Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-04-20
Ihe SorCerer
Of St. Giles
CHAPTER ix.-(continued).
By PROF. WILLIAM II. PECK.

Trick or SOSla, as ne appeared III the
closet! That was no phantom--no!
for the fellow had wrist of iron,
hand of steel, and skilled with the
sword, such as could belong only to
Zeno Sosia, l wonder he had kept his
old strength of hand and cunning OF
fence SO well. wonder more how he
contrived SO perfectly to assume the
appearance of the young gentleman,
the first man | ever killed. That's.
why the face has haunted me ever
since. ! used to speak to Sosia of how
| was haunted, and he said 1T would
pass off after a time. 1t never has.
Sosia knew it, and so used the fact to
escape from the closet. Bah! he
sprang from the frying pan into the
fire, l may say, for if there is any
truth in what the parsons say, his
soul is in fire now, though his body
died in water"
Here Bashfort CHANGED to cast his
eyes upward, exactly toward where
Clarence was concealed.
The young man was lying upon
beam, and his body was wholly con
cealed from Bashfort's view; nor did
the light of Bashfort's torch shine
upon the young mans face; but the
rays of the rising moon did.
These rays streaming broadly
through hole in the dismantlar roof,
painted Clarence's pale face with a
CHASTITY, ghostly hue, as the eyes of
Bashfort fell suddenly upon it.
The hairs of the ruffian's head bris-
tied with an awful terror as this phan-
tom-like face glared down upon him.
Clarence, imagining that a struggle
for life with the savage was at hand,
glared hate, rage and defiance down.
but moved not a muscle of his.face or
form.
Bashfort could see only the face;
and that with the terrible glare of its
motionless eyes, appalled, his soul with
that cowardly horror of which he had
just spoken.
"The phantom face again!' he gasp
ed, letting fall the bundle of faggots
he was at the moment holding under
his left arm. "The face of the man
killed at York! IT'S no trick of the
sorcerer now---for the sorcerer is
dead! Away, phantom face! He who
made me murder you is dead-in the
well there-go haunt him! / was
young, and he tempted me to do the
deed--nay. my life was in his power
he forced me to do the deed Ibid it
to save my own life from the hang
mani"
Thus gasped the burly ruffian, his
teeth chattering with terror, his joints
growing weak under his weight until
he sank slowly down upon his knees;
his dilated eyes fixed upon the pallid
face which seemed to hang in air.
Away! Haunt me no more! know
not harm it! gave it to Zeno Sosia
i know not what the sorcerer did with
the boy-I fled from him not long.
after gave the child to him! Away!
Haunt me no more! am sorry for
the deed-5aye it was cruel one
"Bashfort! Neil Bashfort!" thun-
dered a voice far away, and from the
lower part OF the building.
1t was the voice of Lord Genlis, who
began to be impatient with the long
absence of his henchman; and at this
moment dense and dark cloud shut
out the moonbeams and the face of
Clarence became instantly invisible to
Bashfort.
Black darkness is where it vast
is gone!' muttered the terrified man,
staring wildly for an instant into the
darkness of the mass of beams above;
and snatching up his torch, which had
fallen from his trembling hands, he
fled from the room in the corridor,
shouting, ia reply to his master:
Aye, my lord, l am coming!a
And growing to himself as he ran:
Curses seize the phantom face!
Will never be free from it? Thrice
today have | seen ton the cliff as. /
dreamed. in the sorcerer's trick of the
closet, and now amid the rafters!
would the accused sorcerer had never
put that deed upon my soul!'
Clarence was greatly relieved by
Bashfort's sudden departure, though
ne remained Tor several minutes as
notionless in his concealment as he
had been while the affrighted gaze Of
the ruffiap was upon him.
1.-THE fellow saw me- he mused.
sand yet 1t was plain that he took me
for 9 ghost the ghost of some one
whom he murdered at York more than
twenty years agoand by Zeno Sosia,s
command! Now, my face must be
wonderfully like the face Of the muir
dered man to twice terrify and deceive
this scoundrel whose visage generally
speaks only of reckless and merciless
daring as harsh, stubborn, savage
and resolute q yisage as ever saw.
must know more of the fellow. Per
haps / may win from him some clue by
which IN time may solve. the mystery
OF my parentage. Was the man whom
this rascal murdered my father? Am
I the infant he stole from the MUIR
dered man and gave to Zeno Sosia?
Perhaps: but Of All this i Will think
hereafter. The business now before
me, and most imperative, is first to
4 find and then To rescue Helen Reai-