The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-19

lurking. always WllH1n S1pH
of the house. kept me constantly exas
perated il was on that day that thing'
began TO come to a focus, II burning
glass Of events that seemed TO center
ON me.
dined alone that evening in NJ
cheerful frame of mind. There hao
been polo game the day before ant
I had lent pony. which is always :
bad thing TO do. And She had wrcnchec
her shoulder, besides helping to lose
the game There was. no one in town:
thc temperature wns ninety and climb
ing, and my left hand pcrslstently
crampcd under its bandagc,
Mrs Klopton herself saw me served
my bread butiercd and cut in tldblts
my meat ready for my fork. She hoy
cred around me materially, obviously
irving TO cheer me.
Tho paper SAYS still warmer, she
Vcntured "The thermometer is ninety
two now
..And this coffee is two hundred and
fftv.'' / said, putting down my cup.
sWhere is Euphemia3 | haven Z seen
her here or heard a dish smash all day.
Euphcmia is in bed. Mrs. hlop-
ton said, gravely. lis your meat cut
small enough. Mr.. Lawrence Mrs.
Klopton can throw more mystery INTO
an ordinary sentence than any one !
know She can say. Are your sheets
damp. sir2H And [ can tell from her
tone that the house across the street
has been robbed. or that my !ett'hand
neighbor has appendicitlS 80 now
looked up and asked the question she
was waiting for.
.'What ; the matter with Eu
phemia 90 Mrs, I[lopton said in stage
whisper "She s had three hot water
BOTTLES and she hasn t done thing all
dav but moan.
''She oughtn i TO take hot water bot
Ties, = ! said in my sevcrest tone. One
would make me moan. lou need not
wait. I'll ring if ] need anything
Mrs. Kloaton sailed TO the door,
whore she stopped and wheeled indig-
nantlv, 81 ONLY hope You won I laugh
on The wrong side of your face some
morning. Mr.. Lawrence, she declared,
with Christian fortituGc But | warE
vou. ] am going 20 have tho police watch
that house next door.
was half inclined 10 tell her that
both il and we were under police sur
yci.aEce at that moment But ] like
Airs. Klopton. in spite of the fact that
! make her life a torment for her, so
i rcfraincd.
LAST night. when the paper said il
vas going 10 storm. ] sent Euphemla to
fhe roof 10 bring the rugs IN. Eliza
had slipped out, although II was her
evening in. Euphcmia went Up TO the
loof--it was eleven o;clock-and soon
] heard her running downstairs crying.
When she GOT 10 my room she Just
folded up on ;hc floor. She said there
WIS black figure sitting on the para
pet Of the house next door-thc empty
housc-and that when she appeared it
rose and waved long black arms at her
aud spit like cai," 3"
] had finished my dinner and was
lighting a cigarette. ''lf there was amy
one up there which ! doubt. they prob
ably sneezcd.' - ] suggested. but if
You feel uneasy, / II take a lool, around
he roof tonight before / turn in. As
far as Euphcmla goes, wouldn Z be
Uncasye about her-docsn ( she always
have an attack of some sort when Eliza
rings IN an extra evening on her?'
SO ] made a superficial examination
Of tho window locks that night. visit
ing parts Of the house that had not
seen since bought it. Then | went
10 the roof Evidently it had not
been intended for ANY purpose save 10
cover the house. for unlike the houses
around. there was no staircase. y lad
der and J trap-door led 10 it, and IL
required some nice balancing on my
part TO get mp with my useless arm. !
made IT, however, and found this uneX-
plored part of my domain rather attrac-
tive. il was cooler than downstairs.
and ! sat on the brick parapet and
smoked my final cigarette. The roof
of the empty house adloincd mine along
tho back wing, bur investigation showed
that The tr3p-door across the low diVid-
ing wall was bolled underneath.
There WAS nothing ont Of the ordi-
nary anywhere. and 30 ] assured Mrs
Hlopton. Needless to say. / did not
tell her that I had left the trap door
open. ia see If il would improve the
temperature Of the house. went to
ned III midnight. merely because there
WAS nothing else To do. turned on
The night lamp at the head of my bed,
aud picked up a volum" of Shaw at ran.
dom (it Was 'SArlns and the Man. and
/ remember thinking grimly that !
was Il good bit Of a chocolate cream sol
dlcr myself. and prepared 10 go 10
sloep. ] have no apologies 10 make for
what occurred that night, and not even
IN explanation that | am sure of VI
did foolish thing under impulse. and
] have not been sorry.
II was something after two when the
doorbell rang II rang quickly. twich
! got up drowsily. for thc maids and
Mrs. klopton always lock themselves
beyond reach Of the bell at night, and
pu' on q dressing gown. The bell rang
again on my way downstairs i III
the hall light and opened the door. I
was widcawnkc now and | saw that il
was johnson His bald head shonc IN
the light-his crooked mouth was twist.
cd ~ a smile.
',,Good Heavens, man / saids irri-
'ably. Don I YOU over 20 hon& and
20 TO bed!'i
lie closed the vestibulc door behind
him and cavaliorly turned out thc light
Our dialogue WAS sharp. <siarcato.
Have YOU Il key 10 the empty house
next door7" he demanded. .''Somc
body'S in there, and the latch is
caught
1.-The houses arc alike. The key TO
tins. door may fit. Did you sec them
go in?"
No. There's light moving un
from room 10 room. saw something
Like II last night, and I have bccn
watching. The patroman reported
queer doings there week or so ago. ,;
y Lighter exclaimed "Do you
Very likely he said, crimly
- Have YOU rcVolVcrr''