Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-06-26

be had DeeA digging. There was no feey
In the lock. but ut his touch the cover
Sew open, and out poured tho contents
blue, green and gold. like u differing
rush of water broken beneath the sun.
The cabby's heart stopped BEATING.
Diamonds" he cried softly. Thcu he
graspcd nj the wii.Gcw loGcc. { = tie
creature gave Il howl If anguish.
Good Gcd, thoy E.yc IN GEtp
And the echoes ,ha..crol bicl. no
light! M l;gh;w
There wac "a long q ,Cncc. ~ l1'llo
on the floor rocked - AID fro, h5 f CO
buried III his Thu hand.
The moon had ruk AID the SKY was
clear as dark glass \ c.,E cyowel
| somewhere il the cost. - that sound
the wretchcd figure ~ Sod it, head. OPP
posite him WAS "A do-rW.th fan sap Il
transom over il, and as he looked it
grew gray and then rosy. Some one was
coming; rOw even the cabman could
hear the light crcak Of steps. Nearer
| they came, nearer. The door opened,
and little figure pcclrd into the room
the little figure Of woman, shrivcled
and very old.
The man by the fireplace sprang up.
As the woman's eyes met that ghastly
face she gave cry. "Judas!" she
screamed, "Judas!' Then she tottered
and slid in a heap at his feet. He kicked
ut her. but she only lay there, gibber-
ing: What do you want? What do you
want?"
AT last he answered her.
at was black; it choked met was
SO dark-oh, SO dark! have como back
for the light they promised me- They
said l should find il here; that without
it my soul will be blind-blind! Do you
hear me? Help me find it! AS you were
my wife, help me find iti'
The woman crawlcd to her knees her
eyes raised TO his. and the terrified cab
man, watching through the window saw
that the kcrchicf folded across her bose III
was bright MS if lamp glowed behind
It,
The other man saw II, too. and his
white claws shot cut, burying them
selves in her breast. When he had fin
ished, he held in his stained and drip
ping hands the woman's heart 1t quiv-
cred, like the bruised human thing il
was, but the light shining from it never
wavered, lighting the hollow Of tho
mans hand and the hollow Of the great
room, his face and his loose, white lips
smiling widely, and the pit of his
throat. that was black as the gate Of
hell; lighting too, the tumbled, tram
pied body and the star dust Of spilled
diamonds.
He paused al instant, he whose name
was that Of the dead, then he turned
and bounded toward tho window. There
was smash Of glass, and the cabman
felt those smeared fingers at his own
neck.
Now take me back where | came
from. BE quick, or else -" He did not
finish his threat.
The cabby gave sick gulp, as if his
throat were full Of paste; then he was
dragged over the ground aud flung into
the seat of his cab. The creature sprang
after him, grinding him against the
dashboard with its bony knees, where
the poor cabby chung, frantic with ter
ror, as they fed, pounded, flew down the
road.
When the cabman opened his eyes
again, there was Il great burst Of sun.
shine. Above his head shonc the hcav-
ems, deep as the core Of II sapphire, anG
far away he could see the blue haze Of
the city streaked with gray plumos Of
smoke. In the grass lay his shattered
cab and high over his head, its Dearly
summit seeming plunged i'll the eternal
azure, rose marble shaft. On it were
carved these words: ITO Judas Withcrs.
Erected by his loving wife. "
The letters were Of gold, but the
morning sun had touched them into
words Of fire Julie Closson Kenly in
san Francisco ArEonaut.