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with a long soda fountain shining with onyx marble and coloured glass
lamps and nickel tanks of hot chocolate； a stationery shop； now stuffed for
the holiday trade with Christmas cards； toys； calendars； and those queer
little suede…bound volumes of Kipling； Service； Oscar Wilde； and Omar
Khayyam that appear every year toward Christmas timesuch modest and
cheerful merchandising makes the western pavement of Gissing Street a
jolly place when the lights are lit。 All the shops were decorated for the
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Christmas trade； the Christmas issues of the magazines were just out and
brightened the newsstands with their glowing covers。 This section of
Brooklyn has a tone and atmosphere peculiarly French in some parts：
one can quite imagine oneself in some smaller Parisian boulevard
frequented by the petit bourgeois。 Midway in this engaging and animated
block stands the Haunted Bookshop。 Aubrey could see its windows lit； and
the shelved masses of books within。 He felt a severe temptation to enter；
but a certain bashfulness added itself to his desire to act in secret。 There
was a privy exhilaration in his plan of putting the bookshop under an
unsuspected surveillance； and he had the emotion of one walking on the
frontiers of adventure。
So he kept on the opposite side of the street； which still maintains an
unbroken row of quiet brown fronts； save for the movie theatre at the
upper corner； opposite Weintraub's。 Some of the basements on this side are
occupied now by small tailors； laundries； and lace…curtain cleaners （lace
curtains are still a fetish in Brooklyn）； but most of the houses are still
merely dwellings。 Carrying his bag； Aubrey passed the bright halo of the
movie theatre。 Posters announcing THE RETURN OF TARZAN showed a
kind of third chapter of Genesis scene with an Eve in a sports suit。
ADDED ATTRACTION； Mr。 AND Mrs。 SIDNEY DREW； he read。
A little way down the block he saw a sign VACANCIES in a parlour
window。 The house was nearly opposite the bookshop； and he at once
mounted the tall steps to the front door and rang。
A fawn…tinted coloured girl； of the kind generally called 〃Addie；〃
arrived presently。 〃Can I get a room here？〃 he asked。 〃I don't know；
you'd better see Miz' Schiller；〃 she said； without rancor。 Adopting the
customary compromise of untrained domestics； she did not invite him
inside； but departed； leaving the door open to show that there was no ill
will。
Aubrey stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him。 In an
immense mirror the pale cheese…coloured flutter of a gas jet was remotely
reflected。 He noticed the Landseer engraving hung against wallpaper
designed in facsimile of large rectangles of gray stone； and the usual
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
telephone memorandum for the usual Mrs。 J。 F。 Smith （who abides in all
lodging houses） tucked into the frame of the mirror。 Will Mrs。 Smith
please call Stockton 6771； it said。 A carpeted stair with a fine old
mahogany balustrade rose into the dimness。 Aubrey； who was
thoroughly familiar with lodgings； knew instinctively that the fourth； ninth；
tenth； and fourteenth steps would be creakers。 A soft musk sweetened the
warm； torpid air： he divined that someone was toasting marshmallows
over a gas jet。 He knew perfectly well that somewhere in the house would
be a placard over a bathtub with the legend： Please leave this tub as you
would wish to find it。 Roger Mifflin would have said； after studying the
hall； that someone in the house was sure to be reading the poems of Rabbi
Tagore； but Aubrey was not so caustic。
Mrs。 Schiller came up the basement stairs； followed by a small pug
dog。 She was warm and stout； with a tendency to burst just under the
armpits。 She was friendly。 The pug made merry over Aubrey's ankles。
〃Stop it； Treasure！〃 said Mrs。 Schiller。
〃Can I get a room here？〃 asked Aubrey； with great politeness。
〃Third floor front's the only thing I've got；〃 she said。 〃You don't smoke
in bed； do you？ The last young man I had burned holes in three of my
sheets〃
Aubrey reassured her。
〃I don't give meals。〃
〃That's all right；〃 said Aubrey。 〃Suits me。〃
〃Five dollars a week；〃 she said。
〃May I see it？〃
Mrs。 Schiller brightened the gas and led the way upstairs。 Treasure
skipped up the treads beside her。 The sight of the six feet ascending
together amused Aubrey。 The fourth； ninth； tenth； and fourteenth steps
creaked； as he had guessed they would。 On the landing of the second
storey a transom gushed orange light。 Mrs。 Schiller was secretly pleased at
not having to augment the gas on that landing。 Under the transom and
behind a door Aubrey could hear someone having a bath； with a great
sloshing of water。 He wondered irreverently whether it was Mrs。 J。 F。
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Smith。 At any rate （he felt sure）； it was some experienced habitue of
lodgings； who knew that about five thirty in the afternoon is the best time
for a bath before cooking supper and the homecoming ablutions of other
tenants have exhausted the hot water boiler。
They climbed one more flight。 The room was small； occupying half
the third…floor frontage。 A large window opened onto the street； giving a
plain view of the bookshop and the other houses across the way。 A wash…
stand stood modestly inside a large cupboard。 Over the mantel was the
familiar pictureusually； however； reserved for the fourth floor backof a
young lady having her shoes shined by a ribald small boy。
Aubrey was delighted。 〃This is fine；〃 he said。 〃Here's a week in
advance。〃
Mrs。 Schiller was almost disconcerted by the rapidity of the