Evening star., 1896-10-31

| in a narrow ceIl-what sort of cell?
| A scream rose in my throat-and stuck
there; then it broke loose. and with a
smothered nightmare cry / sprang to my
feet. 1 found myself entangled in a mass
of clingir drapery. l flung it from me,
right and left. 1 hurled myself against
a door burst open. and I plunged forward
| into moonlft chamber. Behind me was
closet full of clothes-nothing more.
| The revulsion of feeling left me weaker
throb and almost stopped; cold sweat was
| streaming down my limbs. 1 sank into a
| chair. The room. which at first swung
round and round, at length came to rest
| and 1 perceived that it was of the most
| ordinary description. shaft of pale light
| from the window made plain the pattern OF
! cheap ingram carpet on the floor; few
| pieces of furniture loomed up in .dusky
| bo:s against the walls Below, l pres
emily distinguished a low droning OF
| voices. Where were my friends? What
i had become of Elsie?
| Still dreading surprises crept cautious
! ly down stairway and through several
| rooms. They were chill and empty. The
! merry company had vanished of the great
| open fire before which we had roasted
nuts 1 could find no trace. not even the
| ashes.
| The murmur that had at first attracted
| my attention was, however. still audible.
and l now reached a door through the
| chinks of which leaked CLEANS of light.
Tnis door l pushed open; it disclosed the
| parlor into which we had first been usher
| ed. On the table a light was burning. and
near it-thank heaven for that-was Elsie.
! seated in a low rocking chair. Her at
tltude was dreamy, and her eyes were
almost closed. Opposite her sat the hypno-
| t:st. his look fixed, his right arm ex-
| tended; and as l strode in 1 caught the
words:
"Remember-at the first clod"
The professor turned with a start. Elsie
| opened her eyes; they frightened as they
rested me.
1T must be very late" she murmured
| with little yawn. Il can hardly keep
awake. You must take me home now,
john"
Runestane was regarding me with evil
soon." he said. "but novices are never
to be trusted: it takes time to estab-
fsh full rapport And you have had a
needless shock, but 1t doesn't matter.
Now CO." he continued, rudely His
Is broken; don't bother rue with questions.
Take her home. and thank fate that you
didn't push in a moment earlier"
l was furious, though powerless to con-
tend. Where are our friends?" 1 cried.
Il demand an explanation
Go at once he repeated. with menace
In his tone. Go! and keep out of my way
hereafter. or it may be the worse for you
Dismayed and pale. Elsie clung to my
arm. "Oh! take me home" she whispered.
He almost pushed us out. Soon we were
speeding down the road, but my hands
were so unsteady that could scarcely hold
the reins.
Elsie rested her glove upon my shoulder
and her cheek upon her glove; bright tear
drops trickled down my sleeve.
Dear JOHN" she sobbed, forgive me.
Poor boy. how you tremble. 1t was awful.
We ought never to have come. 1t was
very, very wrong of me to make you. For
give me. John. Forgive me, please, and
don't love me any less. / couldn't bear to
have you blame me''-and her tears stream
ed afresh. I'm afraid it isn't for very
long, anyway" she said.
l didn't grasp the full import of her
words then: 1 had reason to remember
them afterward. 1 tried to comfort her in
lover fashion, but 1 was still unnerved and
all ajar. l was bewidered, too, and felt
sure of nothing.
''Oh. Elsie. what became of the COM
pany?' l cried. What really happened?'
John! John! there wasn't any company"
she gasped. Don't you know there wasn't?
Not much of anything really happened
except that he got hold of you with that
awful influence"
And the games we played, and the fel-
lows he mesmeriZed, and the tricks, and
the fire.
1T was nothing at all We Just sat in
the paror, and he talked and talked IN
that queer, dr9ning way, and somehow you
seemed to see everything he told about and
more. too. l thought it was funny at first,
and rather glad to see you taken
down. after the things you had said. l
didn't realize what a dreadful power he