Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-12-14


do 'em much hurt nuther Anyhow,
/ resk it."
So saying, Hodijah SUNK in among
the trees of the Prescott orchard, there
to await the proper moment for his
contemplated attack upon the Pres
colt pantry.
The twins like the good boys they
were, went to bed at the hour of nine.
Once in bed, however, they thought it
no sin to enjoy vigorous if brief
pillow fight Then they lay quietly
for little while; but presently Max
rolled over and whispered in Morris
ear:
I'm awfully hungry"
Som l." said Mort.
There's pie in the pantry" whis-
pered Max.
''Go get it," said Mort.
"No-you get it," said Max.
mo, you get it," whispered Mort.
II got it last time"
Mark, considering the argument val
Id, slipped out of bed, and encouraged
by the softly spoken "Good for you"
of his brother, began feeling his eau
tious way downstairs.
1t was intensely dark. Max. how
ever, knowing the location OF every
article of furniture in it, made his
way quickly, without noise or acci-
dent, to the door Of the kitchen.
Here he began cropping for the knob;
but grasped instead something rough
and woolly. The next instant, he re-
ceived blow upon his head which
first made him see dozen rockets
bursting in air, and then have the
sickening sensation of falling down,
down, down. Then he lost conscious
ness.
Hodijah had given the blow. Pie in
hand he had started to leave the
kitchen as Max had started to enter.
Frightened by the sudden hand laid
upon his coat, he had dropped his
plumber and struck out fiercely in the
dark. The blow, the result of blind
instinct of self-protection, had knocked
Max senseless to the floor.
With the oppressive stiffness that
|
my's fall, new terror entered the
heart of Hodijah and held it still. Was
he whom he had struck down in the
dark, dead? Hodijah did not dare to
stir. He felt himself held fast in the
impalpable grip Of that horror which
walketh in darkness.
Then an overpowering curiosity in
vaded him to look upon the face of his
victim. He felt it rise in his heart
and spread itself through his rigid
body until it fairly embed In his
finger tips.
Dominated by this morbid desire,
and wholly aga inst his will, he began
to tumble in his pockets for match.
While he hims elf was filled with an
insane hope that no match was there,
this curiosity, like the alien will of a
mesmerist. forced him to feel in
one pocket after another until at last
the match was found; and it's will, not
his, compelled him to strike the match
and turn terrified eyes toward the face
upon the floor.
1t was the face of young boy-and
it was white and beautiful In the
brief space during which the match
famed up, every line of that still face
was burned into Hodijah's memory as
If with brand. In a second more
wild remorse filled his heart, mingled
with fear. He arose and fed. He had
entered the house by one of the long
easement windows which opened from
the sitting-room upon the piazza at
the side. To reach che sitting-room
he must pass through the front hall.
Thither consequently he rushed, care
less now what noise he made.
With an increase of panic, he per-
ceived that soft light pervaded the
hall Casting his eyes upward, he saw
sight which froze his blood.
There, on the landing at the elbow
of the stairway, stood the double of
him who lay white and still in the
room beyond. One hand of the figure
rested lightly on the stair-rail, the
other held aloft small candle, the
pale light of which dwelt mysteriously
In the folds of the long white robe that
fell in straight lines from the youthful
shoulders, gave strange glints of gold
to the auburn hair that crowned the
head like an aureole, and caused the
dark eyes to shine with a brilliancy
that seemed supernatural.
Indeed, under the soft fame of the
candle Mort looked the angel of light
which his mother thought him-some
times To che pitiable scamp, prey
to superstitious terror, below, he was a
visitor from another world, whose
beauty made him the more appalling.
Hodijah, in fact, found meeting a
ghost as discomposing as his fondest
fancy had painted. He felt cold about
the roots of his hair; his spine seemed
ice, his blood a glacial stream. He
had no strength In his knees. His eyes
bulged out. His feet seemed fastened
as with rivets to the floor, and he
trembled.
The two stood there a moment gaz-
ing at each other. Naturally, Mort
was the first to recove his self-posses-
sion. For him the encounter held lit
tie that was certifying.
He was not, indeed, quite sure that
what he saw before him was gawlxy
fellow who seemed badly scared,
though in the dim light it seemed to
be. Anyway, if the intruder was
frightened, he reflected sagely, why
should he himself be9
So, to make sure, he put out one
white foot, and with questioning eyes
stepped down one stair.
The movement was too much for
Hooijah. With a gurgled yell he
sprang into the sitting-room, crashed
through the window. cleared the