The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-27
VIA New Riddle.

VIA New Riddle.
Having made the disappointing dls-
covery that his wife IL JUST q mentally
plain. sane woman. und not q freak.
Denison. although deferertial and affec-
tionate go far as appearances 90.
promptly dismisses Enid from his
thoughts and sets out for pastures
fresh. "A new study - oppoNyunely
presented In the cnse Of o tall boy OF
about twenty. by name Guy Aintree.
whose dead white face. glittering
dark eyes and frightful emaciation"
bespoke indulgence In numerous vices
culm.na ting In the menace Of con-
sumptive's death. Among the many
curious problems over which Denison
had pondered in the long hours Of
thought In which alone he felt himself
to be really and fully hving." we are
told that zone often recurred. partly.
perhaps, because Vt was morbid. the
problem OF what direction the average
mind would turn In when full In sight
of death--of death not immediate, and
whose approach had not yet drawn all
power OF action from the body. Would
the average mind become paralyzed as
khe rabbit before the snake. and mere
ly remain motlonless? Would It. on the
contrary. proceed quietly on Its usual
way? Or would It execute q violent
turn. and II 30. toward what?" To
gain light on these points. Denison
gains the lads acquaintance. concili-
ates his mother. q handsome woman
OF forty. OF whom Enid, by the way, in
a thoroughly feminine mood. becomes
cordially Jealous. and purrues with
young Aintree a hectic career Of wild
and varied debauohery. through ITO In
teress In the debauchery itself, but sdm-
ply to be near to the consumptive and
to note the manner In which he recog-
nixed the slow but sure. approach Of
death
vH.-A Night in Cairo. | "s
In one OF their dcbauches. Denison
and Aintcee made the rounds Of Cairo.
This Is description Of the impression
1t made ON the former:
The whole world seemed pulsing with
beaten tom TOMS and the air was alive
with the weird voices Of antique instru-
ments as field Of clover In summer time
Is alive with the hum of bees The con.
tinuous shrill music. the everlasting and
regular thud Of the tom toms, that came
to the ear as the beating OF heart when
you listen against q human breast; the
eternal hum Of the shifting crowd, the r.
Illuminated rooms. filed with smiling and
posturtng girls clad In as many differing
bright colors as a great garden contains
In the time Of flowers, shifting. shifting
sn"is s w app.u ven ABOUT Denlsohs
sense Of mov,nr thronvh y ro,sn ' draa,' "ao q
in which voices called 10 him that hs
could not answer. hands clutched him
which he could not repulse, delights were
onered to him which he had no power
either to accept or refuse. 1t was a maze
with no clue, prismatic hell In which all
the demons smiled and seemed to re-
1oice. But 1t was nevertheless an utter
most hell. The mouths ever whispering
at his side told him that. In every sem
tence they spoke he heard reiterated again
and again:
This Is hell! This Is hell"
The words shone In letters Of fire over
each gaping door. They walled in the
pipes and shivered through the clash Of
the cymbals. They were inscribed even
upon the luminous arch OF the sky. Wo-
men smiled them. Children lisped them.
The hell OF q dream. vague. whispering,
heaving with bodies OF the lost. humming
with their cries. their laughter. their i'm
ploring. their tears. Even the thin. white
face Of Guy was a long way OF. a sinister
mask. hollow and hungry with sorrow and
the Impatient desires Of life! That, too,
was face OF hell.
vIU,-Iu a Cairo Dauee Housc.
Perhans the stron0e.t s,nvlo .cero 4,
tho hoo, !. a do.or,n.,o, =. ~. ,S...,.
-, Ct. -. I VAC ''''e''o'
|""o u""ee "ouse'
AT last the bedroom door opened wide,
ana the Nubian girl glided In, followed by
TWO companions. Her finerey was gone
ana her costume consisted OF thin,
spahgied robe. bracelets. rings and beads.
AS she stood before them motionless for
an instant she looked like a statue-a
statue with wicked eyes full Of expression,
OF aiiurement. She was not more than
sixteen years old, but In those eyes sat
the sins OF centuries. laughing at their
own blackness. slow smile ran over her
race as pen runs over paper writing
wohdrous words. slight. almost I'M
perceptipie tremDhng pulsed IN her elm
BODY. rising gradually from heels to head.
ben1nd her. her companions, even younger
tnan herseif. initiated her with q sort Of
ieverish sympathy; an instructive seiz-
ing on ana reproduction OF her mood Of
BODY and mind. The trembling that stole
tnrough the pod,es OF the girls increased
very gradually, until they wavered like
thin flames In draught Of wind. As II
the draught grew steadily stronger. these
human names swayed IN longer move
ments. An ever deepening excitement
possessed them. The arms began to be
Drawn softiy down and thrust up, first
descending to a level with the shoulders:
then they were brought forward. The
hands fell In front OF the smiling faces
ana nearly touched the eyes, which
cleaned through lattlce-work Of little
brown fingers. Softly and rhythmically the
feet began to stamp on the, fOaeS on the