I was born in the United States but I

lived in Japan for many

years my business in Asia did well and I

became

Rich after 20 years I decided to visit

my home in New York on my way from Japan

to New York I stayed in Chicago for a

week I had a friend who lived in in San

Francisco and I wanted to see him again

his name was Harry

Watson and he had been my friend for

many

years we had written many letters to

each other but lately I'd not received

any news from him Harry never had a job

his father gave him a little money and

so he had never

worked Harry was very

superstitious he thought that luck or

magic could change things in his life he

spent most of his time reading strange

books most of the books were about

philosophy which I called Magic

books as soon as I arrived in San

Francisco I sent a message to Harry's

house the message said I am staying in

San Francisco for 4 days can I visit

you Harry surprised me

an hour later he sent a servant to my

hotel with a reply Harry

wrote come to my house at once my dear

friend come this evening you will

remember the house I'm

sure it was my father's home I live in a

tower at one end of the house you don't

have to ring the bell or knock on the

door I'll tell the servants to go to bed

and I'll leave the front door of the

tower open come up the stairs

immediately I'll be waiting for you

please come

soon I went in a taxi to Harry's house

that night the weather was stormy I had

forgotten that Chicago is cold and wet

in

Winter Harry's house was an ugly

twostory Building made of bricks with a

tower at one

end the house had a garden with many

trees and beautiful

plants but now it was Winter and there

were no leaves on the trees or flowers

on the

plants the driver stopped his taxi near

the tower even though the front door was

close I got soaked with rain as soon as

I stepped out of the

taxi I ran R to the door of the Tower

and turned the

handle the door was unlocked so I opened

it there was a small lamp on the

stairway that gave off a little light

but not much the hall was full of

Shadows and I couldn't see clearly I

climbed the stairs slowly using my

fingers to guide me along the

wall at the top of the the stairs there

was another door I opened

it and entered a room lit by another

small

lamp Harry came forward shook my hand

and held it he was wearing a long silk

coat and soft leather slippers his

clothes were

strange we looked at each other and I

was shocked

I had not seen Harry for many years my

friend had changed a

lot he used to be a handsome man but now

his hair was white and his face was very

pale there were many lines around his

eyes and

mouth Harry looked like a thin old man

even though he wasn't older than 50 his

large bright eyes shone strangely in the

shadowy

room welcome my friend please sit down

Harry

said he offered me some wine and a cigar

and we talked a little but our

conversation wasn't very

interesting meeting friends after many

years can be difficult and it can make

you sad maybe Harry guessed what I was

thinking no

I'm not as I was he said I tried to make

a joke and said your Latin hasn't

improved my friend smiled Latin is a

dead language and I'm a dead man he said

then his smile disappeared and he added

I will die very

soon I didn't know what to say I SM

smoked my cigar and drank my wine both

of us remained quiet for a few

minutes the wind had stopped blowing

outside and I wanted to leave the house

suddenly I heard a strange noise tap tap

tap the sound was not quick or loud it

was not the sound of someone knocking

loudly on the door the soft tapping

sounded like someone sending a signal or

a

message I didn't know what to do should

I stay or leave I stood up and said I

see that you are very tired I'll leave

now may I visit you

tomorrow Harry turned his head looked at

me and said please don't leave me

there's no problem nobody is there

there he walked to a small window and

opened it I hadn't noticed the window

before look he

said I walked across the room and looked

out of the window I could see nothing

except the light of a Street Lamp and

the rain

falling please don't leave me I must

tell you a story you're the only person

I can tell it to will you listen to my

story Harry

asked very well I'll stay and listen I

said Harry poured me another drink and

offered me another cigar then he began

to tell his

story I didn't move into this house

until my father died that was 10 years

ago when I was about 40 years old when

my father passed away I got his business

his property and his

money before his death I lived in a

large apartment building on Knob Hill

maybe you know that area of San

Francisco Knob Hill was a fashionable

area 40 years ago but now it's run down

and neglected the owner of the apartment

building

rented out many of its small

rooms the walls of the rooms were so

thin that you could almost put your hand

through them I was lucky the rent was

cheap and I had a large room in the

building no one visited me and no one

Disturbed me I could read my books

quietly I lived happily on Knob

Hill one morning as I was leaving the

apartment I saw a young girl it was a

cold day in March she was wearing a

black coat and a white Straw

Hat then I saw her face it's hard to

describe it was strange and

beautiful I had never seen such a

beautiful face

before without thinking I lifted my hat

and bowed she looked at me with bright

blue eyes but she didn't speak I could

tell she was happy to see me but she

didn't

smile she went into the house and shut

the

door I stood there staring at the closed

door would I see her again should I

speak to her would she speak to

me perhaps you think these are the

thought thoughts of a much younger man

and maybe you're right but these

feelings were new to me I had never been

in love

before I had spent too many years with

books and too little time with people

now I believe you're my only friend soon

none of this will matter I don't feel

foolish when I talk to

you Harry stopped speaking for a minute

then continued with his

story the next day I waited in my

apartment for hours I looked out of the

