The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-25
prank upon the evil Thing. Held my

prank upon the evil Thing. Held my
breath.
Elated to find I owned so wondrously
fertile a brain 1 saw the door open
little by little without a creak. A cur
rent Of liberated air brushed by my
cheek. So real it was, I smiled. The
door swung wider n wider yet, In the
dark I saw it. Verify the sight of a
mailman Is sharp. The wind blew more
chill n strong. 1 saw a CLEAN peep
ing beneath a cloak as from a hid
den lanthorn; l bethought me I would
catch the tiny wanderer from the
floor and hold it in my hand. 1t came
crawling and crawling, on and on,
wavering to my feet. So many times
that night had I manned myself vail
antly to fight a shadow, I only laughed
IN silence and contempt at this.
Behold the folly of a madman's
thought. Yet the creation of it all
gave me exquisite pleasure, as a child
might find delight in some strange toy
from which 1t could call weird shapes
at Will. On 1t moved with a noiseless,
gliding motion: now inside the door,
to me. Now 1t let fall a t1morous blade
OF light along the floor. It reached
thousands body. Its foot struck him.
1t stopped, threw the light full upon
him. Open fell the ~concealing mantle,
showing the barren stones, the corpse,
the CHASTITY upturned face Of the
strangled man.
The 1t was g. woman
dropped to her knees beside him, called
him. felt Of his clalnmy head, and SUI
fered but a single scream Of swift af-
fright to leave her lips. From the I'M
hooded lanthorn burst out a spreading
yellow glow. Her scream awoke me
to a consciousness of reality. From
my own unlocked tongue Of terror
came Its answer. 1 Joined my voice to
hers, defied the hush of slumbering
centuries and filled that uuaking room
with a perfect deluge of reverberating
shrleks. Many others, men, with
cloaks. some having lights, some none.
rushed In behind the woman. From
that time I knew nothing.
awakened from a dreamy languor;
a subtle essence of perfume noated
through my senses. A gentle touch Of
some kindly hand was bathing nv
temples. Fearful lest this sweet illu-
sion vanish with the others, l kept my
eyes firmly closed. INC soon abandoned
myself wholly to the subduing inhu-
ences of natural slumber.
Has he stirred, Florine?"
NO, monsieur, out his head Is cooler
noW-he sleeps, hush! Perhaps an
other day he will be better. How he
raVed through the night. Poor. young
gentleman, he quite exhausted him
self"
All, we'll, Florine, he is young, and
with such nurses as thou and Nan
nette he will Of a surety w
turned my head and smiled a feeble
recognition Of Jerome and Florine. The
other woman I had never seen: she
was much older than Florine and had
a kind. motherly face.
What day is it?"
The morning of Sunday"
IL was Wednesday night when Jer
ONE n l went to the ball.
l looked about me. The odcings
were those l had taken at the Austrian
Arms, yet much changed in little
things. The vase Of flowers there in
the window, the neat-swept hearth,
the cheerful fire, n hat 1ndefnaole
something which gives a touch Of
womanliness to a room. Florine, per-
haps.
Ugh! I am so glad to be here" and
l shuddered at the remembrance of nv
prison and suffering.
Poor DEAR" said the older woman in
a voice full Of sympathy, don't worry;
you are In comfort now, and will soon
be strong again"
= "oAAltCo al lilly Wise / Ill
qu1red, for I knew not the manner of
my coming there.
mo, no, my lad" broke in Jerome's
hearty reinsurance, mot a bit, just worn
and starved out. Truly, boy, you had
a rough adventure. By DDS blood,
ia hate to nave the like! Has he ia
ken n food Florine?
Nothing but h wine, and a sup or
Two Of broth. Here is something for
him now" and she brought me a most
tempting array Of soup, hot vlands and
V1ctuals Of which I feared to eat as T
desired.
Though Florine and Jerome would
not permit me to disturb myself with
vain conversation. yet by din Of Ques-
lions and listening when they talked
apart, thinking I slept. I found how 1t
ana recognized me when I returned to
the gaming room. having left Madame
la Princesse. She knew too, in some
way which l did not learn, hat neither
Broussard nor I had left Bertrand's
tina night. This, though the provost's
men had been searching the city for US
both. She kept her knowledge to her
self. When the turbulence Gained
down somewhat and sentries were
placed to guard the house, she occupied
herself in slipping about looking for
my hiding place. It took but a little
while for her, familiar as she was with
tho house, to find the room where
Broussard and I had taken refuge.
Listening at the door she heard our
angry voices and the scufle within.
This may have been when I was chok-
Ing him. Horrible! horrible!
Continued Next Week.)
Frosting Mirrors.