The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-09-13
E~ex'enge From
beyond the Craze
IOriginal.l

coat on his arm to the Place de TOpera.
He bought a seat in the parquet and
before the curtain rose glanced at the
boxes to see if any of his friends We're
present All were occupied by Stran-
gers to him except one, and that was
empty
During the last act, while the audi
ence was intent on what was taking
place on the stage, something-he knew
not what-impelled him to glance aside
at the empty box. Though he had no
ticed it moment before and saw that
no one was in it, now a womans face
protruded from behind q side curtain,
the eyes bent eagerly upon him with
every evidence of distress.
Waterman was not the man to de-
| cline what he regarded an invitation
and without waiting for the perform
ance to finish left his seat and in
| few minutes stood before the door of
the box in question. He did not need
to knock, for it opened noisel2ssly, and,
entering, he took a seat beside the
| lady.
do not think evil of me-" she said.
| II am suffering and wish to leave this
| place. must have an escort, and, see
| inc you in the audience, feeling that |
could trust you, and catching, your eye,
I virtually invited you to come to me"
do you wish to so now?" he asked.
cat once"
They rose, Waterman helped her on
with a light wrap, she took his arm and
| they left the house. Waterman called
a carriage
Il need fresh air." she said. May
we not Waik?"
Certainly, if you desire it. sup
posed you were ILL.,
mot so i'll but that I can walk
home" she said.
| Indeed, it seemed to the American
that she was as light as a feather.
! Her hand pressed so softly on his arm
| that at times he thought size had with
drawn it. Once while passing under a
street lamp he failed to see her shaG0N-
| beside his own. He turned to see If
she had not slipped away from him.
| but she was still there. He looked
again for the missing shadow, but
| they had passed out of range of the
lamplight
There was an odor about his COM
| panion that he could not account for
an odor of dampneSS, of water such as
one often gets from a river, especially
river flowing through a city.
A third singular feature was that now
and again he thought he heard some
thing rolling on the pavement behind
him. Twice he looked back to see, but
there was nothing there.
Presently the lady guided her at
tendant from the boulevard into Il side
street that was taken up with dwell
blocks, she turned and mounted the
steps of q stone front mansion.
Quick" she said I'm faintingn'
and fell into his arms. The door open
ed at a touch, and he carried her i'll.
Upstairs to my BEDROOM she
gasped.
Taking her up to the second story,
he entered a room the door of which
stood open and laid her on the bed;
then he went to call for assistance,
but 10 one replied; the house was
empty. He went back to the bed and
laid his hand on the woman who by
this time was stiff and stark. Indeed
it seemed to him that she had been
dead some hours.
At that moment a key was put into
the lock of the front door, and some
one came in. Waterman lookSd over
the banister and saw q man in evening
dress Waterman went down, and
when the man saw him he staggered
back
''The lady!" said Waterman. "She is
up in her roomr'
"What LADY," gasped the man.
II don't know She asked me to see
her home. She is lying Oh her bed. I
fear it is all over with her. Come"
The man shrank back. Waterman
took him by the arm, supported him
upstairs, and they entered the bed
room.
The man gave shrek and fell on
the floor.
"Elsiev' he cried ooh, why did |
do it? You have come from your bed
at the bottom Of the Seine to mock
me. I smell the water. | see the stone
I tied about your waist"
From this he went off into incoherent
cries and mutterings.
Waterman, as soon as he could col
lect his faculties, hunted up a tele-
phone and called for the police. In a
few minutes a party Of gendarmes
drove up in wagon, stopping before
the house. Waterman, who was now
trembling in every fiber, went down
and let them in.
"a very singular thing has occurred -
he said. II don't understand it. There
is a dead woman upstairs. l met her
at the opera and she asked me to bring
her home. I did so, put her on her
bed, and she died before I could sum-
mon assistance"
He led the way upstairs. There lay
the man on the floor glaring and NUT
tering. They turned to the bed.
It was empty