The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-13
Our Room at Lake Placid.


81 think Hoffman's resort at Lake
Placid was the very first thing of that
kind in California said Major Longpre,
fetching down buShel of cheroots- l
had something to do with encouraging
young Herman in the enterprise, so L
made a practice of spending a couple OF
months in his house every summer We
my wife and children-were regulars
in the old days, and, at least HOFFMAN
always claimed so. were largely re
sponsibIe for the success which attended
his place. It was situated on a rocky
table at the very brink of Lake Placid.
and to this day I have not seen in ali
my travels a landscape so majestically
beautiful as that particular basin in the
high range of the Sierras-
I'VE had three rooms in the south
west corner OF the second floor, and
whenever the days began to get hot
and muggy down at Sacramento 1 used
to drop a note to Hoffman asking that
our rooms be reserved for such or Such
a date You see we were Cld-fashiOned
in our habits and while there were
plenty of equally good, perhaps better,
rooms in the hotel. we felt at home in
the suite we had first known and would
take none other We didn't miss sum-
mer at Lake Placid for eleven years, but
finally the girls got the notion to try
Paris and the continent. and as An
gela was engaged and wanted 10 do
some shopping abroad we went to the
French capital and spent what I regard
d
less season. We didn't get back till
September, and, as the girls were bent
on cutting loose in Frisco, we sent them
oil down to their aunt's house and de-
cided to rest I'D for month at Lake
Placid
"Of course the season was over. and 1
thought the mountains and the lake.
glorifed with the colOrs of autumn and
mystericusly inviting in the hsze-lixe
smoke of mountain fires. were more
at 600 LIrff rVos1 p
gave US a cordial welcome, himself took
charge of our baggage, and. assisted by
a couple of bell boys and the porter. all
of whom knew us quite well. led US W
to a suite in the southeast corner of the
second floor Mrs. Longpre protested at
once that she would have no rooms but
our rooms whereuDon there was an
awkward pause, the boys locking oddly
at one another and Mr.. Hoffman seenle5
puzzled what to say. Finally. however,
he dispa tened A boy for the keys and let
us into our familiar quarters. The
musty stuffy olor in the rooms sug-
gested that they had not been occupied
and 7 said So asking that all the win
dows be opened and the beds aired. for
it was only s O'Clock in the evening and
the night was balTny-
Hoffman said that the rooms had
been occupied but once during the sea-
sen. and then abruptly left US to our
housekeeping We retired pretty early,
sleeping as was our custom in the most
westerly room some Time during the
night nv wife awakened me and said
she was sure there was somebody in our
rooms. The moon. in its last quarter.
was now shining upon the smooth
waters of the lake and across our floors
there was q constant but wan flood Of
light. I lay cutie still for moment,
looking about but my vie, placing her
hand on my arm pointed toward the
open door leading into the middle room.
There, as if passing toward the third
room, ! saw the figure of a young wo-
man in a battling suit She had stopped
right in tire moonlight and seemed to
be listening WHAT'S the matter. Miss p
1 asked quite loudly. but the woman. as
I if frightened. only hurried into the fur
Their room l asked my wife to go after
her. and myself arose and lighted the
/ coal oil lamps But Mrs Longpre, who
was now quite nervous. came back pres
emily and said that TIE strange visitor
had left by the Ean door OF the east
room. Thinking that the woman had
n1istakez- E--~ room. and yet puzzled bs