The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-12-09

wood lying in the aSneS. fragments
of laths and plaster and dead leaves
Uttered the floor. The ceiling bellied
like a wind-filled sail. One corner Of
it had given away entirely, and a
wide aperture showed the blaekness
OF the regions above.
AS the match flame dwindled, Tai
bots hound, young Beppo, pressed
against his masters leg, the muscles
across his peaked head wrinkling sus-
piciously.
Talbot gathered several handfuls Of
leaves and laths and heaped them in
the fire place. When these were burn
ing brightly, he looked abont for some
larger pieces of wood to nourish the
blaze. Below the wide break in me
corner a portion of the ceiling hung
down like a platform. He attacked
this with his clasp knife, feeding the
fire with bit at time, while the
growing light gradually brought out
every unwholesome detail of the de-
cay that had fastened upon the room
1t was still sullenly dark above.
however, and Beppo. who had regained
som eof his usual animation with the
growing blaze, seemed to resent the
fact. He stepped gingerly beneath the
hole, and raising an induisitive nose,
inhaled obviously. Then the fretful
line along his spine erected itself
in little ridge.
In spite of himself Talbot experience
ed feeling of irritation. He pushed
the dog away with his foot and look
ed up; but the patch of shadow was
impenetrable. His gaze shifted toward
the wall, and suddenly remained fixed,
held by mark so suggestive that for
moment his heart tripped in its
beating.
A patch of some velvety fungus had
spread it's fine nap over the plaster
In the center of this was what seemed
to be the impression of human
hand. There was the print of the ball
of the thumb and the shallow burrows
where the fingers had lain. A large,
square hand it had been.
Talbot eyed it moment breathless-
ly. Then he stepped nearer. The
blaze in the fireplace fiickered and the
resemblance vanished. 1t was moth
ing but fancy, after all. "Sho!"
breathed Talbot. THAT had me wing
ing!"
He smiled and tossed the lath he
had been cutting into the fire. A sigh
of wind came through the window to
the east. A cabbage palm outside drew
its fans fingeringly along the caves.
The the first fat drops of rain struck
the roof like resonant and measured
taps on drum.
The beat of them quickened as
drummer quickens the movement OF
his sticks until the tattoo blended into
one rolling volume of sound that flied
the ear. 1t made the rotten she'll seem
coy by contrast. Talbot stretched
himself near the fire, his gun by his
side, and pillowed his head on his coat
with a sense of comfort that he had
not felt a moment before.
For some reason, however, he could
not sleep. The last stick in the fire.
place snapped and threw up moment
airy point of fame that sank to a
greenish-red spot of combustion. AL
most Immediately Beppo got up from
his place at his masters feet and
skunk toward the door
Come here, you fool pup!" said Tai
bot.
But the slow pit-pat of the hounds
footsteps did not stop, and Talbot
heard him go out On the veranda.
There was something there within
the four walls of the house besides
himself. AS the conviction broke in
upon him in a rush, Talbot sat up
quickly and swept handful OF the
dried leaves he mad gathered for
mattress upon the embers. AS they
caught fairly and small ruddy blaze
illumined the room, his gaze swept it
instantly. 1t was as empty as before.
With an odd, premonitory feeling of
reluctance, he raised his eyes slowly
until they stared directly at The yawn-
ing hole in the ceiling. Not a muscle
of his body moved; but his breath es-
capped between his teeth in a sharp
little gasp.
A face, with its human likeness
made more terrifying by the vague,
wild-beast body farther in the shadow,
looked down at him with crafty, deep
set eyes, above which the NAKED brows
were set in speculative burrows. 1t
was huge. circular face, with great,
fiat, leathery cheeks. A broken ring of
coarse red hair encircled it. Hair of
the same rusty hue covered the thick
arms down to the hands, which, black
and powerful, clutched the edge OF
the gap.
The mutual scrutiny lasted but
moment. Then Talbot jerked his gun
to his shoulder; but as his finger
crooked on the trigger the little fire
went out.
Although conscious that the ivory
bead was not absolutely on the mark.
he could not restrain his twitching
nerves. The gnn went of with a re-
sounding crash and squirt of flame.