The Washington times., 1918-12-10

l wanted a room
He shot a glance at me through
his little slits of eyes on hearing
my good Bonn accent. but his man
ner did not change. -s ~
'"rhe hotel is full. The gentle
man cannot have a bed here. The
proprietress is out at present.
regret ." He spat this all
out In the offhand insolent man
ner OF the Prussian official.
."It-was Franz. of the Bopparder
Hof. who recommended me to come
here" I said. I was not going out
again into the rain foD a whole
army of Prussian walters.
"He told me that Frau Schratt
would make me very comfortable"
added.
The walters manner changed at
once.
so, So" he said-quite genislly
this time-'it was Franz who sent
the gentleman to US. He Is a good
friend Of the house. Is Franz. ia.
Frau Schratt Is unfortunately out
just now. but as soon as the lady
/. returns I will inform her you are
here. In the meantime, will give
the gentleman a room"
He handed me a candlestick and
a key.
so" he grunted. 'NO. 81. the
third floor"
clock rang out the hour some
where in the distance.
Ten o'clock already" he said.
The gentleman's papers can wait
till tomorrow, II is so late. Or
perhaps the gentleman will give
them to the proprietress. She must
Come any moment"
As I mounted the winding stair
case I heard him murmur again:
so, so,5 Franz sent him here,
Ach. der Franz
As soon as 1 had passed out of
sight of the lighted hall found
myself in complete darkness. On
each landing a jet of gas. turned
down, low, flung a dim and flicker
ing light a few yards around. On
the third floor was able to distin-
guish by the gas rays a small
plaque fastened to the wall in
scribed with an arrow pointing to
the right above the figures: 1880.
L. stopped to strike q match to
light my candle. The whole hotel
seemed wrapped in silence the
only sound the rushing Of water in
the cutters without. Then from
the darkness Of the narrow corri-
dohs that stTetshed-otit in front of
me. hear dthe rattle of a key in
the lock.
advanced down the corridor, the
pale glimmer OF my candle showing
me as passed a succession of yell
low doors. each bearing a white
porcelain plate inscribed with a
number in black. No. 46 was the
first room. on the right counting
from the landing: the even num-
bers were on the right. the odd on
the left: therefore. reckoned on
finding my room the last on the
left at the end OF the corridor.
The corridor presently took a
sharp turn. AS I came round the
bend I heard again the sound of
a key and then the rafting OF a
door knob, but the corridor bend
ing again 1 could not see the
author OF the noise until I had
turned the corner.
1 ran right into a man fumbling
at door on the left-hand side of
the passage, the last door but one.
4 mirror at the end OF the corridor
caught and threw back the refiec-
ton of my candle.
The man looked up as ap-
preached. He was wearing a soft
black hat and a black overcoat.
and on his arm hung an umbrella
streaming with rain. His CANDLE
stick stood on the floor at his feet
1t had apparently just been extin-
Ruished, for my nostrils smiled
the odor Of burning tallow.
You have a light?" the stranger
said in German in a curiously
breathless voice. 81 have just come
upstairs and the wind blew my
candle and 1 could not get the door
open. Perhaps you could ."
He broke off gasping and put his
hand to his heart.
ALLOW me-" / said. The lock Of
the door was inverted and to open
the door you had to insert the key
upside-down. I did so and the
door opened easily. As 1t swung
back I noticed the number of the
room was SO, next door to mine.
can I be OF any assistance to
you? Are you unwell?" I said, at
the same time lifting my candle and
scanning the strangers features
He was a young man with close
cropped black hair, fine dark eyes
and an aquiline nose with a deep
furrow between the eyebrows The
crispness OF his hair and the high
gave suggestion OF
Jewish blood. His face was very
pale and his lips were blueish. I
saw the perspiration glistening on
his forehead.
Thank you. it Is nothing" the
man replied in the same breathless
voice. 81 am only little out OF
breath with carrying my bag up"
you must have arrived just be-
fore I did" ! said. remembering
the cab that had driven away from
the hotel as I drove UP.
THAT is So" he answered, push
ing open his door as he spoke. He
disappeared into the darkness OF |
the room and suddenly the door |
shut with a slam that re-echoed
through the house.
As had calculated, my room
was next door to his. the end
room Of the corridor. 1t smeIt hor-
ribly close and musty and the first
thing | did was to stride across
10 the windows and fling them back
wide
/ found myself looking across a
lark and narrow canal, on whose
stagnant water doomed large the
black shapes Of great barges, into
he windows of Eaunt and weather.
stainad houses over the urau Nof