The Madill News (Madill, Okla.), Vol. 14, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, October 23, 1908 Page: 3 of 10
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THREE WEEKS
Hb
Mrs. Todd's Three
Flights-Front
«
By Richard B. Shelton
(Copyright, by Shortatory Pub. Co.)
Mrs. Toc'd's lodging house was a
mode! of Its kind. It was on a quiet
street, yet convenient to the cars, Its
rooms were commodious and well
heated, and Mrs. Todd was the soul
of cleanliness. The lodgers, too,
were in keeping with the house—a
married couple, a retired school-
teacher, one or two working women
and several pleasant-spoken young
young men, who made little unneces-
sary noise and paid their rent prompt-
ly. All in all, fortune had smiled on
Mrs. Todd since, in early widowhood,
she had taken this lodging house as a
means of livelihood. Yet there was
one grain of anxiety in her cup of
happiness.
"Three-flights-front," at the top of
the house, was, to all appearances, a
most desirable room. All day long the
sun shone into it and its windows
gave a pleasant outlook across the
chimney pots of the houses opposite.
It had a new carpet and very tidy cur-
tains, but, despite these attractions,
thi ee-flightB-front" was seldom occu-
pied for any length of time.
Various young men had rented it,
and once a young woman had stayed
in It for nearly three weeks. In each
case, however, the lodger had decided
to change quarters rather suddenly,
and had sought out Mrs. Todd and
more or less haltingly and shame-
facedly had given his reason for leav-
ing. The landlady was sure, from
their actions, that they preferred to
keep the real reason to themselves,
though what it might be she was un-
able to surmise. Many times when
the room was vacant she herself had
occupied it for a night, but nothing
occurred to disturb her In the least.
After the ninth occupant had paid
his rent in the middle of the week
and departed, bag and baggage, she
decided to sift the matter thoroughly.
To this end she moved up to the
front room at the top of the house,
prepared to meet ghost or demon, or
whatever It was that was depriving
an honest woman of the rent of a
good room. One morning, two weeks
later, Bhe moved down again, rather
white and shaken.
"I shall never sleep in that room
again, she said to Jane, her maid of
all work, and as she would not dis-
cuss! the matter further, it was
dropped.
Thereafter, when prospective lodg-
ers applied to her, if no other room
was vacant, Mrs. Todd would say:
"I have one, three-flights-front, but
really I don't believe you want it,"
and generally this was sufficient to
send them away.
One day there came a brisk young
man, and as the ill-starred room was
the only one she had, Mrs. Todd made
her usual response to Ills inquiry.
The young man happened to be of the
persistent type. He Inquired the
.price and other particulars and ended
by asking to see the room. He seemed
quite satisfied with It. In fact, he so
expressed himself in no uncertain
terms. Mrs. Todd hesitated.
Hcforo you take it," she said, "1
must tell you there's something—well
queer about it."
"Ghost?" said the young man, cheer-
fully. If that s it I'd like to meet
him."
Mrs. Todd shook her head.
"Not exactly that," she said. "Still
something decidedly unpleasant."
Pshaw, said he, "there's nothing
unpleasant about this room," and he
handed out a week's rent.
In this way John Knox, medical
student, began his occupancy of Mrs.
Todd's "three-flights-front." A week
—two weeks—went past, and nothing
unusual occurred. Tuesday of the
third week, Knox rapped on the parlor
door. Mrs. Todd's face wore an anx-
ious expression as he entereS.
■'I've found It." he said, laconically.
"What!" exclaimed Mrs. Todd, "not
the—the Noise?"
"Yes," answered Knox, tersely as
usual, "gas globe!"
"Well, I declare!" said the land-
lady. "I never could locate It. How
often have you heard It?"
"Twice," he replied. "First time I
heard it was night before last. It
started up that infernal drone about
ten. Hunted all round before I could
place it. Can't account for it. Can
you?"
Mrs. Todd shook her head help-
lessly.
"At It again last night," Knox eon-
Mnued. "I shut off the gat and stuffed
the globe with absorbent cotton. That
stopped It. Then I got curious and
took It out. Every time I unloaded the
cotton, off it would go like the whine
>'t a cello. 8ometlmes it swelled and
sometimes it sank. Deuced If I co„id
And out what made it. I'm not a bit
superstitious, but I'll tell you franklv
I somehow don't enjoy it."
Again Mrs. Todd shook her head.
She half expected him to pay his
rent and leave, as the rest had done.
