, 1896-07-16

he had been digging. There was no key
in the lock, but at his touch the cover
flew open, and put poured the contents
blue, green and gold, like a glltterlng
rush of water broken beneath the sun.
The cabby's heart stopped beating.
"Diamonds!' he cried softly. Then he
grasped at tn. window ledge. for the
creature gave u howl of anguish
Good God, they give 10 Light
And the echoes chartered back. mo
light! No light"
There was a long silence. The huddle
on the floor rocked + and fro, his face
buried III his thin hands.
The moon had sunk and the sky was
clear as dark glass. A cock crowed
somewhere in the east. At that sound
the wretched figure raised its head. OPP
posite him was q door with Il fan shaped
transon over it, and as he looked it
grew gray and her rosy. Some one was
coming; now wen the cabman could
hear the light croak Of steps. Nearer
they came, nearer. The door opened.
and a little figure peeped into the room
the little figure OF a woman, shrivcled
and very old.
The nan by the fireplace sprang up.
AS the woman's eyes met that ghastly
face she gave a 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.
sit was black; it choked met was
so dark-oh, so dark! 1 have come back
for the light they promised me. They
said 1 should find it here: that without
it my soul will be blind-blind! Do you
near me? Help me find it! As you were
my wife, help mo find it!'
The woman crawlcd to her knees. he1
eyes raised to his, and the terrified cab
man, watching through the wind saw
that the kerchief folded across her bpspm
was bright us if a lamp glowed behind
it.
The other man saw it, too. and his
white claws shot out, buryiIg tllCIl-
selves i'll her breast. when he had fiji,
ished, he held in his stained and drip.
ping hands the woman's heart. Il qaiv.
Sltu, llhc tiNs DlulStu Itilitttl l.i4f'. II
was, but the light shining from it never
wavered, lighting the hollow CT the
mans hand and the hollow Of tho great
room, his face and his loose, white lips
smiling widely, and the pit Ct his
throat, that was black as the gate Of
hell; lighting, too. the tumblcd, tram
pied body and the star dust of spilled
diamonds.
He paused an instant, he whose name
was that Of the dead, then he turned
and bounded toward the window. There
was a smash of glass, and the cabman
felt those smearcd fingers at his own
neck.
"Now take me back where l came
from. Be quick, or else -" He did not
finish his threat.
The cabby gave n sick gulp. as if his
throat were full of paste; then he was
dragged over the ground and 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
FOR, rs they fled, pounded, flew down the
road.
WHEN tnc caDnlan opened MS eyes
again, there was a great burst Of sun
shine. Above his head shone the hcav-
ems, deep as the core Of a sapphire, and
far away he could see the blue haze of
the city streaked with gray plumes of
smoke. In the grass lay his shattered
cab, and high over his head, its pcarly
summit seeming plunged in the eternal
azure, rose d marble shaft. On it We're
carved these words: "To Judas Withcrs.
Erected by his loving wife"
The letters were of gold, but the
morning sun had touched them into
words of fire. Julie ClCssCn kcnly in
San Francisco Argonaut.