Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-09-06
.Ieaye that o me. Aou NhI r.

The scene, the voice, tht aStiVNN
the singular beiug, had, | confess un
nerved me by this time, The gro
tosnrs surroundings alone woull
nave zone Tor nothing, buta sense o.
mn underlying mystery and purpose
~as therr. moreover, | was aware o
/" curious pervading scent which NO
Jonbt emanated from the misses o
stuf1s around, n mixture OF Eastern
nerhme and Eastern dirt, peculiar
and penetrating. II affected my
head.
TEL me" he asked earnestly
chow many.
II knew he meant deaths alo
briefly told the story.
An expression ofintense Joy ht up
his withered yisage TO an incredible
degree. He began counting on ms
fingers. and | could hear he counted
in Persian numerals.
..You seem to owe the world
grudge, said angrily, Your hend'
ish arts have destroyed these limo.
cent persons, wish ! could hand
YOU over 10 the law TO answer for
their lives. :
He looked with eynicalcontempt az
me. ave are all alike, We get what
we want out ofthe world as We can,
he answered. "Some are wiser than
Others"
Then he went on counting. Zone
more" With this he turned his gilt
tering, viper-like eyes with dartlng
glance upon me.
had an oddly confused feeling In
my head, and the gorgeous, squalid
contents OF the room SWAIN before
my eyes. Zone more" BIZ repeated.
"and the goal il Won" Silently he
crept 10 the rusty CRATE, stirred up
the fire with a bit 81 ehnrred wood
then with the burning end Of the itt-
ter deliberately set light 20 heap
ofspanglrd muslin Of very line text
ure.
what are you about, mailman. ]
exclaimed, but when | tried to rise
from my seat | found my limbs like
lend He gliled from corner %
corner OF the little room with
u bit 81 flaming stnH Ia
his hand; here he applied il 10 nn
open newspaper, there 10 q linen
shret, again 10 a~lcngth " coiurrd
calico. The smell, sound and sight
ofburning atmospheFe-nnd lrMain.
ed Ike d log.
| Like phantom in wild dream, ]
saw the weird figure Of thu Oriental
waving the Maiaeca cane about IT,
head in rhythmic movement
'One more!" hs cried eAuitunfly
''fhc hour has cornei Thu numbsr i
made up Ny glory IL assngrl iut
vast eternitics Then thought
saw him fall to tho ground
/ made q frantic effort With
all this strength | could muster
in failing body and ryeltng
mind, ! flung myself az the door. Il
was frutl ana old, thing " temper
ary construction, aud II gave wnl
before my sheer weight.
Half stunned. bleeding ana giap
ing, ! crawled through. a breath
one breath of fresh ajr cntne ta me
and ! was saved, The flames hcain,
me burst up turionslv nt the slm
instant. but craHled on. and Il IA
termiued battoribg upon the winds,
told me that help was close m hand
IN two minutes more hnd besl
pulled out into the open mir. liz
some time ! knew nothing morp ,
wnnt passed
81 the rickcty old house only tlt
blnckencd she'll remained, ba!pfnt
hLd lettering to It's fail
~ The old man no tracrwna found
~ wna inevitable, but purchase,
atterwar. u little lump II netn
which believed TO b. tho remains i
the silver giIt knob uf tho Mulare
cane.
Marion locked II up IN a srale
hox--a compromise, a. I would no
let her buryit.
! told her the whole story. Whptl
er mnde particular mention of 4 (,
" or not forgot, but vas nth.
affecting II my account 81 tile hunu
home suddenly broken no. ana dra
some tears from her syu,puthe;
eyes.