The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1908-11-17
The Story That CuredHis Wife
BY c. a. Stearns
,copyright. by shorlstory Pub. Coz
BY c. A. Stearns

that state of melanchola which Is the
first stage of insanity Nothing could
rouse her from her dull. listlcss brood
ing The surgeon OF the post, OF course.
advised complete change OF scene; but
that was out OF the question.
While pondering deeply on this ur.
gent problem. chance word sug-
gested to the colonel desperate eN.
pedient Would it succeed? Might
not the remedy prove more dangerous
than the disease? Anything. he felt,
would be better than that alarming
lethargy.
Seating himself by his wiic's couch.
he with difficulty secured her wan
dcring attention, and this is the story
he told:
At the close Of hot, sultry after
noon. threatening thunderstorm.
young lieutenant Of engineers. in
charge OF government surveying
party, had gone on some distance in
advance OF his men to select n camp
ing place for the night Emerging
from the forest, he entered a glade OF
considerable size, bounded on one side
by a perpendicular ledge of rock. 10
or 20 feet In height. Following the
ledge. he came upon a decaying log
cabin, built against the rock.
Startled by the loneliness of this
wreck OF human shelter In the dense
wilderness. the lieutenant pushed open
the door. hung ON wooden pins. which
creaked dismally as it sjiniy yielded.
The esrthen floor was Uttered with
fragments of the broken roof and a
few rusty cooking utensils
As the young engineer stood there
gazing around the mouldering ruin, he
wondered vaguely why he should care
TO waste moment in such desolate
and uninvlting spot. Yet he could not
make up his mind to go The daylight
seemed to fade away, and was re
placed by strange, dull, yellow.sh
glare. Several times he resolved tC
leave. but still he stayed. In little
while he felt n sensation Of numbness
d his feet. His eyelids grew heavy
and drowsiness stole over him. bring
ing with Il the terrible paralysis o.
nightmare. He felt that he could moi
move II he tried--and he dared not try
Just then a distant shout came e
his ears. II drew nearer and nearer
and the surveyors, crossing the glade
in search of him, reached the opeI
door, hanging on one of its pegs. With
feet as heavy as lead he stepped owe
it's threshold and almost with effusloi
| greeted Sergt. Lawson. the hardest
headed man In the party, who came III
first. The sergeant stared at him anC
into the gloomy hut. and fingered
looking curiously after the lieutenant
an with ever-lightening feet he led th'
men away from the cabin to a camp
ing spot at some distance.
When camp was pitched the lieuten
ant gave orders that the men shoul,
be walked and camp broken at hall
past three in the morning, for lonl
march before breakfast in the COO
Of the day. AS they sat about the fir,
after supper, enjoying a short smok
before turning in, the lieutenant coul,
not keep his thoughts from the de
serted cabin and his strange eXper
ence there Pointing with his pipe
stem. he said to Lawson;
Queer old shack over there
The sergeant nodded and continue
to look at him steadily with such a
expression that the officer felt impelle
to relate what had happened to hin
Again Lawson nodded. Knocked til
ashes from his own pipe and said:
Il went I'm myself and had exactl
the same sensations"
Each continued to look steadily int
the others face. They were men {
action, not words. At length the llel
tenant said:
There's a moon for an hour bcfor
daylight. and on hours sleep won't i
missed-cven il we can sleep Whf
do you say TO an exploration of III
ruined cabin before We march,"
1t was so agreed.
When they stood again in the moo
light before the old hut half burle
in its mossy shrOud, an unaccOuntab
depression crept over them, like
miasmatlc fog. Entering silently. the
sat down on the bench, and locke
about as their eyes became accu
toned to the darkness.
At that moment they were startlC
by an awful sight. At the point amor
, the logs OF the rear wall where n
, lieutenant had noticed the charrc
J. streaks. straight. dagger-shaped da
. OF flame shot downward toward Il
I. floor and remained there qulyerin
9 Then a second flashed and wavered b
, side the first. They gave out luri
!. sulphurous light, like flames Sc,
q through a dense fog or smoke. Ra
!. idly this smoky light. pouring throul
, the crevices. shaped itself. until the
q appeared before them, nebulOus b
. distinct. n towering form in the SCI
q blance of humanity. 1t s1erued TO glo
:. with fiercest heat, yet. far from giviI
- warmth, 1t only added to the death
!. chill. As the lieutenant saw that fei
n full shape, solidifying out Of the fie
!. vapor, he was assailed by an unreaso
ing, Overwhelming, unconquerab