Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-06-04
THE KNOCK
AT THE DOOR

4
looked in upon him from across the
dark roofs az the city outlined IN som
Der silhouette against the star liz sky.
A sickly susile lowered over his pale
risage, and his lips were set as In shs
suppression Of an inward curse His
hands lay folded pensiveIy across his
thin legs. aad be looked out over the
sbadowy honsetops with dull sugges-
ton Of hatred In his bioodshot eyes.
Suddenly there came q low tapping
at the door behind him He arose with
a muttered curse at thus having his
thoughts interrupted and approached
the door laxily.
what do you wantyT he demanded
In a sharp voice.
But there was no reply. He opened
the door cautiously. and only cold
gust Of midnight air entered the dark
apartment He glanced out into the
silent hallway and saw again the same
familiar darkness that he had seen
when be entered his room. Confused.
4 AtAE1e2s nc 0ttW kAe 2aul ttftAb Atr
iy across bis brow. then closed the
door carefully and locked L. A mo-
meut later he seated himself In the
chair by the open easement and stared
| out through the nocturnal shadows
II was quite cold. and q few patches
| Of snow were cleaning brightly on
many Of the housetops but the pcsst-
mist was unconscious OF the cold.
"why do I liver be asked himself.
Ard the echo Of bis own voice came
4 back TO his ears from beyond the ball
way.
There is an object In every life"
/ the voice said to him. I'VE all have a
mission to fulfill"
yes" he answered the voice, with
something OF sepulchrai tone In his
I own. "and the object Of mine Is to
ascertain the limit Of mans endurance.
+ the capacity OF human beings for pain.
Some day | win reach the limit Some
| day my capacity viii be exceeded"
+ While be was speaking there came TO
/ bis ears the sound Of q human voice 10
[ the alley below his window. 1t seemed
I like n low groan, ending In sharp.
+ nouruful cry, as Of an infant. In
/ SANITY his gloomy meditatlons were
/ dlspeIled. and he leaned forward
I through the window in the hope Of
again bearing the strange sound
Again the long gruan was borne to
/ him from out Of the darkness, but
when he looked down in the direction
from which II came he could see only
a deep wall OF darkness and midnight
shadows. Suddenly:
God. please help meg'
II was the voice OF child lying at
the base Of the building among the
half dozen ash barrels in the alleyway.
He arose and went down upon the
street. A moment later be passed down
the alley along the row Of ash barrels
Lying beside one Of these he discover
ed the cudtling body Of child. baby
boy. scarcely more than six years of
age. Ii was half frozen, and. judging
from the plnched face. it had not
tasted food fer many hours or days 1t
was clad only In dirty cloth Of tat
tiers, and the childish lips were parted
In = repeated cry. God. please help
mew He lifted the child boy in his
long. bony arms and bore ii into the
house and up the loug hlght Of stairs
10 his chamber There be undressed II
and revived IL He procured food and
sustenance and placed Il ienderiy IL
his Own soft bed Then be took from
} his pocket a roll OF sreenhacks ans
placed il carefully In the ragged pocket
Of the child's clothes Why be did 81.
be was nat able to say. butt was an
} impulse which be could not resist. He
said 10 himself:
This is another Of earth's poor erea-
lures who has teen depending On the
Lord Christ"
And he resumed his seat by the win
} dow.
Thrice as be sat there he beard the
mysterious knock at thu door: thrice
he arose and looked out into the hall
way and thrice returned again TO bis
seat. bewiidered and mystined: thrice
had the midnight air entered 10 cold
gust through the chamber door. and
thrice he had answered the low tap
} ping TO discover only the midnight
darkness. But at last his head fell for
ward on his breast. and he slept soft
"; then. when his breathing had be-
come beaver and harder. the door,
which he had securely locked. opened
slowly. and the white visa sc Of a grin
ming skull looked in upon him \ mo-
ment later the cleaning. phosphOres-
cent skeleton entered the dark cham
Der and moved nimbly 10 his side II
placed its bony hand over the sleep
Ing mans lips and held II there until
the heavy breathing became inaudlble-
When the last short breath had eseap-
ed the slumberer's lips, II sprang back
, ward with 3 silent bound and passed
out through the open door.
The cold hand OF death had cOmplet-
ed its work
In the morning the child awoke and
found the dead body Of It's beRefacso'
/ sitting rlgfdfy In the heather chair by