Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-20
The Haunted Room.
NY ROBERT JONES BURDETTE.

eyeteme.
The Haunted Room.
BY ROBERT JONES BURDETTE.
once. In the dead heart Of the pitiiess
Winter, I had drawn my good two
handed lecture with the terrible name,
and was shifting all the coasts Of Penn
sylvania with it, sparing neither (pro-
nounced "nyther'o young nor old, and
wearing ct my belt the scalps OF many
One night reached Erie the pleasant.
lust as the clock in the Lord Mayors
castle struck 81. It was bitter, biting,
StinCing cold, and there was no am
bulance at the station, while there was
q good hotel there. went In and
registered, and q man Of commanding
presence, tailor-built clothes ana o
brown beard of most refined culture,
followed me, and under my plebeian
scrawl, made the register luminous with
his patrician cognomen.
stood o little In awe Of this majestic
creature, and when IN . deep. bess.
commanding voice he ordered 0 room,
had O great mind-Something ale
ways carry with me when travel--to
20 out and get him one. The gentle.
manly and urbane night clerk, who
also seemed to be deeply in1pres6ed-aS
70 the habit Of the night clerkA-with the
gentlemanis responsible to any amount
foot on sawmbel C'tout ensemble") said
he was sorry, but he had but one vacant
room, and it contained but one bed.
STILL" he said, as became q man
who was bound to stand for his house
II It hadn't q bed in it, "it was wide
bed, very wide and quite long. Two
gentlemen could sleep in 1t quite conf
fortably. and #"
But the Commanding Being at my
side said that was quite altogether out
Of the question entirely. Quite. He
was sorry for the-here he looked at
me, hesitated. but finally said-gentle-
man, but he couldn't share his room
with him. He was sorry for the
gentleman, and hoped he might find
comfortable lodgings, but he couldn't
permit him 10 occupy even portion Of
his bed.
Then the clerk begged PARDON, and
was sorry, and all that, but this other
gentleman had registered first, and 1t
was for him to say what disposition
should be made of this lonely room and
solitary bed. fastened to assure the
majestic being that it was sll right;
room, oil Of the looking.glass and one
half Of the bed.
"No," ne said, very abruptly. "I will
sit here by the stove and sleep IN my
chair. thank you, sir, but would
not sleep with my own brother. I prefer
Q room TO myself.
meelEly told him that I didn't know
what kind Of a man his brother was,
but no doubt he lid, and therefore
must conclude that he wasn't q flt man
to sleep with. But his brother was out
Of the question, and II he wanted part
of my couch, he might have It and
welcome, and I would agree not to
mo, sir" he said. 81 win sleep In no
mans bed"
I said I wouldn't either, If I wasn't
sleepy, but when I was sleepy, didn't
care; I'd sleep with the King OF Eng
land or the President, and wouldn't
care O cent who knew It.
Wen, went to bed.
J. I curled up under the warm. soft
blankets, and heard the wind shrek
and wall and whistle and yellow like
all creation the wind can blow in Erie
and as the night grew colder and colder
every minute, fell asleep and dreamed
that Heaven was just 40 miles west
Of Dunkirk.
At 1850 or 8 o'clock there came =
laundering rap ct the door, and with
Q vague, half-waking impression In my
dream, that somebody from the other
place was trying to get In, said:
What is it?"
"It Is l." answered Q splendid voice,
which recognized at once. II am the
gentleman who came on the train with
you"
Eyes" said. land what is the
natter"