Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-08-14
s"Leavetaat to mo You viii re
pent ifyou do not"

r
The scene, the voice. the inspect OF
the singular being, had, confess, un-
-nerved me by this time. The gro
tesque surroundings alone woulu
have gone for nothing, but u sense OF
an underlying mystery and purpose
was there; moreover, was aware OF
a-curious pervading scent which no
doubt emanated from the masses o.
stuffs around, mixture of Eastern
perfume and Eastern dirt, peculiar
and penetrating. 1t affected my
head. .
"Tell me-" he asked earnestly,
chow many"
II knew he meant deaths and
briefly told the story.
An expression of intense joy lit up
his withered visage to nn incredible
degree. He began counting on his
fingers, and l could hear he counted
in Persian numerals.
"YOu seem to owe the world n
grudge," said angrily. "Your fiend-
ish arts have destroyed these inno-
cent persons, wish l could hand
You over to the law to answer for
their lives"
He looked with cynical contempta at
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 lie turned his gilt
tering, viper-like eyes with a darling
glance upon me.
had an oddly confused feeling in
my head, and the gorgeous, squalid
contents of the room SWAN before
my eyes. Zone more" he repeated,
"and the goal is won." Silently he
crept to the rusty CRATE, stirred up
the fire with a bit of charred wood.
then with the burning end of the lat
ter deliberately set light to heap
of spangled muslin Of very fine text
ure.
"What are you about, madman!" /
exclaimed, but when tried to rise
from my seat l found my limbs like
lead. He glided from corner to
corner of the little room with
a bit of flaming stuff in
his hand; here he applied it to an
open newspaper, there to q linen
sheet, again to q length of colored
calico. The smell, sound and sight
ofburning atmospherc-and l remain
ed like a log.
Like a phantom in q wild dream, !
saw the weird figure of the Oriental
waving the Malacca cane about his
head in rhythmic movements.
"One more'' he cried exultantly.
"The hour has come! The number is
made up. My glory is assured for
vast eternities. Then l thought
saw him fall to the ground.
l made a frantic effort. With
all the strength l could muster
in failing body and Keeling
mind, flung myself at the door. 1t
was frail and old, thing Of temper.
airy construction, and it gave way
before my sheer weight.
Half stunned, bleeding and gasp.
ing, | crawled through. A BREATH
one breath of fresh air came to me,
and was saved! The flames behind
me burst up furionslv at the same
AHSeduI, DuU CfdNlcU OIL, anu ue'
termined gathering upon the window
told me that help was close at hand.
In two minutes more | had been
pulled out into the open air. For
some time l knew nothing more Of
what passed.
Of the rickety old house only the
blackened shell remained, bullying
ard tottering to it's fall.
OF the old man no trace was found,
as was inevitable, but l purchased
atterwar2 u little lump Of metal,
which believed to be the remains OF
the silver gilt knob of the Malacca
cane.
Marion locked it up in n sealed
box-a compromise, as l would not
let her buryit
l told her the whole story. Wheth.
err made particular mention of Kit.
ty or not l forgot, hut was rather
affecting in my account of the happy
home suddenly broken up, and drew
some tears from her sympathetic
eyes.