The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-19
COL. rRAvERs OF rHoRNvlLLg.


They had been talking about hotel.
ana hotel experiences for long TINS
before Pettibone. who sells wagons from
south Bend. looked Up with queer smile
and said. That reminds me BE was .
1.-the, notwithstanding chap. with keen
gray eye and white hair that was twenty
years older than his young. smooth face
It was during nay last vacation" hi
I said. that ] went down 20 Thornville
sixty miles from San Antonio, for the
combined purpose OF looking after small
farm my father left me and incidentally
Going a little trout or bass fishing. You
KNOW ThornVille is IN the hills and per-
haps you know. which I didn t. that il
a great resort for the people Of San
antonio. I had been Up since daybreak.
and. after q long ride in the cars and
I'VE miles over a dusty mountain road il
a blackboard, you can guess l was tired
wasn't looking for anything better than
q comfortable bed and absolute quiet, SO
you can bet wasn't oyerjoyed when we
/ came in sight OF Th0rnviile, 70 find that
| l. was Overfiowing with resorters and
that the VILE consisted OF one hotel and
! about twenty summer cottages. What
/ expected to find was q drOning country
! village in the baclzwoods with nothing
more noisy than babbling river where
I might while away a few days in utter
/ peace.
| Instead 1 had come unawares upon a
! fashionable summer hotel alive vito
| men and women N hot-weather outing
| Clothes flirting, laughing and spooning in
| all corners Of the wide verandas and on
every rustic seat in the park-like grounds.
! However, / was too tired 70 lose courage,
and, dusty and unkempt as I was. ran
! the gauntlet OF a score Of chair-w3rmeTs
( in the lobby and went up 10 the hotel
/ clerk 10 register. had written my name
/ and wondered If I could get q room with
a bath attached when the clerk, who had
/ been sitting in Q window chatting with
/ girl. come TO me and with a quizzical
/ smile that / didn't exactly appreciate.
( said:
Sorry. Ar. Pettibone. but the only
room we have left is-er, ah-occupied.
II told him that Il il was left ] didn't
I sec how it could be occupied. and vice
versa, but he looked at me rather nerv-
ously and went on:
d" YOU see, the house is full: we've
turned away a lot Of our regular patrons
today. but, if you don't mind, ali, you see
its like this: We have a room, 4 parior,
in fact. but it's Colonel Travers' room.
and We don't know. that is were not sure
when he may come back
But there are no later trains tonight"
l suggested.
C. No, and yet-do you mind sleeping in
the same room with a.
Another man." I interrupted. anxious
&c be rid OF his tiresome quibbling. NO,
I don't not if there are two beds"
Oh, there are two beds in parlor A.
he answered, nervously. and then ring
ing the bell, he summoned a negro boy
and whispered something to him. The
boy looked at me in a sacred fashion,
but got pitcher OF ice water and led
me up to the second floor. There was no
elevator. The ben-boy unlocked the
door, but, after trying three or four
matches gave IL I'd, and asked me If 1
had q match. I struck one and went
into the room, lighting a coal oil lamp
that was standing on the dresser The
boy didn't wait to see me settled. but.
putting my bags down in the hall had
scampered away. AS took off my grimy
garments, ] surveyed my rOom-or was it
Colonel Travers' rOOm?-and found it
good. The floor was covered with a
bright, new mating, the two beds We're
immaculate, the furniture white and gold
and the windows nicely draped with
gauzy lace curtains.
The musty odor Of unused rooms was
on the air, however. so l threw up the
broad shades and was pleased TO see
that the whole window aperture was GOV
cred with wire screens that permitted the
windows to be opened at the top as well
as at the bottom. l looked Tor the tran
som in order TO open that, TOO. but. as
Usual III UDAtlSr lntfS was no lTdu-DfO. 80
/ put back the lace curtains, quenched
the iH-smeliing lamp and. having fast
ened the door with the sliding bolt. sat
down by the open window TO enjoy the
cool breeze. The shouts and laughter of
the guests scattered about Jared on my
tired ears for a while. but presently d
little orchestra Of mandolins and guitars
began to play La Paioma and the chat
ter of men and women died away When {
2 "a c+p
hear the murmur Of the river and see it +
shining in the moonlight like phosphor 4
tvinkling through the trees.
II think 1t was the tinkle OF the river +
that sOOthed me SO quickly, for, after /
stretching on my bed, 1 remember moth /
ing till l was aroused by some noise at !
my door. I don't think it was a knock, (
but whatever 1t was Il reused me thor
oUghly. I sat bolt upright in bed and /
asked: Who's that% 1 heard 2 key turn
cd softly in the door. but remembering
Colonel Travers and that I had shot the
bolt on the inside / jumped out of bed.
calling Just 3 minutei and opened the
door. A tall man dressed in light
suit Il think II must have been Pongee
silk was standing at the threshold. He
passed in quietly and without a word laid
a wide-brimmed, soft hat on the dresser
and calmly went into the shadows near
his bed. Oh. I forgot TO say that my
bed, at least the one I had selected was
near the windows. The other was in the
northwest corner Of the room. and there
fore unlighted by the moon. which had
now risen so high that its beams shone
almost perpendicularly on the window
siils
DO you wish light, colonelY
asked. noticing that my roommate was
sitting motonless on his bed with his
face toward me and his hands upon his
knees.
NO light he answered. and. not wish
Ing 10 intrude and being very tired, said
nothing. but boing back 90 the door 7
and went to bed. fell asleep directly.
bat in an hour or more woke with g
nervous Jump and sat up. The moon had
5IGnted far toward the west but hy the
lim light ] could see nothing. ] listered.
nd after minute heard Colonel Trav-
ars sighing from his gloomy corner X
vas breaking dag when J awoke again.
md looking drowsily across my footboard
sew my room mate standing by one o.
he windows gazing II the gray eastern
sky Z Could not see his face. but be was
Tally dressed. even 30 his big. white hat.
insomnia. thought 7. and turning uy
lack up0n the growing light 1 went t.
sleep again.
There IS 10 sunshine as glorlorsly
brilliant as that Of Texas. Il was stream
ng into my room that morning when
woke. and 7 bounced 0ut OF i.el alert
sikh that singular Ilgor that is never eE-
'erienced IN the loV-iands o. the East and ( Z
North. Ard what % you suppose mv
,eutIe roommate had done g. the nirht2 /
In the nrst place. I foUnd rry 1wo bass ;
upty On The floor. the contents scat
cred about bv letters opened ard tossed {
'-oaccast. ana worse .han AZ. uay peck =
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