Mexico Missouri message., 1914-01-15

this particular hour on this particular
Sunday morning, he would have
missed witnessing an incident which
presently was to jar him from the
lethargy of his ennui as effectively as
II the rotation OF the earth upon its
axis were suddenly TO be reversed
And the incident, but one OF a start
ling series. was not long in coming
Again from the hall noated the state
ly. melodious chime.
Nine o'clock
with the firstdulcet note. Van vech-
tens regard fell idly upon a man who
was passing along the farther side
OF the street.-The first human being he
| had seen since taking up his position
at the window. He was not at all In
terested IN the man, who was entirely
unknown TO him; but the stranger had
advanced within his field OF vision.
and II was much easier to follow him
than It was to look away. SO he con
tlnued to watch him, albeit but hazily
conscious OF the fact, because his
thoughts were occupied with matters
OF vastly more Importance to himself
, That Is to say. at the time he fancied
they were OF more importance; subse-
quently his opinions on this score I'M
derwent q decided change.
Only a few seconds later. in truth.
he regretted that he had not given the
| man more OF his attention-sufficient
at least. to recall something OF his
appearance. But even at that, he
never dreamed how nearly the cpl
sode affected himself at the moment,
nor did he have any premonit!on OF the
extraordinary events that were 10 en-.
sue In the immediate future.
The man was walking with a certain
hating, indefinite slowness, the while
he studied the house numbers. as II
in search OF particular one.
All ut once he stopped stock-still,
Van Vecbten, as II CHANGED, failed to
observe this, for his eyelids, heavy
with loss OF sleep. chose this precise
second to curtain the scene. Nothing
had yet occurred to prick his curiosity.
His lids dropped only for an instant.
to be sure; but within that brief space
the strange mans bearing had sud
denly altered. He had thrown of his
irresolution. and had gone quickly UP
the steps of the house directly oppo-
site. Van Vechten opened his eyes
| only just In time to see him disap-
peariug through the doorway, and the
door itself swing shut.
The Silent House! The House OF
Mystery! The house wherein nobody
had even been seen to enter.
There was no mistaking the fact
that Van Vechten was galvanized into
an alertness which. had 1t been almost
anybody else under the same condl.
tons. would have amounted to excite.
ment
SAY" he demanded OF himself un.
der his breath. rs this pipe-dream
Or did somebody really go into that
house?" And after a reflective pause
mo. | wasn't asleep" he deliberate.
ly settled the unwonted occurrence In
his mind; Il saw the chap coming
along the walk. Let's see-what cid
he look like? What was he doing
What the dickens does il mean. any
how?"
There was nothing or nobody to an
swer these puzzled inquiries. He waf
convinced that he had remained
awake, although drifting along the Dor
derland of slumber, because he dis
tinctly recalled having heard the clocl
In the hall strike nine. He glanced al
his watch. Yes, only nine. So he
could not have been asleep, even fol-
a second.
All OF which may seem a ridiculous
ly trivial matter TO be the occasion o.
so much concern; but anybody &C
qualnted with the circumstances
would not have thought so.
To begin with. there was something
positively repellent in the Yery appear
ance OF the house across the way
Even the number on the faRlight-b!
pure accident. 1913, for it was an old
old number ard not the true one a
| all-was doubly and reiteratively un
inviting % persons owning supersti
tlous weaknesses. And who OF US, q
J some extent, does not? Erected In tn,
/, days when high, narrow brownston,
| fronts were accepted as the hall-marl
VI AaAhNAAN[g - otAAi EGkEfb5A Ally IE
j sisted me encroachments OF improve
, ment which otherwise modernlzed an
beautifed the thoroughfare.
;. At the time the Powhatan Clul
}. moved into It's new quarters Numbe
! 1913 was vacant, and had remained 81
g up to something like three months
: prior TO the opening OF this story
I that Is to say, not quite two years
How long previously TO that II hat
e stood empty no club member coult
d say. During all the period within thel
d knowledge its begrimed facade hat
d been an eyesore and an object OF exc
d Grafton; somber and brooding. IL was
e sort OF memento mort to the idler
e behind the big plate glass windows O
8 the lounging room, a silent but pei
s petual rebuke to the folly OF thei
o lives; which attribute had more thai
c once called forth a passionately resent
| ful TRADE frnrn emma mo kar ,,.,,o n -.