Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-05-18

| with 4 homicidal maniac was sufficient
! ~ unmanning. He turned pale. bu.
questioned with assumed airiness.
''Why?"
Justice" answered the stranger.
| slightly eloratinG his brows.
How do You propose TO take my
| life?"
| Through your imagination.
| shall look at you" He glanced up.
! Raif shrank from the gaze, then said
! with 6hastly attempt at smile,
| We'll, l hope MY light still burns. |
| cling to life, you know. here and here
after. / shall fight for that second
| hour" The smile withered on his
! lips, as his visitor again turned MS
| terrible gaze from the fire to him.
Mary Clifford has saved your soul.
/ proHigate." The voice reyerberated
! through the room. The walls echoed
! back ''Proiligate." and his own lips
/ moved to utter the word, but he said
under his breath, Mary Clifford" and
| the sound was as water to Il thirsty
! man. THE pure love that she alone
was able TO wake in You, and that still
| lives in your heart, though YOU stifie
| il under the clogging weeds of gross
! passions, has kept burning the flame OF
| your spiritual life" lie leaned for
! ward. Another woman here would
! stillc il this time forever, and would
! kill her you have wronged; but" he
ended with shrug, you will die to-
! night"
/ Raft sat still 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
nc OWNED that she still held the great
! or place i'll his heart, though he had
been wantoniy faithlcss to her? Would
! she mind We're 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 physiosnoIny stared at
I
! He writhcd and wresteled, but the eyes
! defed 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 paraly2ing fear. Time brought no
! relaxation, every moment seemed an
eternity. pity! PITY" he cried, but
/ tg,,. ,%at, .1 hi,No
! help! help" The impotent words
| echoed back on his hearing. His voice
| was q 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
! a hand on her shoulder. Recollection
Of the haunted room kept her listening
| to the throbbing OF her own heart, with
| eyes firmly closed. 1t was u moment
which necesSitated the staring of real
| live apparition in the face. She did
so, however, ut 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"
rs it fire?' said Susan, sitting up
suddenly.
Nd" said the girl. you must come
! with me to Mr.. SegweH's 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 q preposterous no.
| ton"
| A look Of despair crept into the girls
| face She turned away. Il thought
| you, being an American. would be
! brave and kind / thought could trust
! YOU but | must so alone"
And in 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
| Ia the middle of the night in Il mans
| bedroom, but she knew she wasn't GO
ing TO let Mary Clifford go alone, any
how, AS to feeling braye--she simply
| felt terrified. They stole together
along the gallery, down 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.
(which 10 amt off tha