Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1914-04-09

gotten this apocryphal footnote t.
history.
Certain 1t is, at any rate. II Var
Vechten had been anywhere else al
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.
ing series, was not long in coming.
Again from the hall foated the state
ly, melodious chime.
Nine o'clock.
with the first dulcet note, Van vech-
tens regard fell idly upon a man who
was passing along the farther aide
OF the street.-the first human being ha
mad seen since taking UP his position
at the window. He was not at all In
'erested In the man. who was entirely
unknown to him; but the stranger had
advanced within his held of vision.
and 1t was much easier to follow him
tnan II was to look away. So he con-
tinued to watch him, albeit but hazily
conscious OF the fact, because his
thoughts were occupied with matters
OF vastly more importance to himself.
nat Is to say. at the time he fancied
they were Of more Importance; subse-
quently his opinions on this score IN
uerwent a decided change.
only few seconds later. in truth
ITO regretted that he had not given the
man more Of his Observation-Disclosures
at least. to recall something of his
appearance. But even at that he
never dreamed how nearly the epi.
sode affected himself at the moment
nor did he have any premonition OF the
extraordinary events that we're to en-. |
sue In the immediate future.
Inc man was walking with a certain
mating, indefinite slowness, the while
ne studied the house numbers. as ~
IN search OF particular one,
All at once he stopped stock-still
van Vechten, as 1t CHANGED failed m
observe this, for his eyelids. heavy
WIN loss OF sleep. chose this precise
second TO curtain the scene. Nothing
nao yeI occurred to prick his curiosity.
'iis lbs dropped only for an instant
- De sure; but within that brief space
ne strange mans bearing had sud
ienly altered. He had thrown of his
resolution, and had gone quickly nm
ne steps OF the house directly oppo.
lte. Van Vechten opened his ewes
niy just In time to see him disan-
earring through the doorway. and the
DOR Itself swing shut.
Inc Silent House! The House ~
iystery! The house wherein nobody
ad even been seen to enterl
mere was no mistaking the fact !
lat van Vechten was galvanized into
u aiertness which, had 1t been almost !
nyDooy else under the same cond,.
ons, would have amounted to exc,ta. ,
ent. e''e-
Say!" he demanded of himsel, nm ,
q nis breath. is this a pipe-dream? I
oio somebody really go into thai
'use! And after a reflective pause.
mo, wasn't asleep" he deliberate.
settieo the unwonted occurrence IN
3 mind; Il saw the chap cominr
ong the walk. Let's see-wbat az
look like? What was he doing, E
nat the dickens does It mean. any. +,
ow7 "HS- ,,
mere was nothing or nobody to an, I
yer these puzzled inquiries. He was
'nvinced that he had remained II
wake. although drifting along the bor. {
'riand OF slumber, because he d,.. I
nctiy recalled having heard the clock
the hall strike nine. He glanced q,
Is watch. Yes, only nine. So he
'uid not have been asleep. even for
second. 'o'
All OF which may seem a ridlcu,or |
trivial matter to be the occasion q, '
much concern; but anybody ar. i,
tainted with the circumstance
ould not have thought 60.
10 begin with, there was sometime
'sitively repellent In the very appear'
ace OF the house across the wav
ven the number on the fanliRht-bv
are accident, 1913. for 1t was an old
"a number and not the true one At
Twas doubly and reiterativelv mn.
wiling 70 persons Owning supersti.