The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-30
Being the Chronicles of
Carlton Clarke, Telepatho-Detective,
Solver of Criminal Mysteries.

Then my prison house began TO stir
with jerky motion. From the fitting
judged ii was being rolled up an in
cline. At length il stopped and from
the rays that sifted in through the
crevices l knew that i was in a bril-
llantly lighted apartment. Around me
could hear the movements of hurry
ing figures.
One of these came close to my
prison house. I heard an order given
in short, quick tones. An aperture BEG
fore my eyes shot open and blaze of
light for the moment blinded me.
L looked and L saw semi-circle OF
cowled and shrouded figures seated
about the same altar which we had
seen on entering the hall. / counted
thirteen of them. Before the altar
walked a towering figure of Mephisto-
pheles with flashing black eyes, point
ed, out-turning imperial and ebony,
buffalo-horn mustaches and forelock
of black hair that waved in unison with
the nodding red cocks feather of his
cowl as he walked. He looked as II
he had just stepped from the comic
opera boards, but / felt that the stage
was set for some terrible tragedy in
which we were the audience AMI
might shortly become the victims.
Then with leisurely stride the count,
for l surmised that it was he. walked
down before me.
"Ah. Mons Clarke" he said. You
will from your little cage have a fine
view of the initiation
Clarke then was beside me in a con-
trivance similar to my own. 1 was
mentally thankful for his propinquity,
though he was as helpless as myself.
But at once the full force of the
fiend's' devilish plans struck me. This
then was the revenge of the wolf. pa
tiently built in nine years of waiting,
backed by unlimited wealth and some
dark order of which he no doubt was
the head and the controlling spirit.
Thaida, l could not doubt but that IL
was she, was to undergo some terrible
rite. what | knew not. Clarke, his
hands upon weapons he was powerless
to use, must stand impotent and see.
The broken marconigrams, were they
also a lure? And the spy won over,
was he also but playing his part to
lead us into the trap and then steal
away our sole mode of escape. the
launch? Had Clarke, with his marvel
Gus prescience. foreseen all TINS and
had he some latent power. some well
devised move 10 checkmate his enemy
in the desperate game? | trusted him.
vet my brain reeled at the puzzle.
The count left us and returned TO
his position. The ceremony what
ever it was. seemed about TO begin
From out of the shadow of the grotto
came a figure clad all in white.
] looked. Yes. it was Thaida-
She seemed even more beautiful
than in the brief period when | had
before seen her. Her robes chung TO
the graceful outlines of her willowy
form. Her black hair was coiled tight
" into a crown about her beautifully
shaped head and in IT'S tresses one red
rose. matching perfectly the coral OF
her lips, was the only bit of color.
Proudly she walked. and Hypatia be-
fore the monks of Cecil was not love-
lier nor more disdainful of her execu-
TONERS.
She took her place calmly before the
center of the semicircle. The count
approached her and. taking her hand.
touched it TO his lips with a tri-
umphant smile. She offered no show
of resistance. Hhad she steeled herself
to submit meekly to whatever be in
store for her? Then ensued some rit-
ualistic gibberish Of which ! could not
catch the import. during which each
member of the semicircle seized what
looked TO be a chalice from the altar
and beat upon il with a short stick.
30. Lucifer. Star of the Morning. an
swer thou unto the conjuration of the
Four and say if il is thy will that this
maiden become a faithful Palladist IN
thy service" This the count intoned in
a solemn voice.
From somewhere in the roof came
the answer in hollow reverberating
tones:
1T is my will"
"Then come. thou art mine." said the
count as with outstretched arms he
advanced toward Thaida. She stood
disdainfully erect as he neared her and
I trembled to see such loneliness pro-
famed by his unholy touch.
His arms we're just about TO fold her
in their embrace when my straining
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