Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-15

A0hS ~ AK 0N
on a narcotized rabbit, and the rabbit died
instantly when 1 stopped the machine,
which proves that it was the machine that
kept it alive. Perhaps if one applied it to a
man inst before his death he might live on
indefinitely. grow fat and flourish so long as
the glass heart worked. Where would his
soul be then? In the glass heart which
would have become the seat of life? Every
thing. sensible or absurd which I can put
into words makes the soul seem an impossi-
bilitv-and vet there is something which /
cannot put into words, but which proves the
souls existence beyond all doubt. 1 wish 1
could buy somebody's soul and experiment
with it"
He ceased and sat staring at his speci-
mems, going over in his memory the fruit
less experiments of a lifetime. A loud
knocking reused him from his reverie. He
FASTENED TO open the door, and was con-
fronted by Uno-na. She was paler than
usual, and he saw from her expression that
there was something wrong.
"What is the NATTER" he asked, almost
roughly.
HE is in a carriage downstairs, she an
swered quickly. Something has happened
70 him. l cannot wax him-you must
take him IN"
ITO die on my hands? Not II" laughed
Keyork in his deepest voice. my collection
is complete enough"
She seized him suddenly by both arms.
and brought her face near to his.
IF YOU dare to speak of death"
She grew intensely white. with a fear she
had not known before in her lie. keyork
laughed again, and tried to shake himself
free of her grip.
you seem a little nervous" he observed.
calmly. "Wha do YOU want o; me?'
Your help, man, and quickly. Call your
people, have him carried upstairs-revive
him-do something to bring him back"
keyork's voice changed.
us he in real danger?" be asked. "What
have you done to him?"
'rOh. 1 do not know what 1 have done!''
cried Unorna desperately. 81 do not know
what 1 fear"
She let him go and leaned against the
doorway, covering her face with her hands.
keyork stared at her. He had never seen
her show so much emotion before. Then he
made up his mind. He drew her into his
room and lett her standing and staring at
him while he thrust a few objects into his
pockets and threw his fur coat over him.
Stay here till 1 come back, he said,
authoritatively, as he went cut.
But you will bring him here?!" she cried,
suddenly conscious of his going.
The door was already closed. She tried
" NPNA -. Al NV w 3OAAOh AlIus olA SiC
could not. The lock was of an unusual
kind, and either Intentionally or aeci-
G~entallv keyork had shut her in. For a
few momeutS she tried to force the springs,
shaking tine heavy woodwork a very little
in the great effort she made. Then, seeing
that it was useless, she walked slowly to the
table and sat down in keyork's chair.
She had been in the place before, and she
was as free from any unpleasant fear of the
dead company as keyork himself. To her,
as to him, they were but specimens, each
having a peculiar interest, as a thing, but
all destitute of that individuality. OF that
grim, latent malice, of that weird, s~oulless,
physical power to harm, with which timid
imaginatious eudOw dead bodies.
She scarcely gave them I glance, and she
certainly gave them no thought. She sat
before the table, supporting her head in her
hands and trying to think connectedly of
what had just banpened. Sine knew we'll
enough how the Wanderer had lain upon
the frozen ground, his head supported on
her knee, while the Waterman had gone to
call a carriage. She remembered how she
had summoned all her strength and had
helped to lit him in, as few women could
have done. How could Unorna tell that he
was not already gone, that his spirit had not
passed already, even when she was lifting
his weightirom the ground? At the despair
ing thought she started and looked up. She
had almost expected TO see that shadow
beside her again. But there was moth
ing. The ~lifeless bodies stood motion
less in their minicrv of lie under the
bright light. The swarthy negro frowned,
the face OF the Malayan woman wore still its
calm and gentle expression. Far in the
background the rows of cleaning skulls
grinned, as though at the memory of their
400 lives, the skeleton of the orangOutang
stretched out Its long bony arms before it,
the dead savages still squEtted round the
remains OF their meal. The stiffness was op-
pressive.
Unorua rose to her feet in sudden anxiety.
She did not know how long she had been
alone. She listened a~nxiousiy at the door
Tor the sound OF footsteps on the stairs, but
all was silent. Surely, hevork had not taken
him elsewhere, to his lodgings, where be
would not be cared for. That was impos-
sible. She must have heard the sound of
the wheels as the carriage drove away.
Euriouslv she shook the door. 1t WIS use
less. She looked about for an instrument TO
help her strength. She could see nothing
no-ves-there was the iron-wood club of the
black giant. She went and took it from his
HAND. The dead thing trembled all over
and rocked as though it would fall and
wagged its great head at her, but sine was
~ al A9lS AdASS ~ ACdNN C1uu anu
struck upon the door, upon the lock, upon
the panels with all her might. The terrible
blows sent echoes down the staircase, but
the door did not Weld, nor the lock either.
Was the door Of iron and the lock of gram
ite?? she asked herself. Then she heard a
strange, sudden uoiSe behind her. She
turned and looked. The dead negro had
fallen bodily from his pedestal to the floor,
with 4 dull, heavy thud. She did not de-
slst, but struck the OaKcn planks again and
again with all her strength. Then her arms
grew numb and she dropped the club. 1t
was all in vain. keyork had locked her in
and had taken the Wanderer away.
She went back to her seat and fell into an
attitude OF despair. The reaction from the
great physical efforts she had made over
came her. 1t seemed TO her that Kcyork's
ouly reason for taking him away must be
that he was dead.
Driven to DESPERATION she sprang at last
from her seat and cried aloud: 81 would
give nv soul to know that he is safeI'
The words had not died away, when a
low groan passed, as it were, round the room.
The sound was distinctly that of 4 human
voice, but ii seemed to come from all sides
at once. Unorua stood still aud listened.
"Who is in this room?'' she asked in loud
clear tones.
Not a breath stirred. She glanced from
one specimen TO another, as though suspect
ing that among the dead some living being
had taken i disguise. But she knew them
all. There was nothing new to her there.
She was not afraid. Her passion returned.
MY soul, yes!" she cried again, leaning
heavily on the table. 81 would give it if !
could know, and it would be little ~enough!''
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