Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-05-29
Cor my nightly visitors silvery white

nessl
A half hour more had passed.
There was a sudden rush of air from
the outer world, bearing with it the
increased sound of water pouring
heavily down. Steps upon the stone
pavement, and l knew myself, at last,
shut in with the Ghost Of Penares.
l listened with q beating heart.
The tones of n mans voice fell on my
ear, followed by those Of a woman in
reply. Both were suppressed, but
could occasionally distinguish word.
or detached parts Of sentences
sometimes with q tender infection
more usually with eager accent and
indicating an absorbing topic.
Once the mans tones became quite
clear.
"White powder, if the drops don't
answer. Remember, by Thursday
beats torty-five.
A sudden peal of deafening thun-
der drowned the tones, and when l
could distinguish them again he was
saying:
"Be sure of your work. We shall
have nothing to fear-everything to
hope"
A few moments silence, then whis-
pered words. l guessed through the
darkness that he was leaving her. BY
a sudden fash l saw him bend over
the table, and lifting the waiter dis
close an opening, from which he took
a roll of papers. He placed them in
his breast and turned to the door.
Again he turned, folded his compan-
ion in a passionate embrace. and was
gone!
The storm was now at its height
Waves of wind and water seemed,
testing the house to it's foundation.
Peal after pleal OF thunder reverber-
oted on my ears. Suddenly blind
ing flash of lightning came, like Il
stream of liquid fire, pouring through
the crescent, permcating, rs it were,
the entire gallery and outlining
each stone in the mouldy wall. The
woman seemed enveloped in flames
as tongues of fire played around
her finger. The deafening peal OF
thunder | was dimly conscious of rs
l fell to the floor stunned and blinded.
When recovered my conscious
ness; it was with a woman's shrek
resounding in my ears. BY a fitful
illumination from the lightning l
saw that l was alone. went to the
table and lighted the candle; no
fixed purposes inducing me, perhaps,
still not quite recovered from the
electric shock. Mechanically picked
up the copper waiter which now lay
on the floor, and which l had seen,
when the vivid lightning had come,
in the woman's hand.
! started at sight of it. It's former
glittering surface was SO no longer;
burnt into it and confronting me
were the features of a well-known
face. How well | knew those long
almond eyes! that gracefully curved
chin! the thin, tightly compressed
lips!
l recalled some broken sentences!
"Drops not strong enough white
powder-beats forty-five- all over"
A sudden, terrible suspicion broke
upon me, as Reynolds Herholf ghast-
ly face, growing thinner and thinner
daily, rose before me. She was Civ
ing him drops daily-a Spanish ton
ic, he had told me-and was murder
ing her own husband before my eyes!
l sat down to debate what should
do. BY Thursday, the man whom l
now knew to be the scoundrel AL
vareZ had said, all would be over, It
was already Tuesday. Too late to
hope for his recovery, perhaps, but l
must attempt it. Yet, how? He could
bear but little excitment
in his weak condition,
yet to tell him without causing ex-
element was impossible. The waiter
would condemn her but could he sur
vive the discovery? l had scarcely
reached my room, when there was q
knock upon my door, and l obeyed
the summons to Reynolds room.
Beads of moisture stood upon his
brow, and he breathed with intense
difficulty. He apologized for disturb
ing me to keep him company, but the
storm had made him sleepless.
Besides" he went on, IL thought
heard a scream, a fearful, horrible
scream last night, when lightning
struck the tree on the lawn. l was
too weak to get up and would not
disturb my wife. haven't got clear
and the noise doesn't leave my ears.
l hear it always. heard it them
he shuddered and covered his
face with his hands for a
few seconds, then started up in
a listening attitude as he cried:
"There! ! heard it! Oh, l heard it
again! Help me! Help me! Oh,
Charlie, you heardnothing, did YOU"
I stroksd his brow soothingly, and
putting pocket flask to his lips,
urged him to swallow q little of the
stimulant. In n few seconds, so COM
pletewas his exhaustion, he had fallen
into a nervous slumber.
The sick man slept, and l stepped
softly to the adjoining room. l
turned the key, lifted the latch, and