The Elbert County tribune., 1906-10-04
l|l3 IN Nl1l X

| after / had breakfasted | was allowed
the freedom Of the halls, the large
room at the front, and the library,
| which contained works perhaps
known only to few private libraries
| In the world.
spent the forenoon searching
among these strange volumes. some
in Russian, French and Italian. others
in English and German, few In
! cipher.
l was SO absorbed in reading this
strange story that many hours pass
ed like minutes, and luncheon was
announced while l was yet immersed
in my perusal Dinner was served in
the same manner as breakfast.
| The afternoon was passed in the
| same manner as the earlier day, and
| the more searched among the
| library shelves the E,ore bewildered
| | became Charts. drawings. maps.
notes. manuscripts and many strange
| writings were found. all bearing upon
| the same subject, Russia, or the kin.
dred subject. Siberia, and from what
| | learned of that country and its
| merciless and monstrous institutions
only 'embittered me against 1t, for
inferred that the outside world knew
| little OF that vast area of ice and
blood. known as Siberia. having only
had access to such books as were au-
| thorized by the government itself
So intensely interested was | In the
pursuit of these strange papers that
| failed to look without. and was only
aroused to a sense of my surroundings
by heavy rumbling Of thunder, AMI
the flash of lightning which shot
through the Stats Of the closed shut
ters. filing the room with its intense
light, and the old easements shook
in their fastenings.
AS night approached. the violence
of the storm increased. the air seem
ed charged with electricity, and the
wind, bowling among the pines filled
me with a sense of dread, and paus.
ed as l closed the great oaken door,
fleeing from the fury of the tempest
to the lonely halls and chambers of
the old house, over which I knew
some terrible mystery presided.
AS l re-entered the dimly lighted
room the windows ratified and the
sound of the tempest followed me.
l threw myself upon the couch and
vainiy tried to solve the mystery of
this old house; to anticipate what the
future would reveal; what awful deeds
the members of this Order contem-
plated. or had experienced. I dreaded
the part l had assumed in casting IN
my lot with body of men, of whose
purposes l had but a vague idea.
knew only by inference that some ter
rible, some powerful and undying en-
nifty toward the Russian government
had brought these men-I had no
idea of their number-together.
also knew, by inference, that these
men were unlike the red-handed nj
hilists or anarchists. both in person
and in deed.
AS thus reflected was interrupted
by Sista, who came to announce din
ner.
The hall was dimly lighted, as or
the evening before, by swinging
lamp. and when l entered the dining
room, it was deserted, save for TIL,
mute-like lad, who stood silently at
my left to attend me. He never al
lowed me to ask for anything, uut
seemed to anticipate my wants. which
he supplied in his mute, mechanical
manner.
His presence in that lonely room,
annoyed me, and secretly hoped he
would withdraw; but at the same
time determined to display no curt.
osity by any sign or words with this
creature. who neither laughed or
talked, whose expression seemed
ever frozen and changeless.
| FASTENED to finish my meal that
might be rid of the sphinx-like pres
ence.
The night was intensely dark and
the wind ragged with unabated vio-
lence. The lightning flashed through
the bleached bones of the old skele.
ton. bringing out its hideous outlines
in CHASTITY distinctness. and illumin:ng
the horrible pictures upon the walls,
until the weird figures seemed as If
they would spring from the canvas
hurried from the room, and ignor-
eng the movements of the servant who
would have preceded me. | passed
through a long hallway to the front
room. AS | entered / heard a noise
within-not the noise of the storm
nor the moan of the wind-but human
voices in conversation.
These voices proceeded from the
corner of the room. and as / walked
boldly through the open door, was
shocked at the sight of the old wom-
an, who lay as If dead. upon tho
lounge. The blood had left her face,
and the withered. wrinkled skin was
drawn and death-like. The great
sunken eyes stared fixedly-at moth
ing. Her long. bony hands we're lock-
ed together across her thin wasted
breast. and all life seemed to have
departed from her shrunken body.
har sidn cfnnd Nraldorx.a Ii