The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-12-30
awed on the celllnr above ann.

AANA 1-sA AAat tdDIAdn ht-
tween his teeth, pressing his ear to
the broken panes. There Is treas
ure hidden there-perhaps gold,
perhaps just then the man in
side gave a loyful grunt.
He lifted an iron box from the
hole he had been digging. There
was no KEY in the lock, but at his
touch the cover few open. and out
poured the contents-blue, green
and gold, ike glittering rush Of
water broken beneath the sun.
The cabby's heart stopped beat
ing Diamonds" he cried softly.
Then he grasped at the window
ledge, for the creature gave a howl
Of anguish.
"Good God. They give no Light
And the echoes Chattered back: NO
light. No light"
There was a long silence. The
huddle on the floor rocked 10 and
fro, his face buried in MS thin
hands.
The moon had sunk, and the sky
was clear a. dark glass. 4 cock
crowed somewhere in the east. At
that sound the wretched figure rais-
ed It's head. Opposite him was
door with a fan shaped transon
over II, and as he looked il grew
gray and then rosy. Some one wss
coming. Now even the cabman
could hear the light creak Of steps.
Nearer they came. nearer. The door
opened, and a little figure peeped
into the room-the little figure Of
woman, shriyeled and very old.
The man by the fireplace sprang
up. As the woman's ewes met that
ghastly face she gave a CRY. "Ju-
dssw she screamed, Judas" Then
she tottered and slid in a heap at
his feet lie kicked at her, but she
only lay there, gib5ering; What do
you want? What do YOU vant?"
AT last he answered her.
1T was black, 1t choked me
it was so dsrk-oh, so dark. Ihave
come back for the light they prom
ised me They said | should find it
here; that without it nv soul will
be blind-blind! Do you hear me,
Help me find i'll As you we're my
wife, help me find il"
The woman crawled to her knees,
her eyes raised TO his, and the ter
rifed csbman, watching through
the window, saw that the kerchief
folded across her bosom was bright
as if lamp gloEed behind il.
The other man saw it, too, and
his white claws shot out, burying
themselves in her breast. When he
had finished be held in his stained
and dripping hands the voman's
heart II quivered. like the bruised
human thing Il was. but the light
shining from il never wavered,
lighting the hollow OF the mans
hand and the hollow Of the grest
room. hi> face and his loose, white
lips smiling widely, and the pit Of
his throat, that was black as the
gate Of hell; lighting, too, the tum-
bled, trampled body and the star
dust Of spilled diamonds.
He paused an instant, he whose
name was that Of the dead. Then
be turned and bounded toward the
window There was a smash of
glass, and the cabman felt those
.meared fingers at his own neck.
Vow take me back where | came
rom. BE quick. or else He did
lot finish his threat.
The cabby gave a sick gulp, as il
lis throat were full Of paste. Then
le was dragged over the ground and
lung into the seat Of his cab. The
.reature sprang after him, grinding
him against the dashboard with its
pony knees, where the poor cabby
lung, frantic with terror. as they
led, pounded, flew down the road.
When the cabman opened his eyes
Igain there was a great burst Of sun
hine. Above his head shone the
deep as the core of a sap
,hire, and far away he could see the
,lue haze of the city streaked with
,ray plumes of smoke. In the grass
ay his shattered cab, and high over
lis head, its pesrly summit seeming
'lunged in the eternal azure, rose
marble shaft. On il were carved
hese words: "To Judas Withers.
Erected by his loving wife"
The letters we're Of gold, but the !
morning sun had touched them into
rords Of fre.-Julie Closson kenly
n San Francisco Arponaut-