The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-05-26
{: /: /: A F: f: /:
Narrow Escape
Never Sleep Two In a
Room al a Hotel
BY ANDREW {. EWING

ness ne matter lual cuSaScu my at'
, teution WAS the settlement OF n debt |
| owed about which there had been "a
quarrel In order 10 be prepared 10
| pay aS soon rs we should arrive nj y
stated amount provided myself with
| $1,000 in bank bills, ! arrived IN Chi
cage at . O'clock aud went 10 several
hotels without being able 10 secure Il
ROOM. Finally | was told at second
class house that | might have one of
two beds in n room, the other bed
being occupied by mau.
WAS tired and sleepy, aud accept
cd the offer had To decide whether
| would deposit my money with the
landlord at take il To my room with
me Had the house been ir>t class
would certainly have adopted the FOR
mer course. As il was. | concluded TO
keep my money with me. II was 10
O'Clock when went Ia bed. My room
mate WIS not there. 81 ] had choice
OF beds The apartment WAS long and
narrow. One bed was beside the door.
which could he opened aud shut 10y the
person occupying the bed 10y reaching
out IN arm. The other bed was at the
other end IF The room. near Il window.
selected the bed 10y the door. which
besides the lock waS provided with Il
bolt left the door unlocked and nm.
boted so that my roommate could eel
i'm when ho came My pOcsctbook,
containing my bills, ! put directly uu
der my pillow. ! turned the gas low
aud lay down hoping the occupant of
the other bed would soon come in. for
! was tired and wished to GO To sleep.
But despite my efforts To keep awake
| failed
was awakened by his coming. or,
rather. the turning M Of the gas Jet
which Shonp in my eyes. could see
the man very plninly. aud The moment
! did SO ! wished was anywhere than
where | was did not like the mans
appearance He uudreSscd himself
without paving any attention 10 me,
so far as | cond see. and. turning ont
the gas. got into bed had expected
that he would lock the door. but he
didn't
tried to satisfy myself that ! had
imagined tho man 10 look worse than
he really was II also seemed to mo
that had he any designs upon me he
would have noticed me while he was
undressing While thinking about him
] fell asleep.
was awakened 10y sound M the
other eud of the room I could not
tell what caused IL. but thought that
something had fallen. listened. but
all was still Then | put my hand
under my pillow to make sure that my
purse was still there II was not.
Should ! reach out aud lock the door
thus combining myself with robber
or leave him free egreSS from the
room;
My first impulse was To- let him go
My life was worth more to mo than
the $1,000. but | did not feel like sub
hitting 10 robbery. II was not the
money was about 10 lose. hut tamely
suffering wrong As thought about
the latter my courage hogan tO rise
and | reached out and locked aud
bottled the door.
] presumed the man to hp armed
but he had no means Of aSccrtaining IL
7 had weapon until I should nj Tempt
10 use il upon him Ny locking the
door might net in several different
ways First. II might seem to him
that. having been awakened hy the
sound. ! had heard even without feel.
ing for my pn"kctbook. | had reached
ont 20 learn If the door had been lock
ed. and not fndiu" il so. | had locked
TO him that | had missed my money
and had resolved 10 lock him In and
fight for it, In the latter ease he
would I've likely to infer that | was
armed
After throwing the bolts | lay per
fectly still II occurred 10 me that
whether the man were in bed or some.
where else in the room. he would
make no movement until he had rea-
son to suppose | was at least not med.
itating any overt act. In order To sat.
isfy him Of this | began To breathe
hard. like one asleep. Nevertheless I
did not change the direction Of my
OF the room
There was a faint light coming
through the window. and presently
saw n figure darkcu the latter Whetb.
er II faced me or the window I could
not tell. but | knew my enemy was out
of he'd That NJ yNns mar thp window