window watching the street but the girl

didn't come out of the

building I didn't know her name so I

couldn't ask anyone about her that night

I couldn't sleep the next morning I sat

by the window again and waited

then suddenly she came out of the

apartment building and I went out too

but by the time I reached the street she

had

disappeared I couldn't see where she had

gone so I walked around the neighborhood

at last I saw her in a narrow Street we

smiled at each other she recognized me

I'm sure of

that after that I often went out when

she did she always wore that white straw

hat I didn't follow her I just walked

around the neighborhood hoping to see

her

again at last I went to the land lady of

the apartment who is the girl with the

pretty face and the straw hat I asked

her she's my niece sir she's a servant

in this house she lives here here

because her parents are

dead she works for me she cooks cleans

the building and also buys our food she

lives at the top of the

house her room is next to yours but at

the top of the other

staircase the land lady

replied oh my friend I wish I had never

heard that piece of information

Harry said to me the girl's room was

next to mine she was just on the other

side of the thin

wall at night I would put my hand on the

wall and think of her was her bed

against the wall was she sleeping only a

few inches from my

hand I couldn't read because of the girl

my mind wasn't clear I only thought

about her and could not focus on my

books about

philosophy Harry

continued I had never wanted to marry I

had no interest in having a wife and

children I only wanted to study and

learn I could never marry a poor

uneducated servant girl my father would

never have given his permission all my

money came from him if he had stopped

supporting me

well what happened next I asked Harry

looked at me

sadly I stopped waiting for her and

watching her I focused only on my

studies and spent all my time reading my

books but one cold night I couldn't

sleep I just couldn't stop thinking

about the beautiful girl I wanted to be

with her she was only on the other side

of the

wall I tapped on the wall very gently

three times tap tap tap I tapped again

tap tap tap then I felt like a fool I

was acting like a boy in love for the

first time I got out of bed and began to

study my

books I was reading a strange book it

was a book on

philosophy you might call it a book of

magic and

Superstition in this book author

describes how to be a fortune teller and

also writes about strange and terrible

things that happen three

times when these things happen three

times death would follow the author

called this a fatal death I believe that

fatal death has happened to

me why what happened I

asked while I was alone reading that

strange book I heard a sound it was a

soft tapping coming from Beyond the Wall

it was the answer to my own signal tap

tap

tap I knew the pretty servant girl was

sending a message to me asking me to

come to her I ran to the wall and tapped

my signal again tap tap

tap but after that there was only

silence she didn't reply to any of my

other signals I listened for many hours

but I heard

nothing for many days after that I

looked for the girl but I never saw her

again I tried to forget her then one

evening I went to bed early because I

was very

tired in the middle of the night I

suddenly woke up I had heard a soft

sound I opened my eyes and sat up I

heard a gentle tapping on the wall

beside the

bed a few moments later I heard the

sound again tap tap tap I was about to

reply to the signal but then I stopped

the girl had not replied to my last

message mesages so I decided I wouldn't

answer hers

now Harry took a sip of wine and then

continued I lay in bed listening but I

didn't reply at last I must have slept

when I woke up it was late and I felt

tired I needed some fresh air so I went

out of my apartment the land lady was

outside my door and said

oh Mr Harry have you heard the terrible

news my heart began to beat quickly and

my voice trembled when I

answered what news I asked

her my poor niece was sick for a week

you didn't know I've seen you watching

her didn't you know she was Ill the land

lady

asked I was shocked I didn't know what

to say yes I had looked at the girl but

I'd never spoken to

her my mind was always full of thoughts

of my books and thoughts of her how much

time had passed since I last saw her a

few days a week I couldn't

remember and how is your niece now I

asked the

landl I'm sorry

sir last night she was very sick and I

took care of

her the poor girl had only one

request she wanted her bed to be moved

beside the wall the wall next to your

room so we moved her

bed this made her feel happier poor

thing then she touched the wall and

smiled a few hours later she

died the expression on Harry's face was

terrible there were tears in his eyes as

he continued his

story when I heard this news I nearly

died too I didn't know what to say what

had I done I had sent my thoughts to the

girl and she had

answered I hadn't called out with words

I had used philosophy magic to send her

a message Harry stopped speaking for a

few minutes minutes then he

continued a few days later I heard of my

father's death I left the apartment on

Knob Hill and came to this house it's

been my home since

then I've been waiting here in this

tower for 10 years waiting for a visitor

I wasn't expecting you but your visit

wasn't a

surprise philosophy tells us that signs

are repeated three times you've heard my

story you must decide if it fits the

idea of a fatal death I heard the

tapping twice

before the first time I tried to find

the person who made the sound the second

time many signals were sent to me but I

didn't

answer now you've heard the tapping too

that makes the third time the Fatal

death is

complete I stood up and shook Harry's

hand my friend knew that I understood

his pain and

sadness he pressed my hand with his

fingers and smiled I said good night

there was nothing more to

say the next morning a servant from

Harry Watson's house came to me with a

sad news

my friend Harry had died in the night