Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-12-15

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chanic, and sign painter at that"
Although he spoke with courtesy of
address, there was subtle something
in his eye that drew me magnetlike
and held me. I was silent.
''Want to know how became aware
Of that fact?' he went on, with a
quick, sharp glance at my bewildered
face. There's nothing wonderful
about my knowing that; I've had my
eye on you for two hours, and you
stare at every signboard you pass,
worse than a country jake; and once
or twice I saw you stop and study
carefully some fresh design, or some
new style of letter. You're Strang-
er here in the city, too. Want to know
how 7 can tell? Because you walk
like you were actually going some
place; but notice that you never get
there, for continually crossing and re-
crossing streets, and back-tracking
past show windows, and congratulate
ing yourself, doubtless, upon the thor
ough business air of your reflection
in the plate glass. Come, we can get
through now; let's walk"
I followed him unhesitatingly. To
say that I was simply curious would
be too mild; was fascinated, and to
that degree / actually fastened on his
arm, and chung there till we had quite
escaped the crowd. 81 like you, some
way" he said,' "but you're too impul-
sive; you let your fancy get away with
hot n Now vOI don't
know me, and I'm even bordering
whether to frankly unbosom to you, or
give you the slip; and I'll not leave
the proposition to you to decide, for
/ know you'd say 'unbOsOm;' so I'll
think about it quietly for a while
yet and give you an unbiased verdict"
We walked on in silence for the dis
lance, perhaps, of half a dozen blocks,
turning and angling about till we came
upon an open stairway in an old I'M
painted brick building, where my
strange companion seemed to pause
mechanically.
''Do you live here?" asked.
81 stay here" he replied, flor /
don't call it living to be fastened up
in this old sepulcher. I like it well
enough at night, for then feast and
fatten on the gloom and glover that in
fest it; but in the normal atmosphere
of day my own room looks repellent,
| and / only visit it, as now, out of sheer
desperation"
IF I had at first been nystiied with
this curious being, I was by this time
thoroughly bewildered. The more /
studied him the more at a loss was
| to fathom him; and as stood staring
blankly in his face, he exclaimed al
most derisively: ''You give it up, don't
you?"
I nodded.
| SWELL" he continued, 'that's good
sign, and I've concluded to 'unbosom:'
Pm an adjustable lunatic."
'An adjustable lunatic!'" ] repeat
ed, blankly. And after the remarkable
proposition that ushers in the story,
he continued smilingly:
''Don't be alarmed, now, for I'm glad
| to assure you of the fact that I'm as
harmless as baby butterfly. Nobody
knows I'm crazy, nobody ever dreams
of such a thing-and why? Because
! the faculty is adjustable, don't you
see, and self-controlling. / never al
low it to interfere with business mat
! tiers, and only let it on at leisure in
tervals for the amusement it affords
me in the pleasurable break it makes
in the monotony of matter-of-fact
existence I'm off duty today-in fact,
I've been off duty for week; or, to
be franker still, lost my situation ten
days ago, and I've been humoring this
propensity in the meanwhile; and now,
| if you're inclined to go up to my room
with me-the windows are both raised,
you see, and you can call for help
should occasion require; people are
constantly passing-if you feel in
clined, I say, to go up with me, I'll do
my best to entertain you. like you,
as said before, and you can trust me,
I assure you. Come"
If were to attempt description
of the feelings that possessed me as
I followed my strange acquaintance up
the stairway, I should fail as utterly
as one who would attempt to portray
! the experience of lying in nine-days'
trance, so I leave the readers fancy
to befriend me, and hasten on to more
! tangible matters.
We paused at the first landing, my
companion unlocking a door on the
right, and handing me the key with the
remark: ''YOu may feel safer with 1t.
And don't be frightened he continued,
| when I open the door, for it always
whines like somebody had stepped on
it's knob and I laughed at the odd
figure as he threw the door open and
motioned me to enter.
1t was a queer apartment, filed with
a jumbled array of old chairs and
stands; CID trunks, a lounge, and
stack of odd-shaped packages. A
frowzy carpet thrown over the Hoor
like blanket, and candle-box spit
toon with broken lamp chimney IN
| it. A little swinging shelf OF dusty
| l,oo1~r 18th a vaiIYooa man n0SfQ0 inst