I flit Knox was of a different caliber
and said:
"I'll buy another globe and see If
it makes any difference."
Mrs. Todd brightened up.
I he next day Knox brought up a
similar globe and placed it over the
gas burner. A few days later he
again knocked at the parlor door.
"Same old tune," said he, and Mrs.
Todd thought he looked a trifle pale.
"Somehow this thing gets hold of me.
Can't reason it out, you know. Funny
thing, too. I don't seem to want to
smash those globes. There's so e
sort of fascination listening to that
whine."
"I know how It is," said Mrs. Todd,
and she shivered. "Is It all the
time?"
No. Seems to take Its own sweet
*111. Its liable to tunc up any hour
of the day or night."
Mr. Knox," Mrs. Todd spoke with
great effort, "there's a story that once,
before I took this house, a musician
bad that room. He went Insane In
that very room. They say he'd play
the keynote of a requiem, and every
now and then he'd stop and listen for
an echo, and laugh to himself. It may
be exaggerated—"
It s rot," said Knox, shortly, and
turning on his heel he went up Btalrs.
Yet, when the globe started tip its
drone early that evening, he felt cold
chills running up and down his spine.
"\\ hat a timid ass you're getting to
be, my boy," he said to himself as he
rose and lighted a pipe with a hand
that was a trifle unsteady. "Played
the keynote," he said, musingly.
Rather a morbid fancy, that. .Played
the keynote—By George!" He stopped
and laid aside the pipe. Suddenly he
whipped off the globe, and donning
his hat and overcoat he rushed down
stairs carrying tile troublesome globe
under his arm. It was a frosty eve-
ning and the wind was blowing brisk-
ly. He hurried to a store 011 the ave-
nue and asked for gas globes. A num-
ber of the ordinary shape were laid
before him. He took a pencil from his
pocket and sounded first his own
globe and then the others. Presently
Brought About a Remarkable Change.
Mfs. A. J. Davis of Murray, Ky.,
wys: "When I began using Doan's
Kidney Pills, kid-
ney disease was
slowly poiioning me.
Dizzy spells almost
made me fall, sharp
3^ pains like knife
thrusts would catch
me In the back, and
Anally an attack of
™r'P left me with a constant agoniz-
ing backache. Doan's Kidney Pills
helped me quickly and in three weeks-
time there was not a symptom of
kidney trouble remaining."
Sold by all dealers. 50 cents a box,
Foster-Mil burn Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
SEASIDE SILHOUETTE.
IfgfPf
It Will Stay There
"In my family medfclne chest no
remedy is permitted to remain unless
it proves beyond a doubt the best to
bo obtained for its particular purpose.
For treating all manner of Bkin trou-
bles. such as Eczema, Tetter, Ring-
worm. etc.. Hunt's Cure has held Its
place for many years. 1 have failed
to find a surer remedy. It cures Itch-
ing Instantly."
R. M. SWANN, Franklin, I.a.
When Suffering It Beautiful.
Suffering becomes beautiful when
any one bears great calamities with
fortitude and cheerfulness. not
through insensibility, but through
greatness of mind —Aristotle.
A young couple who are very much
taken with each other.
Catarrh and Headache
Mrs. Z. E. Goforth, 2119 Holly Street,
Kansas City, writes: "After using a
sample bottlo and two 25c bottles of
Hunt s Lightning Oil, 1 am almost well |
of Catarrh. It Btops my headaches. It 1
is the best medicine I ever saw and
I Just can't keep house without it," ;
She is right.
Jap Immigrants for Brazil.
Brazil has received its first batch of i
Japanese immigrants—781—under the 1
arrangement concluded about nine
months ago between the Jnpanese and
Brazilian governments. Within two
days all were at work on the coffee
plantations. Other shiploads will ar- j
rive regularly.
1 _.. BtfiLUt/v the 8T8TKM
' to*"1 ukovkh tamtklium
ThVr. TO,N1V- ;OO know what you are taking.
prinUnl on etery bottle.
rlU'ln fh "p ' yui"ln«and Iron In i> taaUtlru
asjgzjfr* Tar «ro"
Many a man s wife goes to church
on Sunday without him because he
can't persuade her to stay at home.
.p0*"", yor* fl.othks.
Use Red Crow Bail H)uc „,d keep them
, White as snow. All grocer., Sc a package.
It Isn't necessary for a married man
to kuow his mind.
For ^
Lameness
in Horses
Much of the chronic lameness in horses is due to neglect.
