Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-02-09

against his demon; the answer, giver
in quaint bat still pathetic language
was that he had married a woman
whom he loved, and had been happy
with her fer some months, and now
he knew that he must choose between
her and himself as a sacrifice to bis
familiar. In making his confession,
he knew that he was devoting himself
to death the same night; but he was
resolved 70 do this. Better. he said.
was II TO die horribly thus, than to
live alone with his sin and its punish.
ment. "And so, the record concisely
ended, "the said Alexander Macbane,
being remanded to his prison, was
there found dead the next day, with
his throat rent through, and the bars
of the window broken. Whereby it
was thought that he had said the
truth as to himself"
AS read the last words dropped
the roll, for the lightning glared into
my very face, and a moment after a
ringing crash of thunder burst over
the building as if sky and earth were
coming together. Then the roar
leaped and rolled through the clouds,
and died muttering far away, and
through the rush of rain and wind /
heard Macbsne's voice.
"You understand now" he said,
with that dreadful hollow sameness in
his tone, II am glad anyway that you
will be left, and not l; | always liked
you better than Standish. Perhaps
it was tiger after all that killed
him, poor fellow. You are quite safe
now; it is coming for me tonight. l
thought it would have killed me last
night, when I called it back" a
crash of thunder drowned his last
words.
"Macoane!" I cried, finding my
power of speech at last; "it shall not
be! Whether it is real or a dream,
do not know; but you shall not die
that way. l kept the Thing out, cam
not you do it? Never give up hope.
Cannot you save YOURSELF"
Macbane smiled hopelessly. "Lis-
ten, said he, and he held up his hand
and in pause of the rain l heard,
low and distinct, scratching on the
door.
open it, Eliot" he said calmly.
at must come, and the sooner the
better. Then go down and wait, for
it will not be pleasant thing to see"
sprang to the door, but not TO
open it. With frenzied speed l lock-
ed and doubled-lccked it, and drove
the heavy bolts into their sockets.
But no rush came against the door
no tearing or grinding of teeth. /
could hear nothing-not even a
breath; and the stiffness was more ter
rifying than any sound.
"It is no use" said my friend; "you
could keep yourself safe; you cannot
save me. 1t will have help tonight"
y gust of wind swept round the
tower as he spoke; and mingling in
its wall / seemed to hear-or was it
but my fancy?-the long, deadly howl
OF the Thing that / felt was SO near
US. For few moments there was
silence. Then with crash the lightn-
ing fell close to the tower, and a great
pine, shattered by the stroke, rushed
dcwn light against the window, and
its top crashed into the room, rending
away the iron bars like rotten sticks.
The wind of the fall extinguished the
lamp; but in the darkness and the
roar of thunder could feel something
pass by me with a mighty leap, and
next moment a fainter fash showed
me picture which was but for an
instant, but in that instant was brand
ed in on my memory. Macbane stood
upright, with arms folded, gazing
calmly forward and upward, and be-
fore him crouched, as if for a spring,
a black mass, with blood-red burning
eyes-the same eyes that had glared
on me the night before. So much |
saw; then, suddenly, the world was
one binding flame, one rending cr ,sh
around me, and | fell stunned aud
senseless.
When / lived again, the dawn's
gray glimmer was dimly lighting the
tower; aud outside the blackened and
shattered window bird was sin sing
As opened my eyes, my glance fell
on something lying in the center Of
the room; it was Macbane's body. /
crAwled 20 him and looked into the
dead face. There was no wound or
mark on him, and there even seemed
faint smile on his lips, and near his
feet lay little heap Of gray ash.
THE END.