The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-06

place would be quiet during the night.
And so I was installed in the second
story back room.
At dirner that day I got my first i'm
preston of the internal economy of the
place. There were two other boarders,
both old women both deaf and both
garrulous possible. They talked to
one another at the same time, their
eyes on their victurals,' both equally
oblivious to the fact that the other was
talking and both immune from inter
ruption. / noticed that Miss Tate, who
served the table or sat at its head, paid
no attention to the old women, and l
followed her example The meal was
gooG enough and I was very tired. so l
retired to my room directly afterward
and read till dark. Then I fastened my
door and without lighting gas re-
tired.
But couldn't sleep. Whether it was
the strange surroundings, the throb of
all night machinery in the neighbor-
hood, or some nervous disturbance With
in myself cannot tell. but must have
tossed sleepless till nearly midnight be-
fore I became aware of heavy breathing
and the soft footballs as of some one in
my room, very near-so near that l in
voluntarily stretched out my hand half
expecting to strike somebody sitting on
my bedside or standing near it, or
striding past But 1 was mistaken.
got up and the footsteps ceased. l
struck match and looked around The
room was quite empty, the four bare
walls staring at me quite blankly- I
listened and could hear very distinctly
the regular and unmistakable breathing
of some living thing-a man, thought.
But as | listened the match burned out,
the tread of bare feet began and the
two sounds diminished gradually as if
the cause had moved away.
1 went to bed again and waited till
sleep surprised me, but some time
toward morning 1 awoke to hear a dis
tinct and not unpleasant laugh just in
nv ear This time it was certain that
l heard a mans laughter, but where he
was and how he came there could not
fathom. I slept no more. but as the
gray daylight slanted gradually across
my dismal room l examined 1t more
carefully. The door was locked, every
thing within remained undisturbed;
without the house was as quiet as a
grave. That morning at breakfast
fancied that Miss Tate looked at me
/ had seen anything, heard anything. /
contrived to ask her if the two Miss
Gilfoys and 7 were the only boarders.
and she bridled at once with:
why do you ask?"
1 was about to say that if she had
space I would like to change my room
but she anticipated my thoughts by
quickly adding: Il have no more board
ers. 7 have no more rooms, sir.
knew that she slept in the base
ment, and that there were but three
rooms on the first floor. The two Gill
foy women had the second-story front
and 1 had the back on that floor. There
was the garnet, or attic, but it had no
stairway, nor any mode of access ex-
| cept a square trap door just over the
| landing at the head of the staircase.
which led from the front hall to the Sec
ono floor Nobody could room ur
there because there wasn't even fire
escape outside to give entrance and
exit. When I left the house that morn
] ing I made a hasty survey of the out
side, and might have gone around this
narrow side area if 1 had not seen Miss
Tate at the half closed shutter watching
me.
That day I tried to convince myself
that my nerves were out of order, but
when bedtime came the second night /