Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-07-27
TOLD JUST IN Time
fOriginal.1

Il
to another standing on the deck Of a
Hudson river steamer. "Is that Pough-
keepsie?'
Eyes, SIR" said the man addressed.
He was a tall, spare man, with mutton
chop whiskers and a professional look
about him.
Beautiful river" remarked the first
speaker.
"Very"
"By the bye, can you recommend me
to hotel in Albany?"
1.-The Blank is good house."
The questioner shuddered. 81 would
prefer another house. The fact is
stayed at the Blank once and passed
a very uncomfortable night"
WAS it the fault Of the manage
menti" ssizxczsss..-
"Oh, no. The room was comfortable
enough, though there was a political
convention in session at the time, and
was obliged to share my apartment
with a stranger. But we were both
comfortable, having separate beds.
Before we went to sleep we got
into an exciting discussion which
heated my brain and possibly ac-
counted for what followed. There
was another cause, however. had
eaten roast pork for dinner. Pork
never agrees with me, and this especial
piece was not properly cooked. When
man eats well prepared pork he's
very unwise, but when he eats badly
cooked pork he's fool. Well, the dis
cussion grew bitter. The mans views
were ridiculous, and since he was quite
deaf l was obliged to shout very loud,
so that those occupying neighboring
rooms began to cry shut upv' "Give
us rest!' and such reminders that
we were annoying them. Finally when
some one threatened to call the police
we stopped disputing and went to bed.
'Now, l never have walked in my
sleep but two or three times in my life
Ever been sleepwalker, STRIP
Never
THAT night dreamed that the man
from the other bed was standing over
me with a knife. l awakened with a
start and my heart was beating most
numerically. The other fellow was
snoring in his bed. After lying awake
an hour went to sleep. Then dream
ed again, but this time the dream was
on him. / dreamed that i got out of
bed, took my razor out of my satchel,
went over to the bed where he was
sleeping and stood over him. There
was light In the hall which shone
through the transom over the door so
that l could see him plainly. His
breast was bare, and the sleeve Of his
nightshirt had crawled up so far as to
leave one arm bare to the elbow.
seemed to take fiendish delight in the
situation. 1 did not intend to kill him
at once, but to take long time about
it. drew the sharp edge of the razor
lightly over his arm in several places,
also over his breast, only skin deep,
just enough to draw blood. He must
have been a good sleeper, for it didn't
awaken him, though he drew up his
arm and turned over.
"All this was dream, mind you, but
1t ended quite differently. Suddenly
awoke and found myself in the position
have described.
"Well, sir, the horror of that position
/ shall never forget. l wish / hadn't
begun to tell you about it. / have
never told human being before, but
the moment l began to talk to you
there seemed to be some impelling mo-
tive to draw 1t out of me-
"Never mind that" said the other
impatiently, were approaching the
Poughkeepsie landing. Finish your
story"
II was so demoralized that in shut
ting my razor / tried to shove it back
into the handle and cut a cash in my
hand that bled all over the floor"
The narrator paused, took out his
handkerchief nervously, then put it
back in his pocket
go on said the listener
'Now, what's the first and main idea
that came into my head, do you sup
poser"
II don't know. Well be at the dock
pretty soon, and you told me you were
going to get off here, i believe"
why, no. l didn't. What made you
think thatT'
"Oh, go onw
1.-THE idea that absorbed me was that
I'd be accused Of an attempt at MUIR
der. was all of tremor. 1t seemed
as If my heart had stagnated. l would
rather have died than have got back
into bed felt that must get out, and
at once. 1t was almost morning, and /
was to leave by an early train. I
dressed as quickly as possible, threw
my things into my bag, collecting my
wits sufficiently to be sure / left moth
ing behind to incriminate me- though
this was of no use, for my name was
on the hotel register, and stole down
and out of the ladies' entrance without
meeting any one. The railroad station
is very near the hotel, and / passed
through it and over to the river bank,
for i had some time to wait for my
train. Where are you going in such q
hurry?"