Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-06
Loud< this time, 50 terribly loud that

Loude this time, 80 terribly loud that
Mostyn leaped and fell back trembling
like frightened child.
And now the awful longing for sleep be.
gan to grow upon the brain as hunger
gnaws upon the body
In the gray Of early dawn he gave MP the
struggle, arose and dressed, and went out
OF the house to walk the streets.
He began to drink-whisky, brandy and
at last absinthe. 1t was all like so much
water. Thoroughly frightened toward the
| close of the long day. he called .. see his
| physician.
What shall do" he asked; ST cannot
sleep"
The doctor looked ut his haggard face and
bloodshot eyes, felt his pulse, and listened
10 MS heart. Overwork and worry" he
said; You must he careful"
The physician was to Mostyn an intimate
TREND, 50 he told large part OF the story;
no" ne heard the voice of a dead man call.
| ING to him from the street. DR.. Morey
listened with deep interest.
Tortured and outraged nprves ~ he said
played upon by the Imagination,
do not imagine hear IT," said Mostyn
i do hear it-plairly-as hear you speak.
| ing now"
| "Hellor exclaimed the doctor. looking at
him askance; lis it so bad as that,p
| "MOstyu, he continued, after "A moments
| pause, why don't you humor yourself in
! this matter? 1t may do good The next
| time you hear the cry respond to it, Goout
IN the street and actually convince Yourself
| beyond all doubt that no one is there"
| Ihen he gave Mostyn prescription and
offered him hypodermic syringe-to Ike
| USED II all other means failed
1t was now the third night-SiXty hours
passed without sleep-and evening was at
| hanf. Another night like the last. ~
| thought MosCyn, land | shall go mad. "
| lie scarcely dared go to his room, although
the desire for sleep ragged within him like a
Gagged beast
AT o'clock he lay down on the bed,
| without removing bis clothes. Ee purposed
| TO be ready when the call should come
TO run down into the street and defy his
! imagination with fact
| Hardly had his head touched the pillow.
when, for the third time, the visions of
| death began TO fit before him Again and
| again he witnessed the old picture, ALWAYS
changing, yet always the same-Basil Red.
stock aiming and discharGing the weapon.
| and he falling-fslling At last it seemed
| that sleep could no longer elude him.
in that moment came the cry-louder,
fiercer, and more terrible than ever:
"Mostyn! Coward! Come out and be
shotr'
Before 1t ceased ringing in his ears ne
was leaping down the stairs toward the
door that led to the street.
And now mark how fate prepares for her
victims. In q saloon block away from Che
house two men had been playing cards and
pouring liquor into their brains. "A word
"a blow-a slash with n knife-a revolver
Is out-one runs-the other pursuess. Now
the fugitive comes around the corner into
the street where stands the house of Edgar
mostyn. The door opens and the haunted
man rushes down to the sidewalk. Once
more he hears the cry, reverberating in the
tones of the dead:
"Mostyn. Coward! Come out and be
shotr'
And he falls forward upon his face, his
heart pierced by the chance aimed bullet
Charles Dwight Willard in Argonaut.