The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-23
THE QUEEREST THING | EVER Saw
BY SIR MILLIAM MAGNAY. BAKT.


the appearance of something more surpris-
ing than even my excited curiosity looked
for
This Is what | saw:
The light coming from the doorway
seemed to draw nearer. 1t then remained
stationary for few moments, while great
weird shadows fell and rose upon the walls.
Then man entered. Such an unlovely fig
ure / had never before seen. black
bearded fellow with long. sharp nose.
which was as much of his features as /
could make out. since q SLOUGH hat almost
covered his eyes. He wore long, black
cloak and carried lantern. which he set
down on the floor near the middle OF the
chapel Then he went back noiselessly TO
1.-The door. and 1 lost sight of him. Only for
moment. though He returned. walking
backwards this time. STOPPING over one end
of burden. the other being borne by
companion, short. thick-set. ruffianly. and
cloaked like himself. Behind them. bearing
a second lantern, came the tall figure of
very different man from the other two He.
evidently priest wore a biretta, which al
lowed me a good view of his ascetic. un-
compromising hawk-like face. l gave, how
riveted my attention under a Mortified spell
was the burden which the two men bore
between them. For this. in spite of its wrap
pings, i knew TO be a human body. / real
lied this with an unpleasant thrill, and so
watched the grim scene i'm almost breathless
anxiety. / remember trying to argue with
myself whether | was not dreaming, and
to this idea the extraordinary silence of the
scene certainly gave color. AS the men
moved not a football could be heard: no
word was even whispered; the whole thing
went on like a piece of well-rehearsed pam
tomime A great desire came over me to see
the face of the lifeless burden which was
now laid. silently as ever. the floor. Its
form was unmistakable The lantern placed
beside it showed the contour of the limbs
and head; / could even make out the sharp
lines of the and chin.
I took no notice for awhile of the liv-
ing men, who had now left the body and
were engaged at the further end of the
chapel. When at length / could withdraw
my eyes from the object which compelled
their gazefI saw what the mems business
was. The tall priest still holding the
lantern. as he stood over the two who were
removed a piece of carpet laid by the
side of the altar. and now, by means of iron
rings, were with difficulty raising the stone
it had covered. So that. i thought, with
a shudder, is 10 be the grave OF
this unknown mysterious corpse, Ii
was horrible and yet inevitable The
| men, always with that terrible ST.
lence, though practiced i'm their
BUSINESS, came back to where the body lay.
took it up again and carried it towards
the gaping hole in the floor. If my eyes did
| not follow them it was because they were
| staring at dark stain, the size of child $
hand. which marked the spot where the
body and lain. From observing this L was
reused by the sound of a muffled splash.
The actors in that grim tragedy had got rid
| of their burden; the grave 10 which il was
consigned was clearly a veritable oublette.
into which, no doubt, water from the Tiber
found its way. A life (viIlainous or inno-
cent bright or gloon.y-who knowsD had
come thus to NEST hideous ending.
Now that the CHASTITY business was over,
my one thought, as the tension Of my mind
doubt. in staying where L was, I should
| horror of being left to spend the night there
| was so great as TO strike me with absolute
panic. The men were now busy relaying
| the heavy stone, and for the moment their
+, backs were turned 20 me. / was too far
| possessed by a frantic desire to get away
| to think of hesitating. My corner of the
| chapel was in darkness. Quickly L stepped
out of the confessional box and stole on
| tip-toe to the door BY good luck l reached
| it unnoticed. Once outside had the sense
| to proceed with caution feeling my way in
the darkness through the labyrinth of small
| chapes. / guessed that the door leading to
| the cloisters would be open, and so IL was.
Never was the open air so grateful TO me.
l ran along the gallery above the river,
passed through door. opening upon a gar
den perhaps the tall priests, climbed a
low wall and TO my unspeakable relief,
found myself on the public road In ten
minutes l was at my hotel
So ended that grim and extraordinary ex-
, perience of which L never solved the mys-
terry. It's recollection has as little pleasure
| as the speculation as to what would have
happened had l bungled my escape and
been caught i'm the chapel.
Next Week: 1.-THE Octopus Invasion" by
II. Bindloss.
| Copyright i'm the United States of America
by ID. Il. Pierce. All rights reserved.l