New-York tribune., 1907-11-24
THE GRINNING GOD
C5ErEas1 tyv1. ssEs Z

this impulse came again, Str01s-- han ever
that sense OF personal danger o. -.vself-ths
feeling that had possessed me ever nee en-
tered the house.
CROPPED my way through the -EneSS 70
the top OF the stairs, then my han -ln along
a wall till | came 20 an open tr.-. I stood
there a moment undecided whe-ha- -1 iuveSt-
gate further OF 70 retrace my step was On
the point OF going back down the AIRS, but
the flare Of a candle almost in nv - stopped
ME. The old man held the candle lading L
with his left hand. from which o. .1retnger
was missing. The waverIng lSl gave the
withered old face Il strangely DR. q expres-
sion
He was within three feet ot . gazing
straight into my face. and Vet 7 Il I knew.
he didn't see me IL occurred % III zen then
that II was the FIRST time | had SEE us EYES.
They We're white and CLASSY | do
not know. For one moment he Il there
staring then passing me enter ne room
beyond. where he put down the c-- fOE
lowed hum into the rC1T- as a mot .7llOwS
flame. IL was the light. think. @ -red ne
in Here once for AL I would ma, end Of
the thing The old man, still uoi~. Y, went
out the door by which he had red. of
through the darSueSS-Somcwhe-, he door
swung 70. Like a mailman spr .orwari
and shot the bolt. l don't know
q" I felt Gagged Whatever was o. ne, Was
% come here, IL was an intuition 81 -r0ngy
upon me than the sense of danger. q down
on a clean little bed and stared -htfuIy
At the single door,-that only u save
by one OF two small windows wh--- --agTned
overlooked the yard I examine -evolver
carefully Every chamber waS io-- and the
cylinder whirled easily. Wen -- 5od. ]
waited. What for 1 don't know
The candle burned with a -lt. IN
wdvering flame. while | crouche- On the
bed for a long time. The grunb.c he thun-
der was growing faint and TAR out the
ram SwIShed against the window sheets
Here was a vigil. II seemed and -g one
for sleep seemed hOpeleSSlV out OF Question
despite the InSIStent drowSIueSS r- l--Stlon-
| wondered If the candle would last ughout
the night. IL was not Vet half burr slzed
AZ II with certain returning aSSur-
ance; and Is gazed II tlICkerei. up sud
denly, and went out.
Il don't know what happen sac
might have been ten minutes later might
have been halt a dozen hours, vine. -ugIny
choking fumes of smoke arouse NY
lungs We're bursting for AR I Str.- .l up On
the bed. and was instantly cons. ot the
cracking sound OF burning VIZ. t1e.
The house was on FIRE | ruShe. -rd the
bolted door. u find the flames .Lr. eating
through the thin panels. and htt.r -'aSieS
Shut out ~ me. l Wa cut on from ~itiIS,
From there l. one of the ltt au1Ws'
The glow Tar out through the r-lu me n
Stantlv that the structure We ne
glanced downward. SinuouS fork 5eloS
me, on each side Of me. above uc .re Vas
nothing 10 do but Jump. / had u-.. 1IIlent
10 decide. | drew in my breath pulled
myself upon the ledge
And then again heard that Far
across the open field WHERE the glow ON the
blaze dimmrd off into the Sh4l.s | saw
family misty white figure with etched
arms fleeing toward the forest Y l- -ehind
the floating white figure. and uea-- % me.
Well within the range of the tlrehg-- The o9
man was following. Even ~ the r-nee
could see that his chm dropped upo- chest
and his hands claSped behind his ba Thai
was all | saw.
The next instant l had jumped
found myself IN NY automobile .,umins
along a smooth. hard road that led though
forest. IL WAS not familiar. and l don snow
IN what direction l was headed. ua- dlt II
matter then SO long is | got away from those
things behind. NV ankle was br1SeG my
clothing torn and burned in spots, 4ad my
head throbhing with pain
Then found myself IT what seemed 70 DC
a street III a small city. \ faint. rosy lue was
JuSt tingIng the eastern Skv- Houses o. rght
and lett of ME We're closed fOrbiddingv. but
JuSt ahead was the solitary figure OF man,
walking slowly along. swinging u stick ran
the automobile alongside him. shouting some
SenSeleSS question. then fell forward tAInting-
MY last recollection was of shutting of, powef
When | recovered consciousness II was 70
nnd myself upon - cot IN a strange roum- per