The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14


| the feeling that I must be in a dream. from
which 1 would presently awake. There was
| about 1t an element OF unreality.
About 10 o'clock something was said
about our retiring for the night. but both
Wellman and I replied peremptorily, that
We did not wish to retire IN such gale.
We decided thus with good reason. Any
thing like the rocking and pitching of that
old farmhouse before the fercer blasts |
never experienced, except in ship at sea
in a tempest At times 1t swayed until an
old looking glass on the wall swung OUT and
the dishes on the dresser ratified. How
ever, since our host and his sons seemed
quite unmoved reflected tina, probably
the house must be more stanch than 1t ap-
peared to be The gale steadily increased
the gusts being more furious and coming
with greater frequency. Sometimes II was
IN my mind TO catch up that gentle girl and
fly cut of doors and that 1t was also IN
my fellow-traveler's mind l knew by his
glances in her direction and half starts
when the old house shook like leaf before
wilder blast.
1T was about midnight when there came
a gust exceeding In fury any that had gone
before. then came terrific crash. like
nothing I had ever heard or have ever
heard since The falling of thunderbolts
seems a feeble comparison. 1t was too
tremendous to liken TO anything earthly.
iol lis slNOCh sHeINeu 10 W VI TIRE spirit as
well as OF matter. Then the noise OF the
wind died away outside. but to my inef-
fable horror IT had entered the house. The
room was full of the utmost clamor Of the
gale. but not a leaf of the plants in the
window or a lock OF the girls fair fun of
hair stirred. That quiet as to motion and
that turmoil as to sound was something
beyond horror. Then suddenly the wind
began to take shape. l saw vague. mon
strous shapes moving about the room. gl-
gantic shadows half forming into sub
stance
And then. with one accord, the old man
and his two great sons, who had seemed
hitherto unmoved, sprang up and stood be
fore the girl. She looked at them, first
with innocent wonder. then her own face
paled. and she rose and chung covering to
her father. and Edward Wellman and 1
Joined the wall of defense around her. for
we realized that some tangible danger was
near. Then the roaring and bowling wind
filled the room in its entirety, and every
thing in 1t waved and reeied and tossed.
The girls garments dashed about her.
she striving TO hold them In order; her yell
low hair few like a flag. and We all bent
and wavered before a ,Sind the might Of
which I never knew before or since, and
always those monstrous shadows gathered
20 substance and melted back to shadows
with half revelations OF utmost horror. and
We all stood around the girl. and she was
weeping and praying. and we were all
thrusting against the shadows, and the
raving wind closing around. and it was
seeming all in vain. when suddenly every
thing was quiet. The clamor and the beat
ing was over. But the girl was looking at
her father and her brothers as one who is
a bout to part forever from what one loves.
The tears were streaming over her pale
cheeks and her sweet mouth was like
Oh; ,r,ickII- Sbe EiSSed
one after the other and sobbed out good
night. Then. after seeming TO hesitate she
turned TO Welman. whose eyes never left
her. and red flashed over the white of
her face. and she made tinlfd siding mo-
ton like a dove and was in his arms. But
she tore herself from him at last or was
toru-who could tell which?-he striving in
vain to hold her. She was gone. whether
out OF the room on the way to her cham
Der could not tell. or where for the
wind was upon US again with greater fury
and there was no thinking against the
awful night and roar of It. and-then We
knew that there was something at the
south window. and We turned and / looked.
and I saw something past speech. Edward
Wellman and I stood motlonless a second.
staring; then he grasped my hand and We
rushed out at the opposite door, and the
house fell.
Edward wellman dragged me- fairly
dazed with wonder and horror with him.
He would not listen to my pleading to re-
turn and see IL we could not rescue the
family. who lay buried under the ruins Of
the house. =
:" Hush!' he said. once. You don't know
what this means. This Is something neither
you nor I must NEEDLE with
But the girl gasped out.
" She is beyond the need of help from
either Of u.s. he cried. and hurried on,
dragging me with him
1T seemed to me that we were several
miles. though 1t was difficult to take ra-
,ional account of distance in such a tumult |
II mind. The wind had ceased on the |
earth. but the upper sky was wild. with |
vapors over the moon. which had |
lust arisen. At last I saw ahead a light in |
| window. and we reached a small house
He pulled me TO the door. flung 1t open.
md then Edward Wellman was gone. and |
IN old man stood upon the threshold. well |
coming me warmly. though with a certain |
gravity. l would have gone back to search |
or Wellman but the old man assured me |
hat he knew him; that he was safe and |
n spite Of my fear and lack Of understand
ng I was strangely pacifled.
Il entered the house and found II a rude |
tut comfortable dwelling with even a GER
ain degree OF wild luxury and signs which |
made me sure that my host was man Of
uture who had lived in his day. There
vas large room. hung with skins and car
eted with them, but intermingIed with
hese woodland spoils. which might have
zen in any hunters lodge were books and
are art treasures. which told their story
f the old solitary who dwet there. He lis
ened to my excited tale quietly and babe
ne walt until the next morning in re-
ponse to my entreaties that he should ac-
ompany me to the scene of the disaster
nd rescue IL possible the unfortunate fam
y. And he spoke with strange authority.
Thich convinced me against my reason.
II remained with him that night, and
lept heavily on a luxurious pile of frrs, |
nd the next morning. after a breakfast
which the old man cooked himself with the
kill of long practice. we set out and re-
raced the road which had travelled in
UGH mad race that night before. We
anne to the eite of the farmhouse. and
here was no evidence of any house there.
ardly brick remained OF the old chin
ey. And the cellar was overgrown with
overs and weeds. being jungle of FROST
d golden rod. sumach and wild vines. with
large apple tree springing in the midst.
II remained with the solitary old man
ntil the following day. was too shaken
18th what had passed to proceed at once
n my journey. and he told me IN the
purse OF the day something with regard
Abel Goodspeed and his sons. who had
we'd in the old house. They were men who
ad dared to face with question and cavil
nose higher forces which surround US. AL
Tough orderly In their lives. being guilty
[ none of the usual sins of the flesh. they
ere. he said. spiritual rebels against the
rovidence of the Almighty, and had ex-
ted fear and horror among all who knew
lem by their biasphemies. But the girl.
lie old mans only daughter. was. he said.
good as an angel. They had all per-
he'd when the house fell In an autumnal