The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-30
A FACE AT THE WINDOW.
IFrom the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


Tony Spiegelhalter left the Binger
bund smoker about 1870 a. m. but as he
was walking north in Clark street past
Penney's drug store he was astOnished
TO see a human face peering through
frosted plate glass in the front window
of the apOthecary's shop lldging toward
the curb he stopped in the shadow of a
telegraph pole to contemplate the siugu-
lar apparition. The face was that of a
man Crimacing and gestiCulating at the
round. clear opening which his breath
had made in the thick frost upon the
glass Tony had had "A few that ev-
ening, but he wasn't drunk, and to him
the thing looked too lifelike for an ar
tifcial advertisement
Pretty soon a few more stragglers
from the BingerbOund came trudging
along, and Tony Spiegelhalter hailed
them with:
They stopped. too. but none had a
better solution than that the night clerk
in Penney's had gone crazy and was do
ing a pantOmime in the show window.
Meanwhile the face in the oval was
frowning, beseeching and trying to look
pleasant by turns
Vat it ISIS it?" cried Tony, gaining
courage with recruits, Wy don't you said
sOmeding, no2 Were YOU dump and
deef2" He walked up to the window
wagging his head al the face behind the
glass. But the face said nothing. only
glared pitifuly, nodded toward the door
and made mouths" as if trying to
speak.
mo it amt de hide clerk" said Herr
Nogelsang, the leader of the orchestra,
II tink. maybe, it's a bugler"
Watts de matter dere2" shouted one.
Wy don't you said sOmeding?" repeat
ed Tony
But there was no answer except I'M
ineligible pantomime, and world of
expressive looks that expressed nothing.
The crowd had now increased to nearly
fifty. mostly Germans on their way
home from the smoker. all good humor-
ed, some little befuddled with
Echnapps and lager. but generally a
laughing, we'll behaved, wondering com
pany.
At last the man in the window seemed
suddenly struck with a bright idea. He
began to write words in the frost with
his finger nail The hieroglyphics thus
displayed to the interested spectators
were as mysterious as the sign Ian
guage that had preceded them.
1 guess we better went for de bOlice.
suggested Vogelsang, maybe he's a for
gerry"
Meanwhile some newspaper delivery
wagons, en- route to the offices, stopped
at the curb. but never a policeman One
or the drivers who had come close up
10 the window. now discovered that the
man inside was writing real words.
Look" he said. II can read that last
word 1t saws let me out. now Watch
ed in and want to get out"
Didn't I said it was a burglar?"
chuckled Nogelsang.
Maybe it's a buggley house lunatic
Won kanakakoo." said. Speigelhalter
who had a pretty wit-not
FINALLY policeman came along and
size up" the situation
open the door. YOU blankety idiot!'
he beloved at the man who was stin
writing
I can't" wrote the chap inside. look
inf out scared. at his peephole.
7 m locked in" he continued writing
The copper. fancying that all this was
a ruse, and that probably the store had
been robbed. or that more than one
trespasser was within. went to the box
and rang the riot call In three minutes
the wagon came changing down the
frozen street. and in two more the front
door was forced and the imprisoned
man was in the hands of the police
Thanks. officer" he gasDed TO tho
bluecoat who held him, many thanks. I
was afraid I'd have to spend the
night"
w hst?' roared the patrolman, ''aren's
you dumb? Why in the - didn't You
sS.eak?"
oh. was afraid I'd get shot. You
see. | was in the telephone. and
Thatn do Of that" growled the ser
sto-e."
They lighted the gas, put out the
mob. and while one stood guard over
the first prisoner the others examined
tne inside of the drug store. Under the
aek counter trembling with fright and