Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-02-13
BEYOND THE VEIL.

whose strangely worded advertise
ment had roused my curiosity.
And why not?" | asked.
Because. he returned, thought
fully, from what have heard about
her. I am sure that her exhibitions
and so.callsd revelations are simply
the results 81 skillfuI legerdermain
designed to appeal 10 the superstition
in our natures. We all are sufficiently
supersitious. why should we seek to
be more sO2"
| laughed johnson. / said, do
l LOOK like superstitious MANI"
set out that bright afternoon alone.
The address | had written down led
me to a tall. red-tronted brick build
ing. III q squalid street in the northern
part Of the city. The locality was any
thing but inviting. went mp the steps
to the stoop. and pulled at the bell. .
listened for ring but no sound came
from within. The door opened sud
denly. 4 little brown-faced man
with reuUisive features and a head
shaped like a keystone, stood bowling
in the dark hall He motioued me
rather imputieatyy to enter, saying IN
broken English
YOU must not stand there, the door
viii close"
| stepped inside and the door in
stantly shut without particle Of sound
making the hall 50 dark that i could
not see an inch before my eyes. 1t
was rs silent az a grave, not sound
came il from the street which was
roaring with traffic and vehicles
WelI?n said the man half-inter-
negatively, and from his voice | knew
he was near me. l replied that had
come to consult Nine. de Strang.
You can not see her now" he re-
piled in a very low tone; she is busy"
II will 20 then and come back
again, +" | said conscious of a certain
feeling OF relief, and desire to reach
the light To my surprise he did not
reply / waited a moment and, step
ping backward put out my hand to the
door A cold thrill Of horror quivered
over me, There was no knob, latch,
or key-hole. and felt the soft padding
into which the door closed TO keep out
sound l heard him laugh softly.
The door can not be unlocked
here he said and | could see his
eyes in the darkness like Goals OF
fire madame opens and closes it by
electricity in her apartments. You
wi.. have to wait--it is the rule
I viii return Tor you in moment =
said the unseen attendant indifferently,
and ne went from me trailing hi.
hand in a ghOstly way along the wall.
Then / essayed to fight down my fears
Itried to convince myself that this wa:
de- gned to brighten and unit me for
tho forthcoming interview. | laughed
but IL only intensified my terror Have
10. ever been where dead silence anr
awial darkness make occasional sOunt
terrifying? | quaked to the core 0
mn soul at the echoing of my ghasti.
laugh II seemed to 90 UP to com
down. to traverse the long hall AM
bouad from side TO side CROWN
weaker ana weaker. II seemed to b
HIN own soul trying 10 desert me ia tb
horrible darkness, trying to leave IN.
material self in its hunger for ligh
and freedom.
.prang toward the attendant whe
heard him returning. | wanted
take him in my terrified embrace, an
plead with him to open the door bl
nav pride prevented it. He led m
down the black hall ard into sti
darker apartment the carpet Of whic
felt as dark and uncertain under n
feet as a pillow Of down and gent
pasncd me into a chair with his hanC
on my shoulders Then, with his lii
ID iay ear he whispered:
Sit perfectly still; do not stir vi
der any circumstances till madam
speaks 10 you, and keep your eyes
front OF you. for it is there you vi
zee her
heard him leaving. Again tn
weird trailing Of his hand along u
wall till the sound dies out Then o.
of the curtain Of darkness before II
eyes sprang what appeared to be
dazzling star. 1t was no larger tn;
Il penny, but its brilliancy panied n
eyes like looking at the sun. look,
down and saw that it had cast q roun
bright spot about six inches III dial
ctcr on the black carpet about va
from my feet. ! could not take ?
ewes from it. II fascinated me for &c
eral minutes; then every pafbcie
blood in my veins ceased TO flow. fol
discovered that il was slowly movi
toward me. tried TO rise, TO screa
bur was powcrless. 1t reached I
feet and slowly climbed my legs a
then my body. When il was trave
ing my breast felt as II its weig
would crush me to death. Present
1, .,,1irolad tnv farp was blind
for an instant then sprang to my fe
A. / aid 50 it fell and ran in way,
ine way across the floor and vanishc
BE stlll!N a musical voice cautlc
III looked in front Of me- 1
aarkness was beginning 20 grow lig
4r Ills a dark night melts at the {
proach of dawn At first it was gri
tnon il took on u reddish tinge veil
with q mist 81 god The effect v
fvr,tealy sootnfutr almost iOrl