Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-03
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but in some miraculous way the band.
aged arm had escaped injury.
For heavens sake" Hotchkiss was
calling from above, "have you broken
your back?''
mo-" returned, as steadily as
could, merely driven it up through
my skull This is a staircase, I'm CON-
ing up to open another window"
It was eerie work, but accom-
plished it finally, discovering, not with
out mishap, a room filled with more
tables than I had ever dreamed of,
tables that seemed to waylay and
strike at me. When / had got win
dow open, Hotchkiss crawled through,
and we were at last under shelter.
Our first thought was for light.
The same laborious investigation that
had landed us where we were, re-
vealed that the house was lighted by
electricity, and that the plant was not
in operation. By accident stumbled
across a tabouret with smoking ma
terials, and found half dozen match
es. The first one showed us the mag
nitude of the room we stood in, and
revealed also brass candle-stick by
the open fireplace, candle-stick al
most four feet high, supporting q, can
die of similar colossal proportions. 1t
1t had been recently lighted. He held
the match to it and peered at 1t over
his glasses.
within ten minutes" he announced
impressively, this candle has been
burning. Look at the way! And the
wick! Both SOFT"
Perhaps it's the damp weather" 1
ventured, moving little nearer to the
circle of light. A gust Of wind came
in just then, and the fame turned over
on its side and threatened demise.
lous in the haste with which we put
down the window and nursed the
flicker to life.
The peculiarly ghost-like appearance
Of the room added to the uncanniness
Of the situation. The furniture was
swathed in white covers for the win
ter; even the pictures wore shrouds.
And in niche between two windows
bust on a pedestal. similarly
wrapped. one arm extended under its
winding sheet. made most life-hke
ghost, 4 any ghost can be life-like.
In the light of the candle we sur
veyed each other, and we were OBJ
jects for mirth. Hotchkiss was taking
OF his sodden shoes and preparing to
make himself comfortable, while
hung my muddy raincoat over the
ghost in the corner. Thus habited, he
presented rakish but distinctly more
comfortable appearance.
when these people built" Hotch-
kiss said. surveying the hug" diner
sions Of the room, they must have
bought mountain and built all over
it. What room!"
It seemed to be q living room, al
though Hotchkiss remarked that it
was much more like a dead one. It
was probably SO feet long and Is feet
wide. 1t was very high. too. with a
domed ceiling, and gallery ran
around the entire room, about Is feet
above the floor. The candle light did
not penetrate beyond the dim out
lines of the gallery rail, but fancied
the wall there hung with smaller pic
lures.
Hotchkiss had discovered fire laid
in the enormous fireplace, and in
few minutes we we're steaming before
a cheerful blaze. Within the radius
~ ;tc, 1irf
Portable again. But the brightness
merely emphasized the gloom Of the
ghostly corners. We talked in sub
dued tones, and smoked box of
Russian cigarettes which I found in
q table drawer. We had decided to
stay all night. there being nothing
else to do. / suggested a game Of
double-dummy bridge. but did not
urge 1t when my companion asked il
it resembled euchre. Gradually, as
the ecclesiastical candle paled In the
freight, we grew drowsy. drew q
divan into the cheerful area and
stretched myself out for sleep Hotch-
kiss, who said the pain in his leg
made him wakeful, sat wide-eyed by
the fire, smoking pipe.
have no idea how much time had
passed when something threw itself
violently on my chest. reused with
start and leaped on my feet, and q
large Angora cat fell with thump
to the floor. The IRE was still bright,
and there was an odor Of scorched
leather through the room, from Hotch-
kiss shoes. The little detective was
sound asleep, his dead pipe in his
fingers. The cat sat back on its
launches and walled.
The curtain ut the door into the
hallway bellied slowly out into the
room and fell again. The cat looked
toward 1t and opened its mouth for
another howl I thrust at 1t with my
foot, but It refused to move. Hotch-
kiss stirred uneasily. and his pipe clat-
tered to the floor.
The cat was standing at my feet,
staring behind me. Apparently It was
following with its eyes an object un-
seen to me, that moved behind me.
The tip of its tail waved threatening
~, but when wheeled saw nothing.
took the candle and made circuit
Of the room. Behind the curtain that