Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-27


shadow. and fortunately at that moment
Leo having decided that the room was
more comfortable than the corridor. re-en-
tered the apartment, and Beatrice Instantly
closed the door and turned the key, feel
ing more at ease now that an inch Of oak
interposed between herself and the object
at the stair head
|. But now came another terrori
Leo mad taken his place on the hearth rug
Mhere ne remained quiet for q few minutes.
6i1e' suddenly. he began to grow FESTIVE.
Giving low growl he started to his feet
and after looking about on all sides began
10 walk around the room, shifting SUSPECT
ously at the floor. as If he expected danger
the staircase above.
Ills Investigations concluded. the poor
prute sat down on his launches, and. lift
ing up MS head. gave utterance to one long
ana plaintive howl And If ever dog utter.
ca prophecy Leo uttered 1t at that moment.
ana the tenor of his prediction was that
some dire peril was at hand.
fr 6eat rice who had followed the animal
lron one part of the room to another, re-
peating Leo, Leo, what's the matter?' as
IL ne were capable of speech, kneIt by his
sac ana found him auivering in every limb,
IIark!
A gust Of wind. more forcible than any
mat mad preceded it, slammed the staircase
window with loud bang. shiverine its
diamond panes; and-more ALARMING still
-tnis accident was accompanied by sound
iike the fall of some light object.
the ea ati h doubted not for moment that
was now coming down the staircase
NOR did she err. A second bump told her
that the thing had rolled over one STAIR
"A third fall ensued, and then a fourth.
These sounds did not follow instantaneous
ly one upon another. but there was between
each distinct pause. suggestive Of the
luea mat the skull was endowed with a
vontion and motion of its own; as IT, in
iact. 1t were choosing its way, and descend
ing at leisure.
Awaiting the issue Beatrice sat the very
picture of terror. her hands clasped her
dilated eyes riveted on the door of the apart
ment 1t seemed many minutes since the
Skull had begun its descent, though, per-
haps, fifteen seconds had scarcely elapsed.
FINALLY, the lowest stair was reached, and
the skull. pitching forward, rolled up to the
door of the apartment, as if seeking admit
| lance.
AT it's dread knock the walls and floor OF
the room seemed to tremble. The lights in
the gasalier went out, leaving the chamber
| in semi-darkness. The dying embers of the
| fire, Pickering strangely and unsteadiIy
caused weird shapes to spring up from floor
| to ceiling.
At the same time vibratory motion was
communicated to Beatrice's person. She
found herself oscillating to and fro, unable
| to check herself. A mysterious power grasp
ed her ankles with unseen fingers and
strove to elevate her in air.
Fully believing that her last hour had
come Beatrice gave one long pealing cry. in
She was shot violently forward noise
| like the rattle produced by thousand fall
| ing plates rang in her ears, and tumbling
headlong to the carpet she lost all con-
sciopsness.
When Beatrice next opened her eyes she
found herself lying on the sofa with three
persons standing beside her: Godfrey was
| sprinkling her face and throat with cold
water: the housemaid was applying a bottle
of strong salts nnStrilS. and 1driS
was holding candle, the feeble light of
which he strove to steady by shielding it
with his hand. The windows and door were
wide open, and the cool night air was blow
| ing through the room, laden with faint
odor of escaped gas.
Beatrice gave feeble smile of recogni-
| ton, and then gazed vacantly around the
| apartment, unable at first to recall what
| had preceded the present state of affairs.
The room presented scene of confusion.
| All the pictures hung awry, the ornaments
Of the mantel had fallen and lay, some
shattered to pieces, within the fireplace;
/ fragments of one of the gasalier globes
starred the carpet; the doors of the DOCK
| case were open, and many of the volumes
had been projected from their shelves to
| the floor. On the table was the Viking s
| skull, the cause, in some mysterious way,
| of all this disorder; at least, such was Beat
! rice's opinion.
II have been horribly frightenedT she
| said. as soon as she had recovered the use
| Of speech.
And we'll you might be!' replied Idris.
Godfrey and had just reached the door,
when the house shook to its foundations
| and out went all the lights. BY heaven!
| thought the place was coming down. We
| have had an earthquake shock.
| But the imaginative mind or Beatrice
still under the spell Of 1.-THE Fair Oriental
| ist." was not prepared to accept this ra-
| tional explanation
EARTHQUAKES don't happen IN England
| she declared.
"Slight shocks occasionally occur here.
| said Idrs, land the present one is case In
! point Why" he added, observing Beat
| rice's dissentient shake of her head, what
| else could 1t have been!
II cannot say she answered. shivering,
| and glancng at the Vikings skull. but
| this much / know, that long before the
| frightened by strange sounds coming from
| the head of the staircase Where the Skull
was and SO-and So
And here Beatrice paused, not knowing
| how to express to others That winch was
| not very clear to herself.
"And so you began to think that the
! skull was talking and threatening you
18th mystic oracIes? File, Trixie, said her
brother reprovingly. 1 uio iiol ehihA Sou
could be so foolish"
Rut perceiving that it would be useless at
this juncture to try 10 reason ner OUT OF
her belief. such process being best reserved
FOR the sober light of morning, Godfrey
turned to give some orders to the house
maid. A.,
Hal exclaimed IQrlS, PichinS up ehe
novel from the floor, 80 you have been
reading this? Then I don't wonder that
YOU have been frightened. The Fair
Orientalst' is not a book to be read at
night in lonely house
IT will not deny that the book frightened
me. but what was it that frightened Leo?
He cannot read ghost stories, and yet he
howled piteously."
"Probably with that provision instructive
| In the brute race he discerned the coming
| of this catastrophe. lore
Beatrice, having now recovered herself,
proposed a tour of the house with view of
ascertaining how much damage had been
done.
The walls did not exhibit any cracks or
tissues, and apparently were as sound as
before. but on the floor of every room
| proofs of the recent earth-tremor were evil
dent in the shape of fallen articles.
Breakage was especially triumphant in
| the kitchen.
"Ah met sighed Beatrice. sorrowfully.'
Goodbye to my new tea service! And my
pretty majolica bread plate gone too!
Nothing will convince me that this is not
the work of the Viking. When he was alive
I have no doubt that. being a heather, he
took pleasure in staying good Christian
folk: and now that he is dead he shows his
malignity by destroying their crockery
ware A noble Viking one would think