The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-09-04
THE EPISODE
in ROOM 222
By ARNOLD BENNETT
Copyright, 1893. by T. c. Mcclure
BY ARNOLD BENNETT

pie who affect TO believe that Friday il
not a day singled out from its six com
panions for mystery, strangeness ant
disaster. The number of the room was
222. The hotel shall call by the name
Of the Grand Junction Terminus hotel.
The Grand Junction is full every
night in the week except Friday, Sat
urday and Sunday. Every commercial
traveller knows that, except on these
nights, If he wishes TO secure a room
he must write or telegraph for it in adj
vance. And there are 400 bedrooms.
1t was somewhat late IN the evening
when 1 arrived in l.. On the spur
of the moment l decided to stay at the
Grand Junction If there was space for
me. 1t is thus that fate works
/ walked into the hall. followed by a
platform porter with my bag. The
place seemed just as usual the perfec-
ton Of the commonplace, the business
like and the unspiritual.
"Have you a room?" l asked the
young lauy III plack whose yellow halr
shone gayly at the office window under
the electric light.
She glanced at the ledgers in the i'm
passive and detached manner which no
tel young ladies with yellow hair inva-
,.,ol,.. c.. =, 1900.
90 90, ;,
III! you couiuh MAKE IL All l"os'
Ventured, with umld Jocularlty. How
could guess the import of what l was
saying?
She smiled very slightly with a dis
tant condescension "Name2" she do
mondod
.nDao,
IL ''0'Hei iiioiii'n' was III TIC 'ie
NaUor'
No - was the last uoor out one at
the emu OF the eastern CORRIDOR OF tlle
iourth noor' IL proved 10 De Il doupie
peuueu rooih' large eAqulsltelE ugly
Out perfectly appointed III all md1ters
Oh comfort III snort II was character
Isuc Oh lle hoteI' l knew lhat every
peurooiil III 'lat corridor presenter eN-
acu! tHe sdLle INSPECT Ole IlNulcLNe-
~ IeII Ihe AHposslOlllly OF anything
"eIru' any lhIlS plHarre' anything TERRI
ple' entering lile preclhcts OF an ABODE
80 soilu' cheerIul' oruerIy ana middle
class.
II VIII De Wen Tor me 10 relate all
mat l dlu that evening. l went down
10 the blizzard room ana played nun
ureu UP Win the marker 10 snow
that my nerves were at least as steady
DIS usuai tual night may mention that'
ailhough the marker gave me ntty ana
peat me- 1 maze break or twenty odd
winch won MS generous approval. Inc
game concluded, went into the hall
ana asked the porter II there were any
telegrains Tor me. Ihere were not.
notlced that the porter-lt was the night
porter, ana he had just come ON duty
seemed TO nave peculiarly honest and
attractive race. wishing him good
night, / retired to bed.
AT o'clock l awoke not with n
start nut rather gradually. l know it
was exactly o'clock because the strik-
Ing OF VIGOROUSLY noisy church clock
In the neighDorhood was the first thing
l heard. But the clock had not awak-
ened me. l felt sure that something
else, something far more sinister than
church clock, had been the origin of dis
turbance.
/ listened. Then | heard ii again. 1t
was the sound of groan in the next
room.
Some one indisposed, either in body
or mind" l thought lightly, and | tried
10 20 10 sleep again. But | could not
sleep. The groans continued and grew
more poignant, more feapsome. At last
jumped out of bed and turned on the
light.
THAT man, whoever he is, is dying"
The idea. as it were, sprang at my
throat. "Only man who saw Death
by his side and trembled before the APP
partition could groan like that"
put on some clothes and went in
TO the corridor. 1t seemed to stretch
away into illimitable distance, and far