Evening star., 1896-09-19


escaping with me. But he5was standing
near the hall, erect. determined and point
ing to the door. fed Through the hall.
flung open the front door andnran out upon
1 was instantly relieved Of the super
natural fright. 1 turned at once to go
back and plead with Budthorne to come
out, but ne had s,1 followed owe "a ana ID, shut the
came a noise as Of some small metal OBJ
ject falling upon the bare floor far back
in the long, dark hail. He had thrown
away tho key that he could not quickly
escape. I called to him. urging him to
give up his mad experiment. but he did not
answer me. 1 leaped from the porch and
ran most Of the way to Philips home.
The company was sitting before the fire,
and my excited entrance broke up an ami
mated discussion. When had told Of the
trial Budthorne was making Abner sprang
up and exclaimed:
He cannot live an hour In that place.
Philip. you and Mr.. Richards must use
force II he will not come out willingly"
II came to ask Philip to go with me-"
don this dangerous experiment..
Philip and l were soon hurrying toward
the house. Armstrong hailed us as we were
passing his home.
Isn't that young fellow In the old house
to-night?' he asked.
Yes" Philip answered, and hurriedly ex-
planned our mission.
''Pll go with you"
house 1 called Budthorne but he did not
answer. called again as loudly as l could,
but the silence inside was unbroken. With
a sickening apprehension of what had oc-
Cured threw my weight against the door,
but 1t resisted. Philip and Armstrong help
ed me- the bolt snapped with q loud noise
and the door crashed inward. sprang In
to the hall, but stopped In astonishment
The air was still foul and close, but it had
been relieved of the element of fear. The
Quietness of the side room, however, gave
me a foreboding entirely different from the
unnatural dread of death. This room was
almost dark the candle having burned into
the stick during the hour Of my absence.
and shedding then only circle OF light
upon the grimy ceiling. We stopped upon
the sill and strained our eyes into the shad-
oWs. 1t required but an instant to see what
had happened, and We sprang forward.
Budthorne lay upon the floor with his
right haud resting Imply upon the ball.
the lid Of which was tightly closed. I bent
over him and called, but he did not move.
Armstrong caught up the candle. raised the
taliow end higher in the stick, while Phlllp
and 1 turned the prostrate man upon MS
back. The light showed his ghastly race,
set with desperate determination. and his
eyes open and staring with vacancy that
| filled us with natural dread. L put my
hand over his heart and cried:
He is alive We must; get him out OF
| this at once"
We carried him cut upon the porch. and
| Armstrong hurried away to bring team
When he arrived with it. and Budthorne.
still insersible. had been carefully placed
| in the straw bed, 1 asked Philip to take
| him home as rapidly as possible and secure
| medical attention. adding that l would re-
| main.
"Wnat crazy experiment are you bent
| "None," | answered 81 intend to put
that fiendish bali where 1t will, dorpo more
| barn."
! l walked back into the hall of the house
! with some nervousness. l Freely com 'sS.
But I quickly discovered that II was
! sroundless Budthorne had driven out the
| demon Of fear beyond all doubt. l went
into the side room and the expiring flame
| of the candle dimiy revealed The bone ball
upon the floor. put my hands upon II 70 70
| lift it, and could not help sprnging erect IN
| amazement The wonderful weight Abner
Letterby had spoken OF had come back 10
| it, With much fear that it might fall and
| break and the spell escape again. picked 1t
| up with great care, then blew out the can
die and walked out upon the porch.
! AT the foot of the hill on which the house
| stands the creek has cut its way through
many strata ofTocks thus forming a mar
row gorge. at the bottom of which the wa
| ter is very deep. decided toHTop the ball
| into the stream there, and haAtened to the
place. In order that 1t might not strike
any of the Jagged rocks and be broken,
! lay fiat upon the ground and stretched my
arms far out over the chasm Whether the
! contact of my hands renewed the spell OF
| my excited nerves reproduced the sensa
ton so recently experienced, do not know
but an unnatural fear seemed to come ou
! of the moonligh ted air and death in fright
| full forms seemed to throng the quiet night
| released the sphere, and. with deeI
sense of relief. l it fall, glistening il
| the moonbeams; there was splash and ar
echoing gurgle in the gorge. and all wa.
still. l rose and hastened to Philips home
| rejoicing that the spell had been broken
| but anxious for the brave young. fellow
| who had accomplished that desired end.
l found him very Ill. He lay at Philip:
home for many weeks on the verge O.
| death from acute brain fever. He finall,
grew well enough to be taken TO his west
ern home. He has never entirely recover
ed for the strain has left a dangerous af
fecton Of the nerves which forbids all ref
erence by himself to his trial or any ques
ton from others. His success, however
was complete. The last time 1 visite'
Philip We went together to. the forme
House Of Fear" It is now one of tn
brightest and handsomest homes of tn
locality, and one of Armstrong; sons live
there in undisturbed quietness and con
| tentment.
The End