See that your horse is not allowed to go lame. Keep Sloan's
Liniment on hand and apply at the first signs of stiffness,
it s wonderfully penetrating—goes right to the spot—relieves
the soreness limbers up the joints and malces the muscles
clastic and pliant.
Sloan's Liniment
will kill a spavin, curb or splint, reduce wind puffs and swol-
len joints, and is a sure and speedy remedy for fistula, sweeney,
ounder and thrush. Price, 50c. and £1.00
Dr. Earl S. Sloan, - - Boston, Mass.
Rloan'* hook op cattle, Mieep and poultry sent free.
Sty™
acts £enll
ptffTg;
lenna
Try It Once
There is more actual misery and
less real danger in a case of Itching,
skin disease than any other ailment.
Hunt s Cure is manufactured espe-
cially for these cases. It relieves in-
stantly and cures promptly. Abso-
lutely guaranteed.
Going Down.
"The thief Jumped into the river,
but he had so much money in his
clothes he couldn't swim and went to
the bottom; I recovered every cent."
"That was lucky; you should use
that money as the nucleus of a sinking
fund."—Houston Post.
"I Have It," Said He.
he found one which rang a full note
lower than his own. This he pur-
chased and with it hastened back to
the house.
He placed the original globe over
the burner. In a moment It sent out a
low whine. Then he tried his pur-
chase. It was silent. He went down
stairs and called Mrs. Todd.
I have it," said he, and displayed
the two globes. Then another in-
spiration came to him.
"Where's the skylight?" he asked.
Mr. Todd took him into a hall
closet and showed him a ladder run-
ning upwards. This he ascended, and
went out ou the roof. Presently he
was back with a sigh of relief.
"Our ghostly musician," said he, "Is
a lot of wires running across the
roof. There's a standard holding them
just overhead. When it's windy, they
begin to hum, and one of them drones
the keynote of the gas globe here, and
the vibrations, carried along the wall
set the globe going. That first globe
1 bought rang the same note as the
original one, so you see that's why it
tuned up also. This one is somewhat
lower—most of them, I found, were
pitched like the first one—and that's
why it doesn't sing. Glad I know
what It Is."
"80 am I," said Mrs. Todd, fervently
They were silent for a moment.
Then Knox spoke:
"Must have been creepy to see him
do that, though. Iwonder I* he really
did?"
Important to Mothers.
Examine carefully every bottle of
CASTORIA a safe and Bure remedy for
Infants and children, and see that It
Bears the
Signature ^
In Use For Over JJO Years.
The Kind You Have Always Bought.
Crazy with the Heat.
"Can you tell me what Bteam Is?"
asked the examiner.
"Why, sure, sir." replied Patrick. ,
confidently. "Steam is—why—er—it's !
wather thot's gone crazy wid the
heat,"—Everybody's Magazine.
11 <SOOD ROt'SEKKEPERS.
Use the best. That's why tliev btiv t!,M
Croat Ball Blue. At leading grocers !i cents.
The dread of ridicule is apt to stran-
gle originality at its birth.
gently yet prompt-
ly ontlie bowels, cleanses
the system ejjectu ally,
assists one in overcoming
habitual constipation
permanently. To get its
oenejicial ejects buy
tke genuine.
^Rcmu jact u red by the
California
Jig Syrup Co.
SOLD BYLEADINC DRUCCISTS-SXpa.BCTTU.
Shirt Bosoms, Collars
and Cuffs
LAUNDERED WITH
Defiance
Starch
1FYOUVE
NEVER WORN
■vowntj
SLICKER
you've yet
to learn tHe bodily
comfort it gives in
the wettest weather
MADE ro —
h^nostRviec
AND
GUARANTEED
WATERPROOF
*300
never crack nor be-
come brittle. They
last twice as long as
those laundered with other
Marches and give the wear-
er much better 'satisfaction.
If you want your husband,
brother or son to look
dressy, to feel comfortable
and to be thoroughly happy
use DEFIANCE
STARCH in the
laundry. It is sold by all
Rood grocers at 10c a pack-
axe—16 ounces. Inferior
starches sell at the sarao
price per package but con-
tain only 12 ounces. Note
the diflerence. Ask your
grocer for DEFIANCE STARCH.
Insist on getting it and you will never
use any other brand.
