The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-08-31


Tramp, tramp, tramp. trampi 81
There 1t was again.
Tramp. tramp!
Miss Williamson remembered that
The night before there had been four
ramps In one direction. then two In
another.
Tramp, tramp, tramp!
She was not quite sure but that the
third series of tramps had been three.
The steps continued about the same
length of time. the last sounds being
mufiied as before. Whether the listen
er had got more used to them or be-
cause of her disbelief In the super
natural, she did not seem to mind them
as much as she had the night before.
Perhaps the repetition Of the steps In
the same order as before may have
had something to do with II. At any
rate, her heart ceased its wild beating
sooner than before, and after the
sounds ceased she went to sleep.
The next morning she concluded not
to repeat her attempt to find out IL the
fiat above was occupied, but went d.
rectly to her place Of business. Her
attention was again distracted by her
experience, and today she made a
blunder that, had 1t not been detect
ed, would have cost her employers
something like $4,000. Before leav-
ing the Office she was handed a check
for the salary due her and told that
she need not return.
There was nothing to do but to 60
to her fat, get her dinner and on the
morrow commence a. hunt for another
situation. But the prospect for one
who had been discharged for making
serious mistake of getting another
place was not bright
Miss Williamson turned In that night
wishing the ghost would come into her
room during the night and put her out
Of her misery. If 1t did she might lie
there till her rent was due without her
demise being discovered.
That night she heard a door above
shut, few steps; then all was silent.
This was not a repetition Of the
| sounds heard on the two previous
| nights.
Miss Williamson, shaking of her
fears, got out of bed, put on dress
ing gown and slippers and crept shrink
ingly upstairs. All was dark and ST.
lent in the hall. She stood listening,
but heard no sound. Then suddenly
there came groan.
This was too much for the poor girls
pluck, and she ran downstairs so fast
that she came near breaking her neck,
for she fell at the bottom Of the flight,
and since it was dark as Egypt she
knew not what was in her way. She
picked herself up and stood uncertain
what next to do.
There was bravery In Miss William
sons makeup, and she determined to
make another attempt to discover the
ghost. Climbing the stairs again, she
stood with her face on a level with
the top step. It was also on level
with the landing. Under the door Of
one Of the rooms was a line Of light.
For a few moments Miss William
sons mind was balanced between two
hypothesis. Either there was a super
natural glow in that room, or 1t was
Illuminated by artificial light. Being
inclined to a rational view Of things,
she settled down to the opinion that a
gas Jet was burning in the room. Ghosts
don't require gas jets. Therefore a
human being must be In the room.
At this moment there was another
groan. This time the hearers magma
ton was not at work, and the groan
proceeded from one who was ILL., She
went to the door in question and OPEN
ed 1t. se.s,
On a bed with his clothes on was
young man. He was very pale and
evidently in great pain. Miss William
son approached him and stood over
him.
"Shall call doctor?" she asked.
mo; I've been this way before. I'll
get over It pretty soon. Please look
in the top drawer Of that bureau.
You'll find a small bottle. Give me
one Of the tablets in it,
Miss Williamson produced the tab
let, and it relieved the patient very
soon. The paroxysm from which he
suffered passed, and he did not have
another. Miss Williamson told him
that she had thought the fat he was
in to be unoccupied and asked how
he came to be there and why she had
never seen him there in the daytime.
81 am a newspaper reporter" he re-
piled. 81 come in between 2 and 8
o'clock insthe morning, when the paper
goes to press, and go out about noon.
am permitted by the owner to occupy
this fat temporarily"
"You must be a sound sleeper" said
the girl II have raped at this door
about o'clock In the morning and re-
ceived no response"
"I am sound sleeper" was the re-
Spouse, land lately / have been over
worked. No maiden tap would awake
me-"
IF had known that a man occupied
this fat alone" said Miss Williamson,
81 would not have taken the lower
one"
1T don't occupy It. I am only per-
mitted, to use 1t temporarily. Besides,
where's the harm? come in at
a. m. and you 60 out about g."