Smyrna times., 1899-12-20

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With rush | fought my way up
step by step to the hall above and
grOped toward the dim light shining
pallidly through a narrow glass win
dow above the door. "Will ii be lock
edY' | thought fearfully to myself. SIS
there not something following on my
track?" | turned the handle and pull
ed it fiercely toward me. The door
yielded, and rushed into the open.
Anything wrong. sir?' And with
the words came a broad fash of light
which, settling momentarily on my
face. dropped as quickly to my bare
feet and back again. Anything
wrong. sir?" And the voice drew clos
er. the light flashing past me into the
dark hall behind. Then the outline of
helmet and cloak loomed darkly upon
me. and found my voice in the pres
ence of constable of the law.
Eyes; the house is full of gas, and
they've gone. l might have been suf-
focated Perhaps they wanted to suf-
focate me. | don't know-I''-
'Who've gone? What's their name?"
the constable interrupted abruptly.
"The landlady-the landlord-the
daughter. l don't know their names,
but look here, constable" and | pro-
ceeded to give my late experience" to
him In a woof of words.
The man evidently did not know
what Interpretation to place upon Ell
ther me or my story, and small Won
der, | hardly knew myself. but extin-
gushing his lantern proposed that we
research the house together. This we
did carefully and cautiously. AT the
initial stage of our exploration we,
or rather he, discovered that the hall
gas burner was turned ON full and the
gas Issuing from it at high pressure.
might have been blown out by the
draft" suggested the constable as he
turned into a sitting room. which |
had already searched, and threw open
Its windows to sweeten the atmos-
phere. Yes, it might" | assented,
especially If it was left lighted. by
the hall door, which. by the by, was
unbolted when l came down stairs"
But to make long story a short one,
there was nobody In the house. Not
living thing, with the exception of
dog chained up in the back yard. which
was surrounded, so far as we could
see, by high walls. This was the poor
brute whose mournful bowling had first
aroused me and that now seemed fran
tic with joy at the delusive prospects
of social termination to his gloomy
reflections. With the discovery of the
dog and the yard our search ended.
and the constable intimated to me that
he should summon additional assist
ance. A shrill call on his whistle from
the hall door translated the decision
into action. and with the arrival of
another constable upon the scene
was called upon for a fresh explana-
ton. The second official head threw
no more light upon the case than the
first. but offered a suggestion. Lets
knock up the neighbors. p'r'aps they
know summat about it,"
To the right and back and then to
the left went that constable. Rata
tat, tat-a-tat! went the Knockers Cp
went windows; out came heads.
who's there?" What dye wantT'
What dye say-who's my neighbor?
What neighbor-what dye mean?'
And then doors opened. and other
doors caught the infection. and they
opened. In short. there was a pretty
Ito do" and a half dressed crowd soon
shivered around the steps of No. 113.
| was quite harried with their ques-
tions. had no sooner arrived at the
end of one series than | was plunged
into another. had no sooner satiated
one individuals desire for knowledge
than | was called upon to feed some
one else. Whether my brain and my
temper would have stood the strain for
very long | can't say, but may add
that this is a difficult question to pro-
pound even to myself. Happily | was
extricated from the unpleasant situa-
tion by being led off to the nearest Do
lice station. to be detained there pend
ing further inquiries. as the result of
those just made showed the existence
of local caste feeling which took no
note of the existence of the occupants
of No. 113. and it appeared well to the
force" under these circumstances to
uOiu ue last TOT the present.
At the station told the inspector
on duty all about myself quite like a
little boy. But he did not appear sat
isfed and muttered some word to him.
self that sounded to Inc like "sus-
picious" and which resulted in my Sc.
clusion. 1t was but temporary. as the
result of the further inquiries proved
satisfactory-to me. that is to say
This was what they proved: That my
landlady, my landlord and their daugh.
ter had left the house No. 113 and had
left 1t in the night; that they had left
1t in the night because they were in
debt for their furniture (which was
hired) and for their rent and because
presumably and by the evidence of GER
tain tradesmen, they possessed nc
money to settle those vulgar claims.
To them my half a crown, paid IN
advance. had been half a crown, nj
least so 1t was presumed, for theii
whereabouts was never traced
Speaker.