The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-03

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rest until moonrise. OF. as might chance,
daylight.
Proving around the wall In the dark. be
at last fonnd q patch of soft sand. dry. and
yet warm with the blistering heat of the
past days sun. Sinking down on this. he
lay resting on his elbow, with his shoulder
against the tower. his eyes rowing absently
over the dim and shadowy landscape be-
heath.
The night was warm and still. Low and
indlstincS through the haze the wood
blotched plain rolled away. under the
flashing OF the stars till the last lines OF
earth and sky ran together and melted in
the mist. In spite of the starlight the
shadows were very heavy. yet the darkness
was nowhere such as to destroy vision
wholly, and il was possible. with some eX-
ercise of effort. TO make out surrounding
objects with a fair degree of certainty.
Thus 1t was that, shifting MS position to
watch the flight of a bat round the tower,
bis eyes fell upon the door giving entrance
to the dread stairway within. LII was DIS
tant from him about ten or twelve feet. and
after the first careless look his eyes re-
turned TO IL again and again will an oddly
puzzled expression. This wOnderment, if
the feeling could be so described. was due
TO an idea that there was "a light shining
behind the door and shimmering family
through 1t. 1t was dim and phOs-
made by rubbing matches on ones
hands in the dark. and had q waving.
smoko-like motion that, added 10 the grue-
some associations of its situation. rendered
IL absolutely CHASTITY. Another thing was
that, while looking straight at the door the
watcher could see nothing. no sooner did
he rnrn his eyes a little away than tho
whole array OF shadOwy spots and lines
came back. burning. waving. vanishing
and burning again. as if tossed and swayed
by q strong wind.
After staring at 1t for some time. Mcleod
was on the point of going over to examine
the door more closely, when his gaze lighted
on the first stars of the Southern Cross.
just then rising above the horizon. Watch
ing the famous constellation climbing up
out of the mists. he forgot all about the
door and its uncanny light. After q little
he grew drowsy III the not hush of the
night. and before the last star of the Cross
rode full over the tops of the trees, he had
fallen asleep.
How long that sleep lasted he could never
%afterward tell. but when at last his eyes
Enclosed his first feeling was one OF chill
q cold so intense that the blood seemed to
be thickening in his veins under 1t. More,
and worse, he seemed to have been de-
prived OF. not the power to move only, but
also OF the Will TO attempt movement. A
confusion of mind so utter as to destroy for
the time ever the sense of his own identity
fell upon him like q cloud. covering him
with space on space of darkness. In a hor-
he could have let his life out in one frenzied
shrek, he lay there in the first agony of
that awful awakening.
Slowly the first hewilderment lessened,
although the sense Of terror and danger
die not for al instant loose their stran CLING
hold. The broke aud scattered forces of
thought and memory began to rally. but in
a fashion so halting that he could not tell
where he was or ask himself why he should
be afraid. All he knew was that he was
of q man were all but lost to the fiends of
the pit, his were then. And as with every
seconds flight the weight, the mountain of
fear crushing his life out grew. and grew.
there rose within him a horrible love. an
overmasterlng desire to look on the face of
the wOman-if, indeed, she was not more
thar woman-whose beauty had led him
there. under whose spell he had be-
Death crawled nearer and nearer i'm the
dark. His heart tluttered and leaped like
that of one dying in torment. His breath
came in gasps. rafting in his throat as 1t
came, and his brain was swollen TO burst
ing with torturing fire.
Suddenly, as he sank lower and lower
toward the ending of what was literally
his death agony, upon his inner sight one
word uprose in mighty characters, blood
red against a sea OF iivld fame. In his eX-
tremity his soul seemed to reach out of him
aud snatch at 1t, while from his throat
broke @ hoarse cry.
''GoD"
Was 1t fancy7 OF did he hear a rushing as
- "hhSo okObhN hiAh Az OhAo NV Vi
of only one thing was he assured, that
frightfui fear had gone. Gone, too, where
the hellish lOngings for the fearful being
whose wOman'shape he had 80 desired, and
with their going went the dull numbness
that had held his limbs in chains. Rising
heavily to his feet. he staggered back till
his outstretched band felt the wall of the
tower. Leaning against 1T, with laboring
breath and wild eyes. he beheld a thick
darkness melt and dissolve under his sight.
leaving him staring out over the lower
plain. all asleep and dreaming beneath the
white sheen of the risen moon.
The sight Gained him at once. and then.
out of the very sense of relief which 1t
brought. he drew strength to mock his re-
cent terror. With a savage oath he caught
his arms above the elbows and shook him
self.
"Hector Mcleod. You are either gong
mad or there are devils here. Well. no mat
ter. if only she comes" and as he ended be
laughed.
The last of that laugh was yet on his lips
when his heart was sprung sheer into his
throat by he~aring-almost at his ear 1t
sounded-the answer he had heard before
that laugh In q woman's voice.
With eyes almost starting from their
sockets under the shock of unreasonlng
surprise. he wheeled in the direction OF the
lind himself still alone. Then,
falling upon him like d tangible thing. the
old fear and horror returned; but now.
with q strength that left his mind abso-
luUeiy Dluuh 10 oNoIy IMPULSE Oh TeaSou OF
of will. Even the former touch of his sur
roundings, slight as it had been. was lost.
He could only stare tixedly before him;
hearing and feelIng-see he could not
in a mechanical way. but lntelli-
gently knowing nothing. The old
huttcring did not return to his heart. his
breathing was calm as that of a sleeping
child, the fire had not rekindled in his
brain; But in their place had come a re-
burning fever OF which was at once Joy and
torture Observation-Disclosures and a dull GER
tainty of absolute and unuttarable despair.
Then out of the pent hell within HIM he
felt his soul rising. heavy with STRINGS
and suggestions of evil III 3peakaDle, to
defy and blaspheme the Eternal. and to his
face.
Yet even In that thrilling moment of
weighted and balanced fate. all but lost In
of which his consciousness knew 10 name
and TO which it cOuld give 40 place, held
him back from u%tteranco and moved in
him the well-nigh forgotten thought of
safety. One thing to dO-one word to say
-tbat-to end IT. But what was the thingf
what the word' He had forgotten. for
gotten. f-orgotten-and the sands were run
ming out. 4 little longer-a very little
longer was left-and he could not remember
and the issue was for eternity. And
still In that stony agony, and still with
that flood of evil surGIng higher and higher
in his soul. and still with that fearful pas
sion storming into nearer INT nearer VIC
tory. lie stood there In the night. knowing.
as lar as man may know and live, some
thing of the secret of the damned.
Gradually. and after what lapse of time
he knew not. all existence seemed to merge
in this one tbIng-the scorching strength
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