The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-02
Somewhere In TINS

room it is, and if it's here Bonaparte
hilds It, he repeated. You didn't
stay here all these years without max
ing little pile somewhere, my lamb.
You weren't such fool as YOU look
ed. Oh, no.! said Bonaparte.
Tie now walked about the room, div
ing his fingers in everywhere, sticking
them INTO the great crevices in the wall
ana frightening out the spiders. ran
ping them against the old plaster till il
cracked and fell in pieces, peering ND
the chimney till the SCOT dropped on
ms bald head and blackened it. He
leit IN little blue bags; he tried to
raise the hearthstone; he shook .ac],
book till the old leaves fell down in
showers on the floor.
1t was getting dark. and RonaDartn
tlood with his finger on his nose re-
Meeting. Finally he walked to the
door, behind which hung the trousers
ana waistcoat the dead man had last
worn. He had felt in them. but hur
rledly, just after the funeral the tlay
pe1ofe. He would examine them again.
sucking his fingers into tho waistcoat
pockets. he found in one corner a hole.
Pressing his hand through it. bef wcen
the lining and the cloth. he p.escutly
came into contact with something.
Bonaparte drew it forth--a small.
square parcel, sewed up in sailclotb.
He gazed at it. squeezed it, Ii crack
ed, as though full of bank notes. lIe
put it quickly into his own waistooat
pocket and peeped over the half door
to see if there was any one comiug
There was nothing to be seen but the
last rays of yellow sunset light paint
ing the ''karroo" bushes in the plain
and Shining on the ash heap. where t,le
fowls We're pecking. He turned and
sat down on the nearest chair and. tax
ing out his penknife. ripped the parcel
open. The first thing that fell WAS a
shower of yellow. faded papers. Bona
parte opened them carefully one by
one and smoothed them out on his
knee. There was something very val.
liable to be hidden so carefully. though
the German characters he could not
decipher. When he came to the last
enc, he felt there was something hard
in it.
you've got it, Bon, my boy; you've
got it, he cried, slapping his leg hard
Edging nearer to the door. for the
light was fading. he opened the paper
carefully. There was nothing inside
but plain gold wedding ring.
Better than nothingw said Bona.
parte. trying to put it on his little fin,
, ger, which. however. proved too fat
He took it off and set it down on the
table before him and looked at it with
his crosswise eyes
AWhen that suspicious hour. San
ME-" he said. shall have arrived
when. painting, shall lead thee. light.
ed by Hymen's torch. to the connubial
altar. then upon thy fair amaranthine
finger. my joyous bride. shall this ring
repose.
THY fair body. oh. my girl.
Shall Bonaparte possess;
His fingers in thy moneybags.
He therein. too. shall NESS
Having given utterance to this flood
of poesy. he sat lost in joyous re1ec-
ton
Gle therein. too. shall NESS" he TO-
peated meditatively.
AT this instant, as Bonaparte swore
and swore truly to the end of his life
slow and distinct rap was given on
the crown of his bald head
Bonaparte started and looked up No
rein" or strap hung down from the
rafters above. and not human crpa-
ture was near the door 1t was grow
ing dark. He did not like it, He he.
gan to fold up the papers expeditions
ly. He stretched out his hand for the
ring. The ring was gone-gone al
though no human creature had entered
the room: gone. although no form had
crossed the doorway. Gone!
He would not sleep there. that was
certain.
He stuffed the papers into his pocket
AS he did so three slow and distinct
taps We're given on the crown of his
head. Bonaparte's jaw fell. Each
joint lost its power. He could not
move; he dared not rise. His tongue
lay loose in his mouth.
rake all. take ALL" he gurgled in
LID llIOdI IL 10 not want them
Take
Here a resolute tug at the gray curls
at the back Of his head caused him to
leap up. yelling wildly. Was he to sit
still paralyzed, to be dragged away
bodily to the devil? With terrific
shrieks he fled, casting no glance be-
hind.
When the dew was falling and the
evening was dark, small figure
moved toward the gate of the farthest
ostrich camp driving n bird before it,
When the gate was opened and the
bird driven in and the gate fastened, it
turned away, but then suddenly paus-
ed near the stone wall.
as that you. Waldo" said Lyndall
hearing a sound.
The boy was sitting on the damp
ground, with his back to the wall. He
gave her no answer.
Come she said, bending over him.
Il have been looking for you all day."
He mumbled something