Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-07-16
The Daily Short Story
, Awaiting Explanation.
BY BARRY PAIN.

Ally doctor says I'm all right. Never
theless strange things have happened.
This for instance:
My cottage was about a quarter of a
| mile from any house. The nearest was
| farmhouse. An old woman came
| over from there and looked after me
in the daytime. At night was alone.
One night the old woman had gone,
and had settled myself down with
whisky and soda for purposes of refer
| ence and one of Maudsley's books. 1t
was Il shall be forgetting my own
| name neXt-never mind, the book does
| not matter. l was reading when there
came sharp double rap at the door.
| L opened the door wide and saw no.
body. 1 stood for a minute or two
looking up and down the road, and
then l went back to the room. 1 said
| aloud, to reassure myself, which by
this time had become necessary, that
had mistaken the sound and that
| there had been no rap at the door at
all. l said this. but l did not believe
it, knew perfectly well that it had
been rap, and even while l was say
Ing it l got the idea that 1 was not
alone. When l opened the door, had
let something in. l looked about but
found nothing and settled down to go
on with my reading, and at the same
time felt very distinctly n chilly feel
Ing all around my throat. 1t was Ike
| band of ice! l did what any sensible
man would have done. 1 told myself
that had been doing too much reading
and that by day, after n good sleep.
these silly ideas would disappear. L
put down my book. lit my candle. blew
out the lamp and went up stairs That
night 1 slept like a top. l felt fresh
and good in the morning until the old
woman brought in the breakfast had
been in the habit of letting her talk
You must speak TO somebody or other
The old woman said. You had n Wis
itor last night, didn't you. sir?"
NO" said and wished that L could
believe myself. What makes you think
that?'
She was rather vague in her reply.
She said that she had been n long time
in service and that when she came into
room first thing in the morning she
always seemed to know how many had
sat there the night before. 1t might be
the way the furniture had been moved
L L
point, but could get no more satisfac-
tory reply.
Nothing else of any Importance to the
story happened that day. But in the
evening as l sat reading became sud-
denly aware that some one was seated
in the chair opposite TO me and. which
was worse, that if l raised my eyes
from my book l should see him. L could
not help it. l looked up and saw hor-
rible thing. 1t was a man in evening
dress, with a terribly white shirt front
bullying out of his waistcoat. The
hands hung down by the sides Of the
chair. coarse and fat. What made the
thing horrible was the stained cloth
over the neck. There was no head. 1t
was not only the horror of the pres
ence-I knew what il was there for and
what it wanted.
l was so frightened that for some
minutes it was physically impossible
for me to do what 1 knew l ought to
do, but at last got up. crossed over
and sat down in the chair which APP
peared to be occupied. But it was
comforting feeling when | had assured
myself that this was pure Illusion.
could pull myself together sufficiently
to get up stairs to bed. 1t is funny how
illogical one can be on these occasions.
1 locked my door and pulled some
heavy furniture before IT.
/ had not been in bed two minutes
before 1 heard sounds down stairs.
heard some one go from the room
where 1 had been sitting to the kitchen
at the back. The footsteps returned
and began to ascend the stair. 1 could
hear them creaking. Outside the door
there was clink of metal, as OF some
thing being put down on the floor. For
a few moments everything was still.
Then was tapped lightly on the shout
der and heard a husky whisper, Il
want your head"
1 was out of bed in moment and
got a light as soon as my shaking
hands would let me. l was very badly
scared. 1 dressed quickly, looking
around every second. l pulled back
the furniture. unlocked the door and
went out. AS 1 did so my foot struck
against something. looked down and
saw a heavy meat chopper and large
knife lying there. They were not there
when L went to bed and were usually
kept in the kitchen. l dashed down
the stairs and out of the house. 1 do
not mind owning that 1 ran for long
time.
l left in the morning by the earliest
train. But | shall so back as soon as
possible IL can get any one to go with
me. 1t ought to be interesting. In the
meantime it has the popularity that
no one of the ordinary explanations
will cover the whole story.-Black and
White.