The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-03-18

Il end of the GLADE, and thither the cir
hurried, while Everett followed slowly
! behind her. she left the door open
/ and the bright freight which tWinklet
and beckoned into the night sent
/ glow of pleasure with it.
i lie did not shout again. for BIZ
thought that the girl would send some
one to him. AS he approached, he
found the house to be a rude. TWO
roomed log-cabin; through the oper
/ doorway he could see the dirt floor
/ the rough furniture, and rude walls;
but no one was in sight.
@Her people must be out in the
woods" he thought, 4and she's alone
| here. Jove, l see now! I've fright
ened her out Of her senses. Hello
miss" he continued, aloud, as he
papped on the rude decreasing you
| needn't fear me. I'm a tourist-an
artist-and / was out sketching when
| I got lost. I can pay for my enter
| tainment. IF am unWelcome, I'll just
get my directions from you and go on .
| There was no reply; the inner door
remained shut 'HPshaw,a he contin-
| ued, impatiently, don't be foolish!
I'm cold, and l intend to come in by
the fire, whether you invite me or not.
] can't stay out in the woods all night. 2
He suited his action to his words, and
entered the cabin.
Everett was a strong man, modern
and material, and not given to melan-
choIia nor dreams. Nevertheless, a
deep, unaccountable shuddering seized
him, and cold chill ran through his
nerves; his hair tingIed, and he cast
frightened glance behind him. He
mastered his emotions at once, and
went to the wide fireplace. where big
blaze roared up the chimney. Drawing
a chair to the hearth, he sat down and
warmed himself. The inner door re-
NAMED shut, and after a moment he
arose and raped.
Are you there?" he asked. Come,
come; don't be foolish. This is no
way to treat a stranger
He listened a moment, but no reply
came. Then the same low voice be-
gan singing again:
abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me
abide
! Everett uttered an impatient ex-
c1amation, and ratified the door.
Are you crazy?" he shouted. Then
he gave a start, and again the cold
shiver ran through him. That's it, -
he muttered, stepping back, that must
be it. What pity! How hard it must
be on her people No it's not!"
He went slowly toward the outer door.
IF she were insane they wouldn't
leave her alone. Something is wrong
here; I'm sure of it,
He stood in the doorway and looked
out into the glade. Already it was
dark, and the clear sky tWink1ed with
stars. When his eyes became accus-
toned to the night, he could see quite
plainly, and in a moment he faneied
that dark figure stole by in the
shadow of the trees.
Hello he cried. anybody there?''
A low voice responded voice SO
low and distant that il seemed to float
up from the bottom of the gu1ch.
Minnie" it called. aO-o-h, Min
nie!''
eyes, papa answered the girls
voice. Everett started and whirled
around. Surely the girl was in her
room; and yet the answer came from
somewhere to the right of the house.
There must be another door, he
thought. why, of course there is.
The girl has been trying to mystify
me; I see it all now; she's been
Laughing at me-"
He felt immensely relieved when he
reached this conclusion, for, despite
himself, a strange fear had been tug
ging at his heart Now the half-mys-
terry had resolved itself into a young
girls frolic, and so amused did he feel
over his late fears that he laughed
aloud as he went down the glade. The
girl, he could see, was walking on
ahead of him, and presently she joined
her father, and together they came up
the path.
EVerett's smile faded as he neared
them, but he stopped and barred his
head
You see an intruder he began,
who must beg your hospitality for the
night. My name is Martin Ev-''
He stopped suddenly, and once more
an icy chill ran through his nerves.
He stood face to face with the own
ers of the cabin. They were shadowy
and unreal in the dusk. but Everett
could see that the man was old and
bent, with long, white hair and gray
beard, and that he was dressed in some
rough and uncouth garb. But it was
the eyes that caught Everett's atten-
ton and sent the shiver of horror
through him. They seemed to CLEAN
with q phosphorescent radiance, and |
their expression was gray and lifeless
They were not human eyes; they were |
without intelligence.
Still struggling with his terror, Ev-
erett turned toward the girl, only to
meet the glitter of another pair of |
ayes that burned into his very soul. /
He started back with an inarticu1ate /
cry. and the father and daughter
passed him and went on into the |
cabin. I
Everett sat Imply upon the ground, /
strong fit of shuddering seized him, I
and he