New-York tribune., 1897-08-22

T was scared and I stood there with my eyes
like to burst their sockets ON IL went, my ,oo no
line and then suddenly stopped. III was soiiic
time before had courage to 60 near ii, but wien
did and looked at what hal been written N'5
stunned. | just went 10 the WINDOW ana "Pcneu
II. for following on my report was the beginning
of a tale written by that Typewriter, talc 'ilo
like of which no one living could nave Wiitiuh
You know it, it was The Dead Mans Hand.
knew ii well. 1t was the one thit had s'ai'ou
West on his career.
when / had in a measure recovered took
out the sheet and read ii, and was WohdorihS
what on earth or under it, il all meant When
few impatient clicks of the machine made me
look UP II was instinct. | suppose, or was IL
some uncomfortable impulse that made me IN
sert another sheet? | did so; on went the type
writer, guided by n master hand ana the neAt
folio If that tale was typed. by that time had
grown used to the situation, and as fast as the
sheets were finished inserted others ana WIN
i'm the hour held i'm my hands the manuscript
of the best short story that was eyer written.
When it was finished the machine refused to
write more: and l spent the remainder of the
evening and all that night III marNelllhg over
the strange occurrence.
Il will admit that when had got over my
first fear of the supernatural element III II my
feelings were Of unboundcd satisfaction. That
it was Kcsalrs tale was firmly convinced, for
he had promised to communicate with me, ana
this | gathered. was his only means Of doing so
Likely enough he would again show his preSenc"
in the same way and it seemed he intended do
ing me Il good turn 10y providing me with llteia-
ry matter which would enable me to earn money
and renown on the other hand. did he intend
me to this for publication: and. II so, was l
justified i'm attaching my own name TO it,
after much thought sent it to Cunliffe. with
whom had been in correspondence for kclsail
when he was ILL., He liked it, and asked for
more Of my work, which was able to send; for
during that fortnight another tale had been
written by the typewriter, and one quite as
strong as the former
Here was a stroke of uneXampcd good luck;
and after had convinced myself that it was
likely to continue. threw up my Pioneer
work and devoted myself entirely to the type
writer. But before long was conscious there
was a terrible obligation attached to kelsalls
bcqucst. | could not leave the machine when it
was writing about to write. Some invisible
influence constrained me to stand by ii: when
ever cssayed to leave the room or lie down To
rest was held back by an unseen. al compel
ing power. and it was slowly forced upon me
that was KclSall'S slave
about a month after left The Pioneer.
became conscious of an added horror. kelSalrs
presence gradually made itself felt. Before
then | was able to move freely by the type
writer. even when il was working. ana could use
it at other times if wished; but slowly an icy
cold horror has crcpt into that chair; ana there
it sits | know it is there though can see
nothing Bethel | tell you it is a living hell for
me to fc.l that shadow from the grave, and
never to be able To leave its side when 1t Wills.
1t is there now.
| aid not bclievc him. for felt convinced he
was suffering from terrible monomania; 50
went to the chair. determined To show hiin how
groundless were his fears; yet his words had
made such an impression upon me that / ap-
preached it with n certain amount of hesitation.
| sat down in it, there was nothing.
"Thcrc West" ] said. its all pure magma
tion on your part. Come and try 1t YOURSELF
"No. no." he almost shricked. II tell you he
is there He's there to me if To no one else.
would not sit in that cofn-char for heaven it
self Kclsals in it,"
| shrugged my shoulders and resumed my for
mcr seat.
Yes Bcthcll." West went on. "kelsall sits
there and writes. and with an ever-increasing
demand upon mc-and what he now writes isn't
fit for print. Read that"