The Washington herald., 1908-06-14

spite from the torture of the sun. There
is a very black cloud overhead now
Those little harmless sprites have woven
II. OF a sudden the silence is broken by
the jabber of myriad insects and reptiles
along the shore. like the chatter Of walt
ing thousands i'm an amphitheater-'Ipp
coax coaX"-then the alligatOfs begin TO
below in the swamps. and down in the
lake, under the becllmed boat From far
away on the cattle ranges comes a low
ing sound with a note of fear in it. The
beasts have smelled out the angel of de-
struction which has been loosed in the
land. 1t comes through a narrow path in
the forest-an icy breath rushing through
the heat-bendlng down the tree tops as
though giant was forcing his way
through them. The long pennons Of the
palm trees stream out for q moment.
then it leaves them and Tushes across
the lake, so quickly that Il hardly licks
the water into foam. The insect chorus,
which had ceased with alarming abrupt
ness, begins again, but more quavering:
they are asking each other who will be
taken, who VIII be left? The man IN
the boat was the last created thing to
feel that something was wrong His
sense Of OmnipotenCe is not so easily
conquered; but he feels disturbed as he
looks back and notes how the specter
has grown 1t is twirling upward, and
yet Siding toward him. He hears a
sound Ike the tap Of a drum-the first
beat OF a tom-tom at some mysterious
rites OF demon worship He suddenly
feels lonely, as though the powers or
whom he had leaned had forsakcn him
and left him TO be the sport OF the crea-
lures Of darkness. Everything in front
Of him is still clear and sunny, but his
past is rising up behind him. At the
sound Of the thunder the clatter of in
sects ceased again. but the moan Of the
cattle comes louder. He looks back fear
fully at the Specter. IL has linked itself
up with the cloud overhead, and they are
dancing toward him across the water,
hand in hand. The surface. as it comes.
is broken up and lashed into foam. as
though by water devils sporting in front
OF II TO see the fun. In a moment the
man feels very weak and smIH, a fly
speck on the face Of the universe. The
angel Of destruction VIII pass over him
I'm a moment, and nothing of him will
remain but the thoughts he has thought
He watches the waterspout too hyp-
Noticed even 20 lower the sail As he
watches a fame cOrkscrews down the
advancing column of water. there comes
a clap OF thunder. and the broken water
spout is dashed against him by the
whirlwind. That mlrrored lake is now a
tumble Of frantic water. on which his
boat sometimes appears on the TOD OF a
wave. His world is falling 10 pieces
around him in ferociOus crashes. When
II seems as though nature had done its
worst. still greater forces are loosed-
louder thunder. more binding lightning.
crueler hurricane. He feels smaller
and smaller; the cities men have built
shrink 20 ant heaps, existing by suffer
ance. He wonders how men have ever
dared 10 patronize the gods. who WELD
such weapons as are thrashing him now
And because he has acknowledged his
nOthingnesS. and lost his egotism he is
perhaps, allowed 10 be hurled, limp. but
alive, onto the shore which was his des-
tination.
Lady Kitty and her mother returned
70 Donoyle from Paris on the Monday.
on Wednesday night there was 10 be
a dinner party at the castle Lady Do
noyle always gave "a series Of dinner par
ties 20 ''the quality who inhabited tha,
end Of the county when she returned
after a long absence. As this party was
20 formally announce the engagement of
her daughter TO Vandraken. she hoped
the people would overlook the fact that
she was IN mourning.
Her mothers influence. the absence
Of Vandraken, the materialism Of life
in Paris. having blotted out from LADY
Kitty's mind the unpleasant impression
of Vandraken which had fastened on IT,
she had decided 20 announce the engage
ment. even going so far as 20 advertise
I in Paris for a courier maid for the
| honeymoon
After interviews with several. she had
finally selected a young woman with a
neat figure. whose intelligence impressed
her more than any Of the other appli-
cants. The wOman's hair was very dark
/ her lips paler than her clear skin would
indicate as natural. She had wonderful
1 knowledge Of all the cities in Europe. and
the only drawback Lady Kitty could no
tiCe was that she had weak eyes. reuuir-
ing glasses; and even this she assured
: her mistress, was only a temporary
trouble.
= was the evening OF the dinner party
and Lady Kitty had lain down in her
room 10 rest between afternoon tea and
the dressing gong. She may have been
asleep, and dreamed. or II may have beer
a tTancelike vision sent 10 her as a
NdA AAll4bs Dul Slt saw ner wedding DAY
hour by hour-as vlvidly as though il
were taking place at the moment: The
| procession up the aisle Of the ancient
/ chapel, the names of her ancestors on the
stones over which she walked: for be-
meath every fagstone slept a Poher. anC
above her head their lanCes were cOucheC
| In the rafters. They seemed TO rise VI
| from the stones-pIctured as they were
| on the walls OF the castle-to try TO ban
/ her passage TO the altar steps. But she
/ made her way through them to where hel
afIianced husband stood, smiling triumph
ant welcome
As she came up to him she saw the
anguished face Of Fabian Dare He, too
Ike her spectral ancestors. seemed to be
waving her back; but some stronger
/ force urged her forward. and she heard
every word Of the marriage service II
the bishops solemn voice
Then came the moment when she went
up 70 her room TO put on her traveling
| dress leaving the guests laughing in the
hall below, handing about the rice anC
the ball slippers.
Nandraken accompanied her down the
corridor. and stood for a moment al The
| door OF her room. He opened the door
for her. and she entered. The maid wa.
standing near by-her back was turned.
Their her husbands voice called 10 her
/ in tones shrill with fear, 20 come out
As he did 80 the maid laughed softly a!
| she slammed the door. and locked It. Sh,
could hear him beating on it with hi.
| hands and calling for help. Again III,
maid laughed, but now she turned round
/ Her face was changed-the glasses wer,
gone, and eyes which were alive will
evil looked into her own. She tried tC
| shut her eyes, but some force held then
| open. compelled them 10 look into tn,
glittering things In front Of her They
! seemed to her like the eyeholes of Z
/ stereopticon. looking through which al
manner Of horrible pictures succeeded
one another like a kaleidoscope gone mad
She sank to the floor, and the woman