The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-23
OUT OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT.
A Novel: By DR.. j. A. Houser.


as to say, What Is it, miStress?' and
when Wendeck's eyes fell upon the card
she raised her. hand as if in fright and
said:
beware, poor child, another serpent
is after you" 1 looked at it and it
was the Jack of clubs, as Wendeck
. called il, and she said, Sparkle, there
is a deep laid scheme for your ruin.
1t is as secret as the trail of a serpent
on a rock, and as binding as the coils
of the boa. Ere you know it. it will
steal in upon you, in the night time.
and will grasp your young life, and all
your calm hopes will go out. and
your fair name will be forever black
Carl Brandon listened. but did not
seem to understand. Continuing, the
girl said:
Just by old wendeck's side was a
great, grinning, hollow skull, and in
il a poor toad took refuge and made
the dry teeth chatter, and little bats,
with frey eyes. sat in the sockets where
human eyes once were, and snails
dragged their Shiny bodies slowly over
the slick bones, and fieshless hands
lay hardly; toying with those fingers
l saw chattering monkey, who would
handle them over and over and wave
them at the snake, and step up nearer
and touch Wendeck with that flesh
less hand and withdraw. Wendeck
said the monkey wanted to tell me of
some danger. 1 heard strange noise
like rumbling and then a moan. In
the thick gloom, where there was not
one ray of light, 1 cast my eyes in that
direction, as 1 could not look any other
way, something riveted my vision in the
darkness. / could not even take notice
of the monkey that had rolled skull
up against my feet and perched himself
upon il and seemingly wanted to tell
me something that 1 could not listen
to. L could only hear the moaning and
look at the darkness"
As she proceeded, unconsciously, Carl
Brandon had drawn her upon his knee
where she sat, not seeming to realize
her position, and even If she had she
would have been incapable of escaping,
as his great, strong arms pinioned her
to him.
while 1 still looked into the dark
ness, where, as yet, there was not one
ray of light, not one form, not one
outline, but the very groans peopled
those shadows with thousand phan-
toms. Looking at IL, still | was too
Mortified to stay, and yet / could not
go. The calm voice of Wendeck raised
with sweet music on the black wings
Of the gloom and echoed over the pen
dant stalactites that hang like keys
from the rocky dome above and gave
every word a little tinkling sound like
the jingling of tiny bells far Ger some
hill where witches were sleighing.
Look carefully, Sparkle she said. and
i VIII show you vision of your fate
She need not have told me to look, for
could not do otherwise. First the
blackness showed just one radiant but
dim spot like the melting Of some stray
moonbeam that dissolved and spread
out till it seemed like a globe of light
in a universe OF night, and in the CEN
ter of this there appeared the irregular
form of some indescribable monster.
such as belongs only TO the world of
demons. | could see at first but it's
great. long crooked body. 1t was with
out shape or form, but soon took on a
fixed appearance. Now eyes burned
their way through the black thorn
like scales of the monsters head. but
they were so dim. A cleft divided the
parts below the eyes, and an angry
looking, blood-stained mouth opened, as
If by magic; great black teeth. one by
one, rose, and on his dark, sheel-cov-
cred belly. great clumsy feet seemed
to drop out and extend themselves in
iron hooks for claws on all four He
had a monstrous tail that waved in the
gloom slowly, and the monster add
vanced. We heard Kisses and groans
and deep gutteral sounds like brutes
make. and as he advanced the darkness
seemed TO grow more black.
AS this cloud came about us IL chilled
my very blood. / could not cry out,
and / longed to know what the mon
ster was and what were his designs
like a wall, pressed me forward to the
very mouth of the monster. / became
so weak when looked at il / thought
how welcome death wonld be instead OF
his touch. Even ten thousand deaths
better than one touch Of the monster of
darkness
The girl became so deeply absorbed
to divert the designing mans attention
she was scarcely conscious of the po-
sition he had put her in. Still continu-
ing her talk:
And while I looked again upon the
terrible monster poor Wendeck said
This Is the monster Of human passion
that comes from the blackness of the
| human soul There came from the
other part of the cave dove, whose
wings ere the flames of the purest
light, and whose eyes had a celestial
luster and whose bright bosom seemed
TO divide the darkness and II went di-
rectly 10 the monsters form, and as Il
touched IL the light OF the dove went
out like frail taper that had dropped
Into midnight sea, and with fright
shouted. oh, Wendeck. save me-"
At that very instant the outer door
OF Sparkle's room swung wide open,
and in the dim light advancing 10 the
bedside where the helpless girl lay.
was no less than the club-footed woman
whose face was lighted up with a
strange fire that was unbearable to be-
hold.
itss utdT cHllus L nave come 10 save
| you.' and so saying unwound the coils
Of the great spotted snake. and grabb-
! ing the frightened man. who trembled till
his teeth chartered. she said:
Accused devil, / have you now
! OF you go TO the hag's den"
Coiling the serpent about his neck
she passed out OF the door and down
the dark street. towing Carl Brandon
with a snake-rope. and dragging him
/ into the cave. leaving him I'm his drunk
en- stupOr till she returned 10 the
! frightened girl 10 tell her what mys-
! FERROUS presence had told her to come
/ The girl, who was still sitting on the
! bed, trembling with fright. though II
/ had been q full half hour. could hardly
/ realize that all was not a dream
! Throwing her arms around the neck
/ OF the angelic monster who carried in
/ her deformed body the divinest soul
! and the purest love, kissed her face
/ that now seemed beautiful. patted her
cheek as frightened girl would and
/ said:
IL have before this been able TO save
| myself; this time / was helpless and you
rescued me. bless you thousand
/ times"
CHAPTER XIV.
| Carl I'm the Cave.