Defiance Starch Company, Omaha, Neb,
IXIJIJI
25 "Guars"
LIVE STOCK AND
MISCELLANEOUS
Electrotypes
IN GREAT VARIETY
FOR, SALE (AT THE
LOWEST PRICES BY
WESTERN NEWSPAPER UNION
Kansas City, Micscu.-i
Readers
W. I. DouvIm makoa and aelT* mnm
men • $3.00 and 83.50 ahoea than any
other manufacturer in tli« world, be-
2'LSSiflrt?4-00 M.d W OO out Kdo ffcoM cannot
Jt fcnjr prlot. W L. Doulai ft 50 tad
ft.lt ifcoM mtlubMtta Uuworld
Color EjfUta Uatg
iL® tute. W. L Douilu
name and prion i ataniped on bottom inlii
everywhere. Shoe* n.ml~i from tSSErwim
part of the worl-L Catalogue o«*imcu>TJ 10
w. L DOUGLAS, 1ST Spa>Tst*Br cfctoa. Maaa.
of this paper de-
airing t o buy
anything adver-
tised in its columns should insist upon
having what they ask (or, refusing all
substitutes or imitations.
DEFIANCE STARCH
^16 ounce* to
— — "Hie package
( -other atarchen only li ounce*—name prion and
"OEFIANCE" IS SUPERIOR QUALITY.
DROPSY „HIS<iOVKKYt Riv*.
i iL, l- t * .1 « ,lI,d <""r«'*wornt
i KR.11 H li HMDiJ w i a/?B'featim'nt pilKH.
Hit. 11. 11. UHHRM 8 MONH. iiox It, ATLAJtTA, Ga.
the brst
prescription por
I,|„.r0„, ,1^ L
Jnligeailon, Gonallpuliin. Slcitl
(ll,win— I
Malaria, Heartburn, KJtttui«ncr 1
Jaundice, etr. "I
SCHENCK'S
"LiYen the Li?er;:
1 „ "Md over 1
Seventy Years ,
1 the atri.njraat taa- <
I Unioni.l tu ti,. Ir
I rallaMllt, riiey
I ®ak«and K y,,n
I wHI—no|qtake 1
I them continuously.
I Pnn-lr Vegetable.
AtwolutHy llMrioioM.
P« r aale everywhere,
I lain or Hiignr routed, t
I *o«*enlFa lK>*or by mail.'
| urn. Mm* IX. UltMKM p SONti. 1U,X It. A l l. AM A, tilt
putnam fadeless dyes
—gummfSSMfSSmmA' to -,hl 0" feci' %i"Tn""
Dr. J. H. Scbenclt
A Son
Philadelphia,
Pa.
I Tho grcatcHt mime or worry on
ironing day can be removed by nsing
Oefiance Starch, which will not gtlck
I to the Iron. Sold everywhere, 16 oz
| for 10c.
Sick Women
Mixed Stocks in Trade.
The complex functions of drug
storeB have long ceased to be novel.
Persons ro into drug stores ready to
ask for almost anything and confident
that they will he served. One drug-
gist who has a store up near Columbia
university ays his stock of crackers
is one of the most profitable Invest-
ments, because students seem to pre-
fer to go to him rather than to a
grocer, although they pay more for
crackers to him.
But when cigar stores go outside
tho line of tobacco, pipes, cigars and
sniokables generally, It still seems a
little odd. Some cigar stores have
taken on a side line of watches, which
Is about as odd a thlrg as a store of
the kind might be ex.nected to do.
General Break Down
Npglcctcd female troubles frequently lead to a
£e era J break-down. Better not wait till your case
is as bad as that, but take Cardui in time.
However, even when in bad shape, Wine of Car-
dui has cured others and may cure you. It will mv
I Km ff Jt' *}S did ?Irs- Rena I£are> of Pierce, Ma'.,
| .who afterwards wrote:
f l*n !'LWaS a su.fferer from all sorts of female troub-
les, had pams m my side, drawing pains in legs,
could not sleep, had shortness of breath; in fact it
was a general break-down.
"I suffered like this for four (4)
years and could not find any relief
until my husband insisted on my try-
ifig ( ardui. 1 lie first bottle gave me -x
relief and now I am almost a well wo- >V
man." Try Cardui. '/}
„ iablo druggists sell it. hbs. rem m.
VALUABLE i***. t*
BOOR vnm
f
CARDUI
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Heart, C. F. The Madill News (Madill, Okla.), Vol. 14, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, October 23, 1908, newspaper, October 23, 1908; Madill, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metapth351682/m1/3/: accessed March 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.