The Monticellonian., 1916-12-14
AnAd)ustdb(e
l.undtlC
By JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

/ carefully some fresh design. or some
new style Of letter. You're a strang-
er here in the city, too. Want to know
how | 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 backtraclling
past show windows, and congratulate
ing yourself. doubtless, upon the thor
ough business air of your reelection
in the plate glass. Come we can get
through now; let's walk"
followed him unhesitatingly. To
say that l 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. Il like you, some
way" he said, but you're too impul-
sive; you let your fancy get away with
/ your better Judgment Now, you don't
/ know me, and I'm even bordering
whether to frankly unhosom to you, or
| give you the slip; and Eli not leave
the proposition to you to decide, for
! | know you'd say 'unbosom;' So I'll
think about it quietly for while
| yet and give you an unbiased verdict"
| We walked on in silence for the dis
lance, perhaps, of half 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
Il stay here" he replied, for
don't call it living to be fastened up
in this old sepucher. l like it well
enough ut night, for then l 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 had at first been mystified with
this curious being, | was by this time
thoroughly bewildered. The more |
studied him the more at loss | was
to fathom him; and as l stood staring
blankly in his face, he exclaimed al
most derisively: You give it up, don't
YOU"
nodded
Well he continued, that's a good
sign, and I've concluded to .unbosom :
I'm an adjustable lunatic.'
An adjustable Iunatie.' l repeat
ed blankly. And after the remarkable
proposition that ushers III the story,
he continued smiiingly:
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 thing-and why2 Because
the faculty is adjustable, don't you
see, and self-controlling. | never al
low il to interfere with business mat
tiers, and only let it on ut leisure in
terXals for the amusement it affords
me in the pleasurable break it makes
in the menetony of a matter-of-faet
existence. I'm off duty today-in fact,
I've been off duty for a week; or to
be franker still, | lost my situation ten
days ago, and I've been hum0ring 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, | say, to go up with me, I'll do
my best to entertain you. | like you.
as | said before, and you can trust me.
| assure you. Come"
If | were to attempt a description
of the feelings that possessed me as
l followed my strange acquaintance up
the stairway, | should fail as utterly
as one who would attempt to portray
the experience of lying in nine-days'
trance, so | 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 it.
And don't be frightened" he continued.
when | open the door, for ii always
wines like somebody had stepped on
its knob" and l laughed at the odd
figure as he threw the door open and
motioned me to enter
1t was queer apartment, filled with
a iumbled array of old chairs and
stands; OLD trunks, lounge, and
stack OF odd-shaped packages. A
frowzy carpet thrown over the floor
like a blanket and candle-box spit
toon with Il broken lamp chimney in
it, little swinging shelf of dusty
books, with a railroad map pasted just
above it. 4 narrow table with a tele-
graph instrument attached, and wires
like ivy vines running all about the
walls and scattered around the instru-
ment was an endless array of zinc and
copper scraps, and bits of brass, spiral
springs, and queer-shaped little tools.
A flute proPped up one window, and
near it, on another stand, We're cor
net and an old guitar, a pencil sketch
half finished, and stuffed glove with
81 pencil in its fingers lying on it, spir
it lamp, a lump of beeswax, and hun
bred other odds and ends, betokening
the presence Of some mechanical, mu-
steal, scientific genius.
Its a bachelors ROOM" said the
host noting my inquisitive air. ITS
a bachelors room, so you'll expect no
apologies Sit down when you're
through with the industrial, and turn
your attention to the art department"
| followed the direction of his
hand, and my eyes fell upon paint
ed face of such ineffable sweetness and
beauty was fairly dazed. 1t was not