The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-26
THE EPISODE IN ROOM 222
BY ARNOLD BENNETT

into illimitable distance; and far Off q
solitary electric light glimmered NV end
i was haunt of gloomy shadows, except
/ where the open door allowed the light
from my bed room to illuminate the long
4 monotonous pattern of the Garnet
/ l proceeded to the door next nv own
the door OF No. 222, and put my ear
] against the panel. The sound of groans
was now much more distinct and more
i terrifying. I called. No answer. whats
/ the NATTER" I inquired. No answer
Then l tried to open the door but it was
fast. =
Yes I said to myself, ''either he's
dying or he's committed murder and is
Keeling sorry for it. I must fetch the
night porter
was compelled to find my way along
endless corridors and down fights Of
stairs apparently innumerable. Here and
there an electric light sought with its
yellow eye to pierce the gloom. At length
reached the hall. ..-...
There's a man either dying or very
Ill IN No. 222, said to the night porter
is that SOP" he replied.
| Yes, l insisted. Il think he's diving.
Hadn't you better do something?"
IF you think he's dying, sir, I'll call
up the manager, Mr.. Thom.''
| DO 1 said.
The manager slept on the first floor and
ne soon appeared-a youngish man. in a
! terra-cotta dressing down, his eyes full
or sleep, yet alert and anxious to do his
duty. We all three continued our prog
ress to the fourth floor. Arrived In front
OF No. 222 we listened intently, but we
could only hear a faint occasional groan.-
! Hes nearly dead said. The man
ager called aloud, but there was no an
sWer. Then he vainly tried to open the
door. The night porter departed and re-
turned with stout pair of steel longs
With these. and the natural ingenuity pe-
ho
| the door and we entered No. 222.
stout, middle-aged man lay on the
bed fully dressed in black. On the floor
near the bed was a silk hat. AS we ap-
preached the great body seemed to fut-
ter, and then it lay profoundly and ter
the mans head and held the glass of his
| watch to the mans parted lips
He Is dead" said the manager.
HIM" said.
I'm sorry you've been put to any in
convenience, said the manager, "and I'm
much obliged to YOU
The cold but polite tone was request
to me to re-enter my own chamber, and
leave the corpse to the manager and the
| night porter. I obeyed.
What about that man." asked the
hall porter early the next morning, or
rather the same morning. I had not; slept
Wink SINCE o CLOCK, nor laQ l heard a
| sound in the corridor.
What man. sir?" the porter said.
You know I returned rather angrily.
THE man who died in the night-No. 1922"
II assure you, SIR he said, IT haven't
the least notion what you mean"
Yet his face seemed as honest and open
as ever.
I inquired at the Office for the manager,
and after some difficulty saw him in his
private office.
Il thought I'd just see about that man."
I began.
What MANI" the manager asked. ex-
actly as the porter had asked.
Look here" said-as was now real
ly annoyed. TITS all very well giving in
structions to the hall porter, and I can
quite understand you want the thing kept
as quiet as possible. But saw the corpse
and was some assistance to you
Excuse me-" said the manager. Ell
Their you or I must be completely mad"
do you mean to say" 1 remarked with
frosty sarcasm, that you didn't enter
room 222 with me this morning at a. m.
and find dead man there?'
II mean to say just that, - he answered.
'Well-''-I got no further. L paid my
bill and left But before leaving went
and carefully examined the door Of No.
222. The door plainly showed marks Of
some iron instrument.
"Here,' I said to the porter as de-
parted. Accept tnlS nau c1oWH Iro]n me.
admire YOU
In the course Of my subsequent travels
I once more found myself. late one night,
lat the Grand Junction Terminus hotel.
'Mr. Edge" said the night porter, 1--WE
been looking out for you for weeks and
weeks. The managers compliments. and
he would like to see you in his room.'
Again I saw the youngish, alert man
ager.
Mr.. Edge" he began at once, ''it is
probable that I owe you an apology. At
any rate. think it right to inform you
that on the night of the 9Th Of November,
the year before last, exactly twelve months
before your last visit here, a stout man
died in room No. 222 at a. m. forgot
the circumstances when you last came to
see me in this rOOm.'
you should have forgotten such q cir
cumstance.'
1.-THE fact isl he replied, IT was not the
manager at that time. My predecessor
died two days after the discovery of the
corpse in room 222.'
And the night porter-is he, too, new
man?'
Yes" said the manager. THE porter,
who with the late manager, found the
corpse in room 222, is now in Hanwell
lunatic asylum
"Then you think. I said, that I was
the victim of hallucination on my pre-
vious visit here?'
ION these matters" said the manager,
II prefer to think nothing"