Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-06

accustomed to the elfish light, he made out the figure of a man, seated | with his back to the wall, and bend. fng forward as though asleep. He wore tattered shirt, rough blue trousers, and long boots; on his head he wore a peaked cap. He groped his way towards him and, bending down, peered into his face. Beneath the peaked cap there was 8 grinning skull. With a flying heart and freezing scalp, he staggered out of the cave. What did it all mean? Why was he here? How had he and that other thing that had once been man got into such place? Slowly he recog- nized the fact that he had been caged -caged as effectually as any poor bird for the amusement of the girl who had found hira. | . The day wore slowly on. He sat, ! gripping his head between his hands, in a frantic effort to retain his self. control. The sky became shot with scarlet and gold, and then, in one moment, turned to indigo, and was spangled
 
 cold and danl<; the caverns seemed to breathe a fetid breath towards him. The moon rose and peered down at him with mocking smile on her dead white face. She cast. long figured shadows across the water, which burnt into sickly light of it's own, as it coiled and uncoiled itselt about the rugged pillars of rock
 The black-mouthed caverns gaped at him and believed to each otheF. Suddenly the pool stirred, and broke into shining circles; from their center rose the girl. Then for moment the water seemed to boil, as he had seen it do many times when shoal of mackerel rose to the surface of the little bay which his mothers cattage overlooked, and score of young girls drew them | selves from the water onto the rocka and lodges.
 The moonlight glistened in their eyes and edged their rounded limba with silver.
 l They shook their glorious haih about them and combed it out with their small fingers, until he saw each
  The girl whom he had first seen had perched herself above him; tho dull green jewels on her forehead gleamed in the moonlight, her great blue eyes were staring into his.
 She leaned forward and stretched out her hands to him; he grasped it and shuddered-it twas colder than the dead.
 "Why have you isropg'et rae here?a he demanded. "ssiee pack my boat and let Eae g>i.'
 She wound her wt'i5e arms about him. The touch of q; ul.ess body seemed to freeze .1nad in his veins. He moane;i ..:l-. f;';e1 to. dis. engage himself.
 "Stay with me- ss.a whispered. 'shere in my home. Is it not fair to look upon? Do not the winds and waves whisper pleasantly to each | other here in the monday heatf Why should you wish to leave -ne2 Are the land girls fairer than IT You shall be mine, my own; and at night, when the moon is high, I will come and sing to you-si1g until the stars have faded and the wide hori- zon burns with the light of morn. ing"
 sLet me go! Let me go!" he plead- ed. T cannot live here. tell you I cannot. Cant you understand thata ! I should die, as that other poor devil in there probably did, raying mad man. Give me back my boat, and set me once more upon the open sea- cannot stay here"
 "You must-you shall. You arc mine-mine-mine!' cried the girL Her white arms were clipped about him, the fierce light of triumph shone in her eyes, mocking smile was on her lips.
 A terrible fear of her took conn plete possession of his faculties. Shd seemed to have the beauty of the snake-utterly lloathsome, yet com. manding admiration. He felt abso- lutely helpless, and conscious of his helplessness. A cold sweat broke ous on his forehead and on the palms o1 his hands. He tried to struggle, to cry out, and discovered that he could do neither.
 His sight became obscured. The girl seemed to grow to an enormous ] size. They swan together in haze The last thing he remembered was that her great blue eyes were still staring into his.
 He'll do now" Who spoke?
 "Near thing, though" went on thd voice. "See if he can take little more-not too much. There-easy does it."
 He opened his eyes to find that ths girl had vanished, and that beard. ed man was bending over him.
 "Where's the girl?" he asked | faintly.t
 'Was there anyone else in tho boat" asked the bearded man of soma one who stood behind him. "No, sir," came the answer.
 "We picked you up. You're all right now," said the bearded man "Do you understand what sayi