Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-05-14

ly unmanning He turned pale, but
questioned with assumed airincss,
"Why?"
Justice" answered the stranger,
slightly elevating his brows.
How do you propose to take my
life?"
Through your imagination.
l shall look at you" He glanced up
Ralf shrank from the gaze, then said
with CHASTITY attempt at a smile,
well, l hope my light still burns.
cling to life, you know, here and here
after. l shall fight for that second
hour" The smile withered on his
lips, as his visitor again turned his
terrible gaze from the fire to him.
Mary Clifford has saved your soul,
proHigate." The voice reverberated
through the room. The walls echoed
back "Profigate," and his own lips
moved to utter the word, but he said
under his breath, MARY Clifford" and
the sound was as water to thirsty
man. "The pure love that she alone
was able to wake in you, and that still
lives in your heart, though you stifie
it under the clogging weeds of gross
passions, has kept burning the flame OF
your spiritual life" He leaned for
ward. Another woman here would
stifle 1t this time forever, and would
kill her you have wronged; but" he
ended with shrug, you will die to-
night"
Ralf sat still a long time, trying to
guess how knowledge of the details OF
his own life had reached his compan-
ion. Was this mad philosopher
friend of hers? And even so, how had
he OWNED that she still held the great
err place in his heart, though he had
been wantonly faithless to her? Would
! she mind were he in truth to die? Had
he any right to hope even that she
should? Would she care? he said.
Your hour is passed."
Ralf started and turned pale to the
lips. He saw his visitors aspect had
changed; he had become phantom
creature with living face. A terrible,
awful human physiognomy stared at
him with preposterous, hideous fiXity
He writhed and wresteled, but the eyes
defied his movements, he could not
look away; all the nerves of his body,
the consciousness of his mind, the very
vitality of his system, were absorbed
by paralyzing fear. Time brought no
relaxation, every moment seemed an
eternity. PITY! pity!" he cried, but
the gray eyes watched him. Help!
help! help" The impotent words
echoed back on his hearing. His voice
was a whisper. He tried to listen for
the sound of footsteps he knew would
not come, then again, struggled with
superhuman effort to release himself
from the power of the phantom figure
the CHASTITY face-and the eyes!-the
eyes that watched without mercy! But
slowly in torture life was waning from
his wearied frame. He sank on the
ground, clutching at the rug with dis
tended fingers. "Mary!" he murmured,
and the eyes still stared.
-
Susan Swift felt herself awakened by
hand on her shoulder. Recollection
of the haunted room kept her listening
to the throbbing of her own heart, with
ewes firmly closed 1t was moment
which necessitated the staring of real
live apparition in the face. She did
so. however, at last, and behold moth
ing more frightening than Mary Cliff
ford; pale, indeed, as ghost, and her
great eyes wide open as if it were not
the middle of the night and time for
reasonable beings at least to feel
drowsy.
Get up, Miss Switch! quick,
quick"
is it FREE" said Susan, sitting up
suddenly.
Nj" said the girl. you must come
with me to Mr.. Segwells room!"
The American was fairly aghast. Il
think not" she said, deliberately. Miss
Clifford, you must be considerably
scared about something, but nothing
could justify such a preposterous no.
ton"
A look of despair crept into the girls
face. She turned away. II thought
you, being an American, would be
brave and kind. 1 thought could trust
YOU but 1 must go alone"
And in a moment she was at the door.
Susan leaped from her bed. She
didn't see why an American should be
expected not to mind prowling about
in the middle of the night in a mans
bedroom, but she knew she wasn't 60
ing to let Mary Clifford go alone, any
how! As to feeling brave-she simply
felt terrified! They stole together
along the gallery, down a winding
staircase, and thence through an inter-
minable corridor Susan Swift began
to feel very miserable. A sensation of
fear was growing over her, when sud
denly they both stopped, each affected
by some unaccountable emotion. Mary
turned round and said gently, "You are
not afraid?"
rs there anything about me that
looks afaid?" the American answered,
her heart in her mouth. Then they
went on through great swing door,