The Butler weekly times., 1909-12-23

I
pictures make me squirm."
81 see," said the detective. 1T is
outrageous"
Ford Harvey mopped his brow In
relief and a folded paper fell from
his handkerchief. The detective
smoothed II out.
Il presume this is the LADY," he
asked
YES" said Ford Harvey very seri.
ously.
Let me ask you some questions"
said the detective. Are you married
to Mrs. Harvey?"
Harvey winked. "She is using my
name"
Had the woman OF the portrait any
relatives?"
81 really don't think she ever spoke
OF any" said Harvey.
That makes II more difficult. You
are not Spiritualist?"
Il should say not" denied Harvey
scornfully.
From what you tell me, can offer
you two suggestions as to a possible
solution, Either Mrs. Harvey is for
some reason annoying you in this
way, or there is a psychical agent,
Accept either solution that you think
| best"
Harvey looked wild, Perhaps il is
as you say. shall watch Avis: and
you. too, keep an eve on her"
The rest OF the voyage was not
agreeable for Ford Harvey or the
blond woman. AS soon as she was
able to go on deck he neglected her,
though always he watched her, and
this made her uneasy. She did not
seem able to grasp the situation She
laughed louder. did her hair more
elaborately, and put more rouge on
her face. One day he caught her
staring intently at one of the increas.
ing deluge of pictures. They had got.
ten on her nerves, too, besides ma.
king her jealous of the dead girl.
There was sharp quarrel, in which
the woman was vio'ent and their WAYS
parted. For time the pictures
stopped and his eyes looked less like
a hunted rabbits.
In Paris they began again. Every
mail brought him postcards which
were copies of her picture. He fled
terrified, the pictures pursuing him
all over Europe. In the heart of the
5lack Forest a woman suddenly
crossed the road He thought her
strangely like Lisa. In the most OBJ
scure inns he stopped Lisa's face was
at the top OF menu cards. In Rome he
met Perreau again. Together they
visited cathedrals. Beggars offered
to sell him Lisa's pictures. Cigarette
venders sold him boxes from which
she smiled. He was no longer his old
complacent self, and his hair was
quite white now. When she looked
down at him pityingly from wayside
shrine one afternoon he was almost at
bay.
He sailed for America. On the boat
home he kept to his cabin, and with
Perreau poured over volumes of ori.
entail mysticism. With a medium ON
board he arranged a seance. The
cabin was darkened and the medium
bound. Harvey lay like dead man.
The words came muttered and then
the message rang out:
Your suffering is not greater than
mine. Go to North mountain. October
IL, and my last word shall be spoken"
The man drew long breath and
the medium left in a dazed condition.
One beautiful afternoon in October
some tourists on the road below
watched lonely traveller wind his
dizzy way around the mountain pass
far above them. They watched him
appear aUd disappear until they could
see him no more. He rode to where
the mountain was bald and the scurb
oaks were low. Boulders dislodged
by recent rain blocked the narrow
way. Finally he passed to where n
was no longer possible for the animal
to advance. He dismounted. but be.
Tore his shaky hands could fasten the
burro to the underbrush II was scram,
bling down the mountain. His eyes
followed 1t grimly till he could see Il
no more and he continued his painful
way. Forced to rest often by the
steepness of the incline, he looked al.
ways to the top Of the mountain.
When he achieved the summit he felt
exultant. He lay there and waited
for what he had come this long tired
way. The little clouds that were
capering about him and below meant
nothing to him. The serene blue of
the sky was lost to him and he did
not even look into the hazy peaks Oh
beyond.
While he was on the mountain ton
he prayed. "All powerful" he said
Il have been wicRed. have laughed
But laugh no more"
Then he buried his head In his arms
and cried. When he looked up there
was faint glow over the fartbest
peak where the sun had set. And the
night was near. He sat and wearily
waited for the darkness to come. but
the terror Of his last days had van.
ished. He was unafraid.
Then from out Of the blackness
across the chasm flashed out in fire
| iao'o .ifon,,u v,sktS..r