Evening star., 1896-09-19
but Rudthorne Vas unmoved. BE seemed


to treat the matter as commonplace oc-
currence. He put the key into the lock and
tried to turn it as calmly as he would have
done the same thing at his own home. The
bolt resisting, 1 helped him until it slid
back. and we went into the wide hallway.
The atmosphere of the place was sufficient
to fill one with fear. but it was only ordi-
nary disgust for damp and mold and slime.
The house had become freehold TO them.
We came provided with digging implements
and a candle. Budthorne lighted the latter
and We entered the room on the right. The
loathsome things that fatten upon decay
had glutted themselves there at their ease
Even the light that seeped through the
stats Of the shutters and the reeking panes
seemed unclean.
After some cropping we found the cellar
stairway and went down the weakened
steps with care. AS may be imagined the the
cellar was In worse condition than the
house. I had become struck with my COM
panion's GOODNESS, and when l looked AT
him then saw no signs Of the loath1ng l
felt, as We walked to the front. The moid
was so thick upon the earthen floor that we
tapped some time with the mattock berore
striking the stone. I held the lantern and
Eudthorne soon dug out the object OF our
search. He lifted it out of the pit with ms
hands without hesitation. AS he held 1t up
to the candle could not help looking over
my shoulder into the foul shadows, but
whatever connection there was between the
ball and the fear that came upon one ~
the night had been broken. at least Tor the
time. The sphere was covered with earth,
Lut the young man tapped 1t with his nnger
nails and expressed his pleasure that II nad
not rotted.
We returned to the side room upstairs,
where he put the ball upon the wide Win
dow sill and began to scrape OF the olr'
with his knife. He became completely ab-
sorbed in the task and thought nothing OF
his fetid surroundings. My mind was di,
vided between wonder at his interest ano
my repugnance. At last the sphere was
clean and he held 1t up triumphantly;
could not help admiring the wonderful skill
displayed in it's construction. but at the
same time was powerfully anected py
thoughts of the places from which the tlnS
tone cubes had come and Of the frenzy oi
the brains they had helped to lncase. ,
"a brave scion of the thi,d generation,
he said to himself, as he examined the
Arabic words upon the lid. Whlcn sui
moved easily upon the hinge.
At the instant an insight INTO MS mo-
tives came to me in a flash. He was not
merely curious about the sphere and the
blight it had brought uIen his house; ne
was a sciCn of the third generation, and
| had alrea6y amply proved 1 decided not
| to tell him Of my guess then, and merely
asked:
What will you do now?"
| II shall leave this curiosity here and
| come back tonight to feel this fear that
| escs ped from 1t. hope it Is not all mag
irary. for 1t would add to it's value If
| could tell Of an actual experience with
it."
'Win it be agreeable If 1 come with yon?'
| Perfectly"
| He placed the ball carefully in a corner
! and we left the house, securely locking the
! door. We returned to Philips and tolo
| the eagerly waiting company of the finding
| of the hall. but. as we had agreed to-
! gether, withheld our intentions for the
| night.
| About o'clock in the evening we ex
! cused ourselves from the other guests ant
started for the house. The clouds haG
| cleared from the sky and the waning moor
| vas just rising. l shall not attempt te
| tell my expectations. They were moi
| pleasant. yet my curiosity concerning the
irfiuence that had escaped from the sphere
| was strong, and I was further steadied II
my purpose by Budthornes placidity. A:
| We walked along the road by the creek the
house stood high above it in the moon
| light like a spectral mansion. and wher
! we entered the lane I began to hope tha
he would abandon the project There
| were no prospects of this. however. H,
! showed no more apprehension than If W.
had been on our way to a scene of gayety
! When we reached the porch of the hous,
he turned to me and said. quietly:
! 81 have led you to believe that I thinl
this tale of the fear one has in this olt
house at night Is imaginary. 1 want t,
tell you now that think 1t Is true. II