Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-07-23

WHEN FEAR REIGNED


" New York. We had many friends
in the city, but being both of an indie
pendent turn of character, we preferred
living by ourselves, so we looked about
for boarding house. The one we hit
upon was situated in the best part of
Fourteenth street, and was a fine
brown stone building, with a most pre-
tentious porticO, and a flight Of some
twelve steps up to the entrance door.
Now, to understand what follows, it is
necessary the reader should know the
position Of the room we engaged.
As you entered the hall, the reception
parlor, as it was called, lay on your
right hand, and was a very fine room;
at the end of it were two doors which
slid back and led into the room which
we were to occupy. These said doors
were ground glass half way down, with
flowers on it, but so thick as to exclude
any view of what was passing in the
other room, unless you pressed your
face against the glass, and then 1t
would be but an imperfect vision. Our
apartment was large, and had three
windows, two only halfway down, but
the third, a French one, opening on to
the wooden balcony that ran along the
back of the house, with a fight of steps
down to a piece of ground. Our room
had also another entrance, door lead
ing into little lobby, very convenient
for putting our trunks. dresses, etc, in;
this had again another door into the
hall.
The diningrOOm was situated in the
basement, on a level with the Kitchens,
as were also the servants bedrooms,
three in number The house was sew
eral stories high, and either by chance,
or because the purses of the other
boarders were, like our own, not too
heavy. two or three floors above us
were at present unOccupied. and the
other boarders slept on the top of the
house Thus we were cut off from
the rest Of the community by a lot
of empty rooms; this did not trouble
us. and all went on well for some
weeks. but in the middle of November,
when the season was at its dreafiest,
our landlady, who had not the best Of
tempers, fell out with her servants,
and they one and all left her at a days
notice. Now, as everybody knows, do
mestics in New York are rather diff
cult to obtain, so the reader can i'm
agiue the dismay of the mistress of the
house For CwO days we managed in
some way or other; but the bOarders
grumbled, and the merchant said he
must leave unless he got his meals
properly; so, driven to her wits end,
Mrs. Andrews engaged three servants
who applied for her place.
They had only just landed. they said,
to account for their having no Charac-
tiers. and, with the fear of losing her
boarders, it would not do to be too par
ticular and the women. who. by the
way, were all friends. entered on their
duties My cousin and myself pos
Sessed several articles of fine jewelry;
these things l saw the new housemaid
the day after her arrival, when tidying
I'D our room, examining very infinitely
/ did not think much of it at the time,
quitting it down to curiosity This
girls name was Margaret. and l must
say a more UnprepOSSeSSingl looking
person | have seldom seen; not that
she was ugly. but there was a cum
ming light in her gray eyes. which she
never raised to give yOu fair, honest
look. ana an evil expression in her face
that would have gone against her in
any court of justice; but ii was nothing
90 me. and. beyond remarking to my
cousin Bertha that the girl was not
pleasant-ooking. l dismissed her from
my mind.
The third day after the advent Of the
new domestics we went to spend the
day with some friends who lived ut
Brooklyn; there the conversation turn
cd on the number of burSlarieS. nearly
always attended with murder that had
lately taken place in New York, said
10 be committed by a gang of rutiianS
who wore light linen masks. and who
had managed to elude justice. This
description made a great impression
on me. the idea of waking and seeing
a white mask bending over one haunt
cd me all the way home. We were
too late for anything IL eat when we
arrived at our boarding-houSe. for din
ner was the last meal, ana that was
served nj seven. now il was nearly ten:
So. feeling rather hungry. we got Mar
..aret 10 20 out and get us some rolls.
made a frugal meal. and then prepared
for bed.
What induced me I cannot tell but
for The hrSt time since we had occu-
pied this room l examined the faSten-
iuSS of the shutters. and found them
very fraH Much to the amusement OF
any cousin, looking round the room for
something 10 place against the window,
my eyes fell on the TireironS and a
bright thought entered my head;
would place the shovel against the
fastening Of one window, and the tongs
at the other, in such a way that,
should anyone open the windows from
the outside, these things would fall
down with 4 crash, To the French
window l placed the head of our sofa
bed. thus efectualIy barricading that.
Bertha was much amused at my pro-
ceediuSS. but she let me do as pleased
about il, for she saw / was nervous.
"Ihe fact is. Nettie." she said, the
horrible stories we have heard to-day
have alarmed GU; but lis al nonsense.
dear and l have no doubt very much
exaggerated. Having now fortified our
citadel. come 70 bed" We always left
the gas burning little all night. so
after attending 70 that got into bed.
and fell asleep. I forgot to SAY the
doors in the reception-room were OF
course secured. and also the one out
OF the little lobby leading 10 the hall.
but re one from our room into the
lobby we always left opea-
was awakened by a most terrible
crash. tie toRgs had fallen down on q
little marble table. on which were the