The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-11
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The Story Of Heley Croft. :
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band had to defend sFcase he would re-
quire 10 know all the facts, whichever
way they might tell. and then Use his
own judgment. Now, forgive me. YOU
are Keeping something back. You must
be cured; but we cannot get at the seat
| or the trouble til we KNOW all about IL.
You really must trust me with what
you have been hiding from Tom"
| Her whole frame trenbled and shud-
dered; but she made no answer
| / pressed the matter again, ana then
she spoke. in a little more than a terri
fled whisper.
'Dr. Aspley," she nurmured. you
would not believe me. 1t is too horri-
/ ble."
tors have to believe what seems TO be
impossible every day. I won't rest tn
know the worst. i promise TO believe
you"
She shuddered again.
ugh" she said. 1T is horrible, 1t
Is killing mel
1T may Kill you III you WON'T let me
help" 1 replied. But there IL no rea-
son why 81 should, ifyou let me fight it,"
| DIR. Aspley," she asked, turning up
her beautiful but horror struck eyes,
| 'can you fight occult powers?"
| Certainly. i said. Why not? Oc-
cult powers are only disordered cere-
| brations."
There were. fortunately no theoso-
| prists present.
Could you" she went on. ARREST the
| hand OF GOd?'
'Of course" / replied. with. / ann
: afraid, rather hopeful blasphemy: IF
| IL were visible hand. Why not?'
Then she collapsed. She burst into
| a torrent of tears like child. soothed
and cornforted her gently. ami by very
show degrees arrived at the following
narrative:
when my husband went TO London
last Tuesday week l was the hsppiest
woman in England. 1t came first that
night. l woke In the pitch dark and
found the room rapidly growing light.
Distinct beams of light appeared %
shine from wall TO wall. and at last
formed a dim circle and these gradu-
ally shaped themselves into the fingers
OF a moving hand. 1t was like human
hand cut on az the wrist, and IL began
% God! / swear to you il began to
write slowly ON the wall. The letters
grew into words. and the words grew
irso a sentence. At last | read In a
strangely formed caligraphy the awful
warning: Prepare To meet thy God
II was terrined to death and unable
10 move; and as | watched spellbound,
the fearful letters faded away and the
room was left I'm utter darkness again.
Il lay the rest OF the night reflect
ing upon this apparit,on and wonder
ing whether IL was meant for me. or
for Tom, or for both OF US. When day
light ret1rned my nerves felt rather
more steady. for the room was exactly
s,s-usuai and showed -Iie-s4gh- the
ghostly writing. / almost expected
20 find IL jndelibly recorded upon the
wall. / thought perhaps the whole
thing had been a nightmare, and
determined 10 say not a word about it,
but 90 sleep alone in the room again
and see il IL Were repeated.
''Tr~a was the day you sent me 20
bed early; and. being worn out as the
result Of the previous nights expert
ence. ! soon fell into a fitful dOze. on
one of my awakenings l found that the
room was getting light just as before.
The circle reappeared. the marks i'm l..
the great black hand. the gradually
formed letters; but tn, warning was
different. 1t said: God shall judge
II sprang out OF bed and rushed to |
the writing. l put my hand on its hor- |
rible sable signs, and il vanished in |
stantaneously. 1t was no dream.
You can imagine the condition which |
awaited the break OF day. | did not |
call my husband, for | had indeinable |
sense that some danger, in which he |
was concerned. was impending in this |
room, and that "A warning had been |
vouchsafed to me that he would be un-
able to perceive with his different and |
rather unbelieving constitution.
That morning he insisted upon my |
going with him 20 Great Malvern; and
while we were away from this fearful
house felt a sense of freedom, and re-
gained a measure OF composure. / be-
gan almost 10 think again, as the days
went by that the whole thing must
have been a passing madness. and de-
termined ON my return TO spend yet
one more night in the room alone be-
fore asking him to come back to me.
But last night was more horrible
than all. | awoke with a great start i'm
black darkness There came a burst of
white light. which disappeared as sud
denly as il had come. and left a dark
ness that could be felt Then another
burst. and then darkness again. Then
the dim circle began 10 appear in the
same hideous outline, and as IL got
the hand traced slowly the
cruel doom: Your hour is nigh
tainted away, and recollect nothing
more until daylight this morning"
AS she spoke Il occurred to me that |
the whole appearance must be nothing
more than a vivid acknowledgements
bly, the harbinger of insanity. IL so,
IL had had an extraordinary physical
effect, allowing for the girls delcately |
strung nerves and artistic tempera-
ment. Still, the effort must be made TO |
fathom the mystery.
Answer me one more question |
truly" l urged. do you know any one |
who has grudge against you?"
Doctor she replied. with a troubled !
ook in her innocent eyes so far rs
know. never injured living creature. |
never disagreed with any one much,
except an Italian I'm my stage days. |
who would persist I'm wanting To marry
me- after ! was pledged to Tom"
His name?'
Count Belloni. vile creature but
have not seen or heard anything OF
lim for a year"
That night Tom Whyte and | entered
nto n little conspiracy. / asked him
md his wife across TO dinner. nominal
v To stop Margaret brooding and hav-
ng got them away from home. insisted
m keeping them for the night. Tom
pretended to refuse and then To assent:
md | limited TO Margaret that. N he |
we're i'm any danger. II was at least les
'ened while he was with me. and so
yained her acceptance OF the invita-