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

he had met him; but he was positive
did not seem to be long ago nor far
aWay-he had been face to face with
that crouehing miscreant, whose evil
passions g1ared angrify 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
We're bursting from their sockets. He
saw the man draw long knife and
feel its edge; he saw devilish lust and
murder glare more ferceIy Ia 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, nournfully
/ 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 IS the cabin
stood in a whirlwind Of flame; and
| then he fell over on his face in a dead
faint.
The sun was up when he recovered,
and his clothes were wet with dew.
At first he could recollect nothing;
| there was a dull ache in his head, and
his ears rang. Then he sprang to his
feet.
They've been murdered" he cried,
'tand stood here without the power
to help them!"
He turned, but no cabin stood III the
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. No, no, mol" he exclaimed TT
was no dream! | was awake saw
Christ. What did see?"
He g1ared 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 a body lying in nearby hoi-
low, where perhaps roothouse had
once stood. It was an immense relief
to discover that he was not alone,
though he had some fear that it might
prove a gris1y relic of what he had
seen.
'sPshaw," he said, speaking aloud to
give himself courage, fits some poor
devil who got lost as I did; or it's a
prospector in the blankets. Hello,
there! Do you intend to sleep all day?
The body stirred, and moan came
What's the matter?" Everett con-
tinued, running forward. aAre 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 moment
Everett recognized him. He was a Mr..
Latimer, 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?.
Latimer moaned, and his arm
dropped to his side, exposing q white
and contorted countenance. lined with
years. There was an ugly snar1 on
the lips, and Everett started.
THE young man. he gasped,
hoarsely. 'tThe murderer! My God!
it was this face! Age cannot change
it!p
Latimer began to humble, and
Everett held his breath, but no articu-
late words came. Then, slowly, as
Everett kne1t motionless beside thu
sleeper and gazed upon the death-White
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
ever the countenanee; 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 Eyerett's countenance
flashed with increased detestation. For
some time the two remained motion
less, and then a strong shudder seized |
the kneeling man, and he rose weakly |
to his feet and staggered away. The
light Of reason was In his eyes again,
and a feeling of awe was upon him.
IT see it all" he said "God In |
heaven, I see it all! / lived in that |
devils mind-T heard his dream! 1t |
cannot be otherwise. That hypnotic |
soul created again the phantasm OF |
what was once true; and it drew me
into its spectral world He-he has
done this thing, and there is no pun
for him. No punishment, and |
no one knows of it but he and T!'-san
Francisco Argonaut
Drove of Bulls