The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-30

found there in their robes de mutt and as
such they must be studied. Then. too.
Neville was winning looking youth
| even if he We're So Whitley floating, and,
| too, with no ballet effects improper to
| look upon below the moving hem of his
garment. Neville was thin6ing-he
thought he would take a little more
| time to think. and he tip-toed toward
the door. locking backward under the
candle-light. Behold. FrecklewOrth had
turned and was dragging himself to-
| ward the door. Neville had well nigh
appropriated the Fourth Hypothesis He
had decided that it was not F'reckle-
worth: then that it was; then that it
was neither: then that it must be very
devil of Il fear that caused him to shrink
and Shudder from the unholy thing in
stead of jabbing at ii as he did at his
double III the Place NendomG. This pro-
cesson in white thus proceeded slowly
out of the door and down the hall to-
ward the lintn-clOset. Neville could
stand it no longer; he went within and
locked the door in front of him, while
he trembled at the sound of the real or
imaginary serenade that was being rem
dered by the rythmic Understanding APP
proach of FrecIlleworth's knees on the
floor. He determined to await the ar
rival, it could be no worse than the knee
tidingS that were then reaching him.
Every motion he had heard, and now the
touch-the lighteSt touch as if of the end
Of the tinger-nail upon the bottom of the
door was heard. Jerusalem. my happy
homew even this silly exclamation came
into his mind ut this juncture, but there!
two, three. four five nails now touching
their way upward. Great guns. was
another expression that claimed atten-
tiOn now, as Neville saw the opening cut
ut the top of the door. There was seem
ingly lfe-and-death struggle going on
in some kind of an attempted climb to-
ward this opening. The palms of the
hand were now heard fiat-like against
the outside. so that there was undOubted-
~ progress being made. The diable
seemed to he wrirhing to get upon his
knees with his hands upstretched Then
there was Il pause as if one foot were
sliding forward into action. 1t was the
demon attempt of the man TO cling for
some reason to him. to get an
other one of the pleading looks
at him. and he was making
hay. The experimental stage of
the outside happenings seemed to have
passed: for Neville. still holding his can
die looked up toward the opening The
claws were clenched over as far as the
knuckles. and then they came farther;
then. could it be possible? The knees
moved. it seemed hardly a sec
ond. upward along the door; the
mearthly thing had done the
impossible and pulled his chin even
with the opening. and peered downward, |
so that the best view yet obtained of
Feckleworth's blue and white could be
obtained. This convinced Neville more
than ever that it could not be Freckle |
worth in the flesh; for ne could not have |
made the trip up. But it was only for an |
instant. All in a lump. the thing fell |
upon the floor outside, striking. it seemed. |
all ut once. and recalling a famous mental |
scientists. remarks. Neville thought that |
either FecklewOrth had struck the floor, or |
THAT the floor had struck one of his NE |
ville's) 'subjectives.' 1t was at this in |
slant that he shrieked twice or thrice at |
the top of his voice for Montague. Neville |
opened the door carefully and |
slowly. and peered at the white |
and tumbled and helpless and bag
gard heap. He held the candle down; he
seemed to ue dead: he was clammy |
white. Just then Montague's door opened |
quickly. He had never heard Neville call |
him by his name before, and he hurried |
Holding his candle up this dark-haired |
angel in knee-high white muslin looked |
down the hall. Montague. come" cried |
Neville. Look" Or is it l. alone. and not
Frecleworth? Answer.
Montague looked at his friend. then
toward the floor. and strangely changed
color.
Hesitatihg moment, he made good
answer to his friend.
Wherein. startling answer though it J
was. lay the solution of the mystery
of this somewhat strange but entirely We
racious proceeding.
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