Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-17
DAILY SHORT STORY
What Was It?

1 N~NND---N--
ment. They We're Hall, Peters and
Townsend, and had wagered a dinner
that they would do this.
Many years ago the Marquis del
Pillar built a beautiful house in the
city and its duplicate i'm the country,
| where he lived with his beautiful wife.
One day two people were found torn
to pieces in the saloon of the country
house. with finger marks on their
Threats. The whole country was
shocked, but the perpetrators were not
discovered. After that the Pillars were
| gradually exterminated.
Then came n young heir with a
friend who decided TO investigate the
place. The next day they We're found
flung out upon the terrace before the
house, dead.
That was the last. The city had in
vestigated. the government had inves-
tigated, the old place had been ram
sacked, thousands of dollars expended,
but to no avail, and for ten years no
one had gone near the place, and the
story was seldom mentioned. but every
street gamin in the city could tell you
all about it.
At $50 o'clock of the day of the wa.
ger the trio of Americans We're escorted
out to the grewsome ruins by party
of half Il dozen who were to return in
carriages at sunrise if receiving no
word meantime. After a lot of chaff in
regard to the coming dinner they shook
hands, the MeXicans locked the gates,
and the Americans picked up Il hamper
they had had filed, shouldered a roll
of blankets and, with laughing adieus,
went down the dusky avenue to meet
their fate.
At o'clock the next morning the
same carriages, supplemented by half
a dozen more loaded with gay young
men from the Jockey club, drew up be-
fore the entrance, and their shouts
shook the heavy gates as they swarmed
about while the man with the key
fumbled with the rusty lock ard looked
anxiously toward the silent house.
At the turn of the drive in front of
the great door they found Hall. He
had been thrown under the spreading
branches of silvery green pine, and
when they drew him gently out and
laid him on the graveled walk his
heart was still beating, but his neck
was frightfully discolOred and his
tongue black and swollen, protruded
between his teeth.
The house was found tightly closed,
and not until the authorities were sent
for could they force the door open.
They were locked on the inside, and
when the great door that led to the
saloon was forced the chain was in its
place, as was the case with the door by
the mantelpiece. The shutters were
also tightly closed. and n small fire
still burned upon the hearth.
Peters and Townsend were inside the
great room-what there was left OF
them. But no man could say which was
which. Hall was taken to the hospital
and everything possible done for him,
but it was fifteen days before the light
of reason came back to the bold eyes,
and at the first look the doctor knew
it was but the light before eternal
darkness.
The police and detectives had ex-
hausted themselves in their efforts to
unravel the mystery. and company OF
soldiers guarded the fatal house. Then
came the day when the wounded man
opened his eyes. and the doctor saw In
their blue depths the glorious light OF
reason side by side with the black
shadow of the unknowable. and, see
ing, kept his promise to notify the au
thorities.
The large room was bright and sunny
and very quiet a dozen distinguished
looking men stood about small iron
cot Oh which lay u tall, blond man
with n death white face. Beside him
sat the doctor. who gave him an occa-
sional stimulant. On the opposite side
at small table sat notary. prepared
TO write. In a chair at the head of
the bed sat gray haired old man with
q grief stricken countenance.
YES; / remember what took place
on the night of Aug. 3, 1854" replied
the patient when gently questioned.
MY companions and myself left the |
gate after seeing it locked. We went |
down the avenue, entered the house, |
and after lighting some candles and |
building a fire i'm the big fireplace in |
the saloon, where we were to spend the |
night, we decided to explore the place.
ut was quite empty. We found moth |
ing of interest. We returned to the
room on the ground floor. The fire was
burning all right, and we sat about |
and telling stories until about
0:30, when we ate the lunch we had
brought along. After that we took one
more look about the room. 1t was oh.
ong In shape. with large windows at
both ends. They had heavy shutters
inside and strong bars outside. Then
here was the door through which we
had entered from the hall. 1t had a
Dig lock, which we fastened, and also
chain which hooked across the whole
loor. Near the fireplace was another
door, evidently leading to the garden,
which was locked and chained. There
was nothing else. 1t was very quiet.
The boys spread their blankets in
'front.' of the fire, and 1 put mine near
he end of the fireplace and sat with
my back against the wall. We talked