The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-01-08
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Z TIE WINDOWS OPPOSITE $
BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.


on the streets Of Paris and taken 70 a
hospital was hurt about the head
and shoulders, and, though | had no
broken bones to mend, was so badly
bruised that the surgeon told me /
wouldn't get out for a month. Hard
up though I was Ia financial sense. I
had enough money In my pocket to get
me into a pay ward, and they gave me
one Of the IA cots on the third floor
front Il was summer, and was close
to the seventh window, counting from
the left
The routine Of hospital for an in.
iured man is a monotonous one. After
the first three or four days they PIT
me on full diet and gave me books to
read but | could not leave my bed, and
It was against the rules TO converse
With the other patients. 10 was read,
sleep think and plan, with one visit q
day from the surgeon. ! could not see
the street from my window as | sat
Dropped mp on my cot. The only sight
10 greet my vision was a quaint old
two stories high. and | could see the
upper halves OF four windows The
house looked 60 have been built 100
years ago and was IN sad state Of
neglect and untepGnted. | don't know
why ! should have been interested I'm
that house except that n sick man Will
turn 20 the veriest trine 10 make n di-
version | saw by the state of the win
dows thpt the house was tenantless.
and vet had the curiosity TO question
the nurse about T.
THAT house has been emDty for
many years" she replied, "and as it Is
IN law II win probably fall down be-
fore the heirs come into possession
You cannot soc that far down. but the
lower doors and windows are boarded
up to keep tramps out. / have often
wondered II the place has not ghost"
fell Into the habit of watching those
four windows 9s closely as if / haL
been employed as watchman -
seemed that II | waited long enough
should see . face at one OF them. When
evening came there was an electric
light somewhere which struck the front
OF the old house, and I would watch
those windows until the nrrse enioined
mo to turn away and go to sleep. II
got so at last that felt certain of maxi
ing discovery, and one evening when
I had been IN the hospital nine or ter
davs. the face had looked for appear
ed at one Of the middle windows. IL
w9s that Of a man.
The window was $50 feet from me.
but by the assistance OF the electric
light ! made out the face very clearly.
II came into view gradually, as II the
man slowly advanced across the room,
and IL remained at the paneless sash
for n full minute. II was the face of
an evil man. II was dark and bearded
md the eyes Travelled up and down and
across the street as II looking for dan
ger. Whoever the man was he was no
tramn. nor had he lawful right in
that house. AS he left the window
called 20 the nurse ard told her OF his
presence, but she laughed and replied:
"Ah, but we are not to concern our
selves about what goes on over there.
" ~ Is some prowler who has broken
IN. the police must take care Of him"
J now he'd something to occupy my
full attention. and gave up every
thing 20 watch the wladows opposite.
Nothing appeared next day, but ar
about half past s o'clock in the even
Inc | saw the same face again. There
was moro boldness In the way the man
approached the window, and he seem
ed 20 feel himself more secure as he
surveyed the street - he were not
fugitive in hiding, why should he be
taking neeps at the nelghborhood7 A
vacahond having entered to obtain
shelter for the night would keep clear
Of the windows on this second night
the man seemed to be looking intently
at the sidewalk running IN front Of the
hospital, and by and by he started and
turned away as II he had received
some signal When the nurse came.
told her Of tho incident. She was as
much amused as before.
You certainly have a mind for mvs-
teries," she laughed. but II you be-
come too Interested you will develop a
fever and have a pullback. When you
are able to leave us, you can tell the
police about the man, who viii proba-
bly, turn ont TO be shadow"
gave the windows but little atten-
tion In the daytime after that The
face appeared on the third evening al
the same hour. ami felt so sure that
y confederate made signals from the
sidewalk that took a convalescent in
10 my confidence He was an old sol
dier who was being treated for on old
wound and was allowed the run OF the
place. | told him Of the face and the
confederate, and he was Interested at
once. j. was arranged that he should
be IN front Of the hospital at half past
3 and watch for tne confederate, and
luck attended him. He saw a wen
dressed but evil looking man make
signals to the man at the window. The
signals were made with a folded news
paper and would not have been noticed
by any one not on the watch for them.
''Now, then" said the old soldier "A