The Portland daily press., 1894-04-13
e .traishtsned up, with a long, shrill

rail- "a if to some distant fellow in his ma
tive forest. and to Moere's horror and sur
nrise the body of his friend stirred and
rose slowly from the floor as if lifted by
invisible hands, to the level of the mean
tator's eyes.
Moore stared, with fast chilling blood,
at this weird spectacle, but the native did
not falter. Holding his hands high above
his head he backed slowly toward the
door, reckoning the body to follow him.
For the space of minute it remained mo-
tionless. Then, like thing of the air, ca
pable of defying all the laws of nature, it
foated across the room to where he stood.
ul-gone-in-mine," whis-
pered the savage, grinning at the specta-
tor, as if it were huge joke; "that why
I spik English. If die, hees soul-go into
your soul. Body dead p AS he spoke he
touched it with his hand contemptuously,
and it swung around as if in current of
water.
But the smile froze upon the savage's
, lips. With cry of anguish he clutched at
his throat as if something were choking
him, and second later he dropped to the
floor an insensible mass.
Moore, with the cold chills turning his
blood to ice now, started to his feet, and
lodging under the body of his friend that
remained swinging gently in the air he
placed his hand over the savage's heart. 1t
was as he had feared-she man was quite
dead aud beginning already to grow cold.
Then it was that the full horror OF the
thing came over the one conscious man In
the room, and he turned and looked across
it. The body had drifted to the other side
and was bumpfag gently into bookcase.
With deathlike fear at mis- heart, the
man crept to the door and opened it, his
eyes still upon the other. AS the knob
turned, it seemed to pause, and before he
could wrench the door open and spring
through it all that was left of Venzenl
swung slowly about and started for him.
A strangely giddy though not unpleasant
feeling came over Moore as it did SO, and
for moment he paused on the threshold,
while the light grew brighter and bright
er, and the fresh, youthful feeling grew
stronger within him. Then, as that other
approached, he realized what had happen
ed.
ssMy Godi" he cried hoarsely, cit was
his soul, and it has entered minel" And,
with Mortified glance at the oncomlng
thing, he sprang out into the night and
ran for the forest that spread far ahead OF
MIN IN the QuleU MOonIlSAt.
But as he Sped with every muscle strain
ed to it's utmost with frenzied fear, the
body rushed silently after him, like some
awful thing from hell. He reached the
woods, and with head still bowed and
arms clinched at his sides dashed down
little path that lay in the track of the
moon, not pausing to look back, and still
the body swept after him. On, on, on,
3,,k1a = 1sn{Fo ae&k l,o
ran; on and ON came his uncanny pursuer-
the body of Venzeni seeking it's SOUL Once
he glanced back up to the path that was
running down slight hill now, and he
saw the awful follower had gained upon
him. With starting eyeballs and frothing
mouth he dashed on again, and nearer
and nearer swept the body. Not sound
disturbed the peace Of the forest save the
rush of his fight and his hard breathing,
but the race for life was telling on him,
and his steps grew shorter and slower, I'M
til at last be STUN bled and fell to the
earth. Yet here even he pulled himself to
his feet again, and with his back against
a huge bowlder he waited for the end. A
hundred feet away, now; SO, 20-herel
The thing checked its speed as it came
to him, and one cold hand that had been
shaken from it's breast swept across
Moore's wet, clammy face as the body
stopped beside him. He pushed it frantic
ally back with one hand, while he held
the other across his eyes; it swayed for a
moment and then came back. He showed
it away again, and once more it returned.
A third time, and then, with a shrek, he
caught it by the head in both hands.
clown, lownp' he screamed. "You
wouldn't follow me, would your Follow
me and haunt me! don't want it, curse
you, but you-down, say!" and he drag
ged it to the earth and threw himself upon
it. And then he caught up the loose stones
and pieces Of rock that strewed the ground
about them and piled them high upon it
until nothing could be seen but the grave
like mound of cold gray rocks. Then, with
a fierce laugh, he sprang upon that and
stamped.
ssI am the third-the final third" he
shrieked; HI-I a1onel Your soul and his
and mine! He is dead, and you are dead,
but livel I live, do you hear? I, the
last, the final third'
They found him there the next day,
foaming and covered with his own blood,
which dripped from cuts in hands and
feet, but still piling higher and higher the
tomb he had made for his friend and sing
ing as he worked.
But, though they took him away and
brought him here, they never knew, never
knew why Venzeni died, nor how; never
knew that to Moore had fallen the task OF
caring for the three souls-his, the saw
ages and Venzeni's; never knew of the
final third-for he told no one but himself
and me.-Cincinnati Post.