The morning times., 1895-08-07
King P6St.

Il say, old fellow, wish you would
help me with q subJect!"'
"A subject?" replied my friend Dick,
looking up as be spoke from his task OF
Cigarette-making. Pray, in what line?"
You know that alleeoucal painting I
am now working at, The Dark ValIey?'" a"
DICK nodded.
1T is for this that ] need q subject
something taat VIII convey, rather than
exactly produce, the-wen, III plain words.
the impression Of the hdeous and horriblel
This is BOT such an easy thing 10 find now
adays a. you may think. Something goblin
like and weirdly repulsiye is wanting TO
i'll up the dark side OF the picture Some
thing altogether novel is required, and
everything in that line seems to be com
pletely used up"
Quite SO" replied my friend, lighting
his cigarette. You want some suggestion
OF the horrible, which is, at the same time,
Unhackueyed. Well, / happen to have
something VIII me which may suit YOU"
Here he dived into ais pockets and pro-
duced some papers.
Look al thal, and tel me what you think
OF it, he said, handing me a plainly
mounted cabinet Photograph.
al fISI / was completely puzzled by il
II The photo really REPRESENTED anything
alive or dead. it was something wholly
unknown 10 me A veIlcd or hooded shape
doomed oimly RI the background; but CON
Spicuous IN the foreground, which il aInlu st
filled. and uplued, as if in Menace, rose
hugh and massive limb like a giant arm
FOUNDED, bare, muscular, but handlcss
Where the wrist would have been in Il hu-
man arm there was bulbOus tuft, with
long, whlp-hke fllamcuJs dangling from it..
That was all
] could net repress a shudder
what is this thing?' / cried.
That Is secret, meanwhile re-
piled my friend, laughing, but you can
see the original II you care to DO So
rs IL alive. whatever il is?''
'UnqUestlonably, replied DICK Re
pulsive enough for your purpose, Ell? just
the very thing YOU want, / should think.
Well, we shall have 10 go down 10 Loan
shire 20 see The original to nay old friend
Dr. Bonds place. ] fancy that If you
paid visit there with me you would see
as many horrors in one day $ would keep
you painting for the rest OF your natural
life
was stiI1 gazing at the photo. The
sheer Ehastiiness OF the thing had caught
my fancy Anything more suggestive OF
vague and fornIess horror anything more
loathesonle and Tcpulsive / had never seen.
Il should certainly like 10 see the orig
inal OF tL1S,' ] said. As IL stands II
would serve as a fitting emblem OF inCar-
nate Death" A"
Before DICK left we arranged to pay a
visit together to Dr. Bond at his country
place.
Dr Bond received Us very Hospitality His
bachelor residence. The Wilderness - wal
q rambling, old-fashioued country house.
somewhat dIlapidated, and very secluded
Here the doctor carried on his favOTiD,
scientific researches uDdis turbed
For two days not the slightest rclerrnc,
was made either by the doctor or Dicl
Warner 10 the original OF the photo on
the third, after dinner. Or Bond led The
way to one Of the furthest wings of tbs
building, along q number ot Gipliy-lighjed
passages. Unlocking a door, We entered
what seemed to he q han, or large apart
ment, almost bare OF furniture.
in the center OF the room stood 4 long
range OF massive glass ca Seg, each sev
cral feet IN height, mounted on woodeI
stands / noticed that the glass OF IN,
cases was extremely thick, almost ike
crystal prisEIs. and IN the center of eaci
side WIS circular lens, evidently OF higt
magnlfylng power. On looking into IN,
interior OF the cases, I found them 10 be- to
all appearances, emptyi
Win warner S assistance, DR. Bond
dragged table from the other END Of the
room. On this table rested a large biunia /
tHntern, the largest / ever saw Ii wai
fitted for use with the electric light.
on the wall opposite the row OF cases,
and on the farther side from the lantern.
large white sheet was suspended. Gov
enng the whole Of thgt side Of the room.
II was plain that, the lantern being ad-
Justed 10 the lenses Of the cases IN turn,
the rcilec lion OF the lGttcr's contents
would be thrown upon The white surface
opposite. But as the cases We're apparently
empty, ] could not at first comprehend
the rationale Of the operation. Had
they even been filled with water, ] touId
have understood H. The r00m. however
was eifectually darkened, ard The glare
5f the electric light, streaming through
the lantern lenses showed that the dis
play-whatcver its nature-was about to
commence.
The vivid glare grew brighter, and a
dazzling circle OF light appeared on the
sheet, bat nothing more. The diameter
OF the field could not have been less than