Smyrna times., 1915-11-24
WAS IT A SPECTER?
ANONYMOUS.

dusty suburban lane. He loved her,
and he was engaged to be married to
her, with the complete disapprOyal of
every reasonable person who had
been consulted. And this half-clan-
destine meeting was tonight to take
the place Of the gruGgingly sanctioned
weekly observation-disclosures a certain
rich uncle was visiting at her house.
and her mother was not the woman to
acknowledge to a moneyed uncle a
match sc deeply ineligible as hers
with him.
So he waited for her, and the chill
Of an unusually severe evening en-.
tered into his bones.
The policeman passed him with
but a surly response to mis- good
night" The bicyclists went by him
like gray ghosts with fog-horns; and
it was nearly ten o'clock and she
had not come.
He shrugged his shoulders and
turned toward his lodgings. His road
led by her house-desirable, commo-
diOus, suburban-and he walked slow
ly as he neared II. She might, even
now, be coming out. But she was
not. There was no sign Of move
ment about the house. no sign OF
life, 10 lights even in the windows.
And her people we're not early peo-
pie. He paused by the gate. wonder
ing. Then he noticed that the front
door was open-wide open-and the
streetlamps shone little way into the
dark hall
He walked up the path and listened
No sign OF life. He passed into the
hall. There was no light anywhere
Where was everybody, and why was
the frcnt door open? Everyone was
out, evidently. But the unpleasant
sense that he was. perhaps. not the
first casual visitor to walk through
the open door impelled him to lool
through the house before he wen
away and closed IL after him. So h'
went upstairs, and at the door Of th'
first bedroom he came to he strucl
a wax match. as he had done in tn,
sitting rooms. Even as he did so h.
felt that he was not alone. and he wa
prepared to see something; for wha
he saw he was not prepared. Fo
what he saw lay on the bed. in
white, loose gown-and II was hi
sweetheart, and her throat was Gu
from ear to ear. He did not knOV
what happened then. but the police
man found him in a fit. under tn
lamp-post at the corner Of the stree
He could not speak when they picke
him up. and he passed the night 1
the police cells. because the policema
had seen plenty OF drunken men b.
fore. but never one in a At.
The next morning he was bette
: though still white and shaky. BJ
the tale he told the magistrate wa
convincing. and they sent a couple (
constables with him TO her house.
There was no crowd about It as /
had fancied there would be. and Il
blinds were not down.
AS he stood. dazed, in front OF q
door. II opened and she came OF
He held on to the door-post for su
port.
She's all right, you see." said Il
policeman who had found him und
the lamp; Il told you you vi
drunk; but you would know best
When he was alone with her,
told her.
But, my dearest" she said. Il da
l. say the house was dark. for we we
all at the theater with my unc
and no doubt the door was open.
the servants will run out II they
y left. But you could not have be
n in that room, because locked II VIII
came away, and the key was IN I
e pocket. I dressed in a hurry, and
~ left my odds and ends lying abOu
" Il know" he said; Il saw-why
even noticed the calendar on
mantelpiece-Oct 21. At lea
!. II couldn't be that. because this
May. And yet II was. Your cal
dar is at October 21. isn't it?''
mo, of course Il isn't" she 81
smiling rather anxiously. you M
A have had a dream. or a vision
something"
- He did not believe In visions,
he never rested day or night till
got his sweetheart and her mot
away from that commodious ho'
and settled them in a quite dist
suburb. In the course OF the rem
al. he incidentally married her,
the mother went on living with thu
His nerves must have been a g
bit shaken. because ne was v
queer for a long time, and was
ways inquiring II anyone had tai
the desirable suburban house;
when an old stock broker with
family took IL. he went the length
calling on the old gentleman and
ploring him, by all that he held d
not to live in that fatal house.
'Why?" said the old stock bro
not unnaturally.
ne And then he got so vague and
'ne fused, between trying TO tell why
trying NOT 70 tell why. that the 81