“A Story for Halloween”

When I was in San Antonio I stayed at the Menger Hotel.  It’s next to the Alamo and across the street from an entrance to the River Walk.  Before I went on this trip, I read that the hotel is a historic building and Theodore Roosevelt visited there when he was recruiting for the Spanish-American War.  I also learned that the hotel might have ghosts.  But I wasn’t really concerned about that!

 I arrived in San Antonio and found that the Menger Hotel was in the historic area of the city.  The Alamo was across the street, and I could actually see it from the window of my hotel room.  My impression of the Alamo was that it was tranquil, dignified, and surprisingly small.

From the Alamo I could walk across a plaza and down some steps to the River Walk.  I would go there early in the morning, when most of the shops and restaurants were closed.  I enjoyed seeing it without visitors milling around.  There were only a few people outside sweeping the sidewalks in front of their shops (and some energetic people out jogging).  However, I preferred to stroll along and enjoy the freshness of the morning.

On my last day in San Antonio I did some shopping and bought some beautiful turquoise earrings (and a bracelet).  After I packed my suitcase, I went to the lobby to check out.  As I walked through the hotel for the last time, I saw a shadow in a corner of the lobby where there shouldn’t be a shadow.  Could it be a …?  But it was afternoon, I was on my way home, and I nodded politely in the direction of the shadow, because you never can tell.