.
But tie old man gave no sign. and
|. of course. said nothing. Veracity is
dI,-cult accomplishment.
The little by play was over in n few
seconds almost before my old friend
could take up a new sentence.
"You see. sir" (beginning with a long
breath. and gazing int" the fire.. YOU
see. sir. one looks at things differently
at your time of life. Truth seems quite
true, and falsehood quite false IL YOU.
no doubt. But. when YOU come along
to sixty. il will not appear So easy all
ofihand. And somehow. do you know.
the little broken Incidents Of life often
please me best the stories that have
been left unfinished and will never he
finished for us. perhaps Not that
love the Venus more htca,Is,. She has
lost her arms, poor lady; still the loss
adds a wistfulness: and wistfulneSS.
when you come TO think Of il. is very
large part of the charm Of art.
Il have just such Il one of those tiny
incomplet" dramas n my mind now.
| have not quite filled out the whole
circle of the plot from the small arc
which has come under my notice. but
shall. perhaps
Here he turned and smiled again
douhtfully at me.
III is n very intcreSiing-a very in
tercsting tanglc ol events. | am quite
sure. Perhaps you know this large
hotel on broadway in the next block
To us? Yes: 1t is nue.. affected hy
Southerners. believe. However.
that is neither here nor there. perhaps
At all events. there was an alarm of lire
sounded shortly after midnight one
February many years ago. ! was liv-
ing not far from here. and WAS just
coming homc when | heard the com
motion. As | reached the square, com