The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-27
!: The Dead Mans Hand. .
= a. IN =
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He seated himself opposite on the sofa,
and when he spoke he toyed aimlessly
with the rugs and blankets.
Now West" l said, tell me about
1t. No humbug, you know"
He glanced fearfully around.
do you think we are alone?" he
| asked.
"Id stake my last dollar on it," 1
replied.
West leaned forward
You're wrong" he whispered,
| hoarsely, "Kelsalrs here"
| don't know whether it was the
| gruesomeness of the thought or the
| mans way of saying it that affected
| me, but | felt a cold shiver run down
| nv back.
Nonsense, West" said, after a
moments pause; you mustn't get
! ideas like that into your head. You
ought not to have kept this room on;
| you brood too much"
! He got up from the sofa and stood
| over me with the unearthly light in
his eyes.
II tell you. Bethell Kelsall's here.
| Don't contradict me-" he said fierCely.
Then he resumed his seat.
I saw it was no good irritating him,
| so went on:
! well, I'll take your word for 1t,
| West. But why should you be unhap-
! py if it is so? You liked Kelsall bet
| ter than any other man"
| He sat there lingering the rugs. His
face twitched spasmodically and he
stared at the wall behind him. At
last he spoke:
'Pll tell you, Bethel, I think | should
| I la, To
er You never looked upon me as a
likely believer in ghosts, did you -
mo. You always seemed matter
of fact enough"
West laughed harshly.
so ! was till Kelsall died. Do you
| know, man, | loved him. | would have
died for him when he was living: now
I hate the very thought o: hIm, but
I am literally dying FOR hrm today.
| Curse him"
He hissed out the last words ard
then sat glowering at the dead fire,
seemingly unconscious Of my patience.
Go on. West" / said at length, I'm
| waiting"
He looked up dazedly. and then
passed his hand over his forehead, as
If to gather his thoughts.
Yes, yes: | remember He died
in this room. on this very sofa, and
| alone was WITH him. In his last
days. when he knew he WIS going we
discussed the future, and l begged h,aI
to come back to me from the gray g.
He promised, ard he made me swear
by all held sacred that wnen he came
! would do his bidding. [ swOra and
he has come"
Again he glanced furtively around
the room.
You have seen him then and spoken
TO him?"I asked.
"No. | have neither seen him nor
spoken to him."
Then how in the name Of fortune
do you know he is here?"
West sprang up.
Know he is here man." pointing to
the litter of copy on the table. Know
he is here? There's evidence for you
Do you see that pile of typed stuff
Every word of it was written today
by Kelsall"
He was mad-stark mad; l could not
doubt it, Yet possibly | might dc
something to restore his reason.
How do you make that out, Wns; 90
! said as calmly as | could, IF YOU
have never seen him?"
He was now quite composed ana re-
sumed his old seat
1T was about a month after Kel-
sails DEATH" he went on, that / first
knew it. | was working at the type,
writer which he had left to m =, making
out my first notice of the academy for
the Pioneer. Feeling thirsty. / got up
for drink. I walked across TO the
sideboard there, and while was stand
ing by it, click. click went the tyDc-
writer. I turned around amazed and
there were the letters dOtting down
one after the other, just as though
some one was working it. I tell YOU
| was scared. and / stood tn ,r- with
my eyes like to burst from their sock
cts On it went, line by line. and tbor
suddenly stopped 1t was solna time
before l had courage to go near it. bu;
when | did and looked at what had
been written, | was stunned. I lus.
went to the window and opened il: for
following on my report was the be-
ginning of a tale written by that tvpe
writer, tale the like of which no enc
living cou.i have written You know
it; it was The Dead Mans Hand"
| knew it well. 1t was the one that
had started West on his career.
. When | had in measure recovered
! took out the sheet and read it, and
was wondering what on earth. or under
II. 1t all meant, when a few impatient
clicks of the machine made me look
up. II was instinct, I suppose, or wa!
| IL some uncomfortable impulse that
made me insert another sheet? | die
so; on went the typewriter guided b,
a master hand, and the next folio of
that tale was typed. BY that time
. had grown used to the situation, anC
as fast as the sheets were finished
| inserted others, and within the hour
. held in my hands the manuscript OF
| the best short story that was eve,
: written. When it was finished the ma
2 chine refused to write more: and
spent the remainder of the evening am
= all that night i'm marveing over tn
strange occurrence.
: II will admit that when / had go
: ! over my first fear of the supernatural
element in it, my feelings were of un
| bounded satisfaction. That II was Kel
| sails tale l was firmly convinced, 70
he had promised to communicate witt
: me, and this, l gathered, was his onl
l means of doing so. Likely enough h
would again show his presence in tn
? same wav; and 1t seemed he intende
doing me a good turn by providing m
, with literary matter which would en-
able me to earn money and renown
On the other hand, did he intend me t
, use this for publication; and, If so. wa
+, l justified in attaching my own nam
to it?
: After much thought / sent it to Gun
| life. with whom | had been In dee