character
had been begun early; a very dangerous undermining, because it had for
one of its elements good humour and affectionate suggestion. At
fourteen he was ready for any crime, but he was mercifully kept out of
the worst till he was a full-grown man. Then he did his part. The affair
of the old woman was an unpremeditated one. It happened in this wise:
Miss Demarest's story had been true in every particular. Her mother
_was_ with her when she came to the house, and he, Jake, was the person
sitting far back in the shadows at the time the young lady registered.
There was nothing peculiar in the occurrence or in their behaviour
except the decided demand which Miss Demarest made for separate rooms.
This attracted his attention, for the house was pretty full and only one
room was available in the portion reserved for transients. What would
Quimby do? He couldn't send two women away, and he was entirely too
conciliatory and smooth to refuse a request made so peremptorily. Quimby
did nothing. He hemmed, hawed, and looked about for his wife. She was in
the inner office back of him, and, attracted by his uneasy movements,
showed herself. A whispered consultation followed, during which she cast
a glance Jake's way. He understood her instantly and lounged carelessly
forward. "Let them have Number 3," he said. "It's all fixed for the
night. I can sleep anywhere, on the settle here or even on the floor of
the inner office."

He had whispered these words, for the offer meant more than appeared.
Number 3 was never given to guests. It was little more than a closet
and was not even furnished. A cot had been put in that very afternoon,
but only to meet a special emergency. A long-impending conference was
going to be held between him and his employers subsequent to closing up
time, and he had planned this impromptu refuge to save himself a late
walk to the stable. At his offer to pass the same over to the Demarests,
the difficulty of the moment vanished. Miss Demarest was shown to the
one empty room in front, and the mother--as being the one less likely to
be governed by superstitious fears if it so happened that some rumour of
the undesirability of the haunted Number 3 should have reached them--to
the small closet so hastily prepared for the clerk. Mrs. Quimby
accompanied her, and afterward visited her again for the purpose of
carrying her a bowl and some water. It was then she encountered Miss
Demarest, who, anxious for a second an