Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-02

table and just between the two windows.
katmiron had been too eagerly expectant
the night before to notice its existence, out
now. being bored, he examined with some
attention.
1t seemed to be really an antique, made
from sort of terra Gotta clay of a shiny
yellow. The color gave 1t a singularly
Chinese appearance, which was intensified
by Its remarkable ugliness. 1t represented
human figure squatting somewhat in the
attitude of a Buddha, with small body
and an enormous head. The eyes were
wrfnkled into mere Sits with laughter,
while the mouth was wide and round like
a tragic mask. The upper half of the face
was comedy, the lower was frozen horror,
and the combination set senSitives nerves
on edge. Undoubtedly 1t was one of the
little gods that are still dug up in con-
siderable numbers along the Aegean, the
work of late Greek worshipers. Usually
they are destroyed in holy horror by the
idol-hating Turks as soon as they appear
above ground, but this one must have fall
len into more appreciative hands.
katmiroff had never seen perfect a
specimen He lifted it, and found 1t lighter
than he would have expected. 1t might be
hollow. for the open mouth showed a deep
dark throat extending indefinitely DOWN
ward. The head was bald; the ears large
and misshapen; between the wrinkled eye
lids there seemed just glimmer of malev-
olent eyes. The uglnesS of the thing was
abnormal; 1t began to act upon Katmiron
with sort Of fascination. He had moth
Ing to read. and as he lounged about the
room, smoking innumerable cigarettes or
looked from the window, he found himself
glancing aside fnvoluntarily to meet the
open-mouthed gaze still fixed upon him.
1t struck him that day spent in the I'M
relieved society of this monstrosity might
drive man insane. He preserved his rea-
son, however, but not his nervous equilib-
rum. which was further disturbed by the
ominous non-arrival of his expected con-
federates. When night fell and candles
We're brought the presence of the yellow
divinity had become so obnoxious that lie
was obliged to turn his back to it. He did
not like to order 1t taken away, for little
things are great in the east and he was
afraid of being suspected of Moslem preju-
dices. This night he waited as fruitlessly
as the night before, and at o'clock in the
morning he threw himself, dressed, upon
the bed, frritated by the perilous delay and
half sickened by the number of cigarettes
he had feverishly consumed.
When he awoke next morning his eye fell
at once with fatal fascination upon the
shelf between the windows, and he sat up
with jerk. The night before the yellow
god had stood looking across the room, at
right angles to the bed. Now it was turn
ed half about, so that its twinkling eyes
and staring mouth faced full at his pillow.
Like most Russians, Katmiroff had
deep streak of superstition, and this phe-
nomenon gave him what he would have
called a "frisson." The door had been lock-
ed; the windows were ten feet above the
ground. He got up and inspected the
statue, but its enigmatical face continued
to leer lifelessly at his perplexity.
Katmrof was annoyed at his own ner-
vousness, but he was unable to overcome 1t.
During the forenoon he yelled the deity
with a sheet from the bed, but this pro-
duced so CHASTITY an effect that he took it
off again. He sat down resolutely and tried
to think-with the assistance of tobacco.
Every five minutes he went to the window
and looked at the dusty road and the olive
trees, though he did not really expect any
one by daylight. And as often as he re-
sumed his seat an irresistible fascination
forced him to glance hurriedly at the yell
low image, to see if 1t had moved again.
But IL remained motionless.
Once he stepped back hurriedly from the
window, thinking he saw a face he knew.
But no one came to seek him, and the de-
lay became hourly more incomprehensible
and dangerous At dark he was still wait
ing; he had meditated to little effect; the
floor was strewn with cigarette ends and
the yellow god gazed through blue mist.
He resolved to wait no longer than that
one night. He did not know what might