The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-03-02

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bearded ave 1.-the. and was bent al
most double. His eyes. too. glared
with a prcternatural fire, and there
was an ugly snarl on his face. His
gaze was bent upon the cabin, and he
crept stealthily nearer and nearer.
4 Everett moved back and watched
him; followed slowly, step by step,
with the cold fear in his heart. hut
1mpelled onward by fascinated GU
riosity which he could not resist. The
cabin door still stood open, and as the
occupants of the room moved hither
and thither, their distorted shadows
danced against the walls or out into
the night.
When the man approached the door.
the light fell full upon him, and Ever
EFT gasped and choked. He knew that
man. He was certain of it, and yet
he could not place him; he. could re-
member neither who he was, nor where
he had met him; but he was positive
that some where, some time-and II
did not seem to be long ago nor far
away-he had been face to face with
that crouching miscreant, whose evil
passions glared angrily in the red light
from the fire.
Everett felt his knees knocking to-
gether; his hair seemed to stand on
end, and his eyes ached, as IL they
were bursting. from their sockets. He
saw the man draw a long knife and
feel Its edge; he saw devilish lust and
murder glare more f1ercely in the fire.
lit face; and he tried to cry out. Only
a hoarse rattle in his throat respond-
ed to his will.
Then, within the cabin, the girls
low voice began its old song:
Voice of the night-wind, mournfully
stealing
The murderer uttered a cry and
sprang forward; wild shrek came
from the cabin, and was echoed by
Everett. There was glare of red be-
fore his eyes; it seemed as if the cabin
stood in whirlwind of flame; and
then he fell over on his face in . dead
faint.
The sun was up when he recovered.
and his clothes We're wet with dew.
At first he could recollect nothing;
there was a dull ache in his held, and
his ears rang. Then he sprangsfo his
feet. .@@
They've been murdered!" he cried.
and stood here without the power
to help them!"
He turned, but no cabin stood In this
glade. He sprang forward, and then he
saw, overgrown with grass and rank
weeds. the ruins Of a rough fireplace.
1t was black and scorched, crumbled
and half indistinguishable, but there
could be no doubt that it was the last
relic Of cabin.
Everett cried out and covered his
face. mo, no. MOI" he exclaimed. "It
was no dream! I was awake saw
Christ! What did see?"
He glared about him in uncontroll-
able fright; he shook with spiritual
palsy; and his teeth chartered in his
head. A long pull at his flask brought
him to himself, and he started away
with but one idea-to get out Of that
damnable glade. AS he did so, he per-
ceived body lying in nearby hol-
low, where perhaps roothouse had
once stood. 1t was an immense relief
to discover that he was not alone,
though he had some fear that it might
prove grisly relic of what he had
seen.
"Pshaw." he said, speaking aloud to
give himself courage, cts some poor
devil who got lost as did; or it's a
prospector in the blankets Hello,
there! Do you intend to sleep all day?
The body stirred, and moan came.
whats the matter?" Everett con.
tinued, running forward. care you
sick?''
There was no reply, and when
Everett bent down, he saw that the
man was asleep with an arm over his
face. There was something familiar
about the sleeper, and in q moment
Everett recognized him. He was q Mr..
Lattmer. an old gentleman who was
registered at the hotel. and with whom
he had had several pleasant CONVERSE
lions.
''This is enough to kill him." Ever
EFT thought. How in the world did
he get here?"
| AdlAmcI mOaueQ, ana MS arm
dropped to his side. exposing white
and contorted countenance, lined with
years. There was an ugly snarl on
the lips, and Everett started.
"The young mani" he gasped,
hoarsely. "The murderer! My Cod!
1t was this face! Age cannot change
it,"
Latimer began to humble, and
Everett held his breath, but no articu-
late words came. Then, slowly, as
Everett knelt motionless beside the
sleeper and gazed upon the death-whitc
face, his old eerie horror began to re-
turn upon him; he could not move, nor
speak, nor think. His own personality
seemed to be slipping away from him,
and by imperceptible degrees his face,
too, grew white, and his eyes stared
out with the unseeing life of the-sleep-
walker. A look of adherence spread
over the countcnance; he threw his
hands before him and groaned.
AS Latimer's dream continued. his
face flashed with varying emotions,
brutalized below humanity; and with
every change Everett's countenance