Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05
ever leave It? And the world was still
sweet TO him. His quick, darting gaze


sweet TO him. His quick. darting gaze
registered dozen impressions in as many
seconds-of the silver splendor spilled %
lavishly upon the soulless corpse Of the
city, OF the high. bright sky, of dead
black shadows sharp-edged against the
radiance, Of the f1eet-flitting specter that
was really a flying fox =
Affair hyena laughed with sardonie
information wholly uncalled fort was
blood-curdling. besides. And down the
street melancholy air breathed gently
signing like a soul astray.s
This won't do he told himself: 'tt
can't be worse inside than out here
He took firm hold of his reason and
went on across the dark threshold. took
three uncertain strides into the limitless
unknown and pulled up short. hearing
nothing, unable to see a yard before him
Then with terrific crash like thunder
clap the great doors swung to behind
him. He whirled about with a stifled
cry. conscious OF a mad desire to find the
doors again, took a step or two toward
them. paused to wonder II he We're NOV
ing in the right direction. moved little
to the left, half turned and was lost. Re-
verberating. the echoes OF the crash
rolled far away and back again. dimin-
fishing In volume. dying until they were
no more than as whisper adrift In the
silence, until that was gone. -
Profound night enveloped him. vast
breathess, without dimensions. One car
endure the blackness that abides within
four well kenned walls; but night unre-
lieved by the least CLEAN of light, night
without bounds or measurements. enfold-
ing one like a sitting blanket and in
shilling into the brain the fear of name
less things. ouickening the respiration
and depressing the heart-that is an
other thing entirely, and that is what
Amber found in the Temple Of the Bell
Darkness swan visibly before his eyes,
like a fluid The sound of his constrained
breathing seemed most loud and I'M
natural. He could hear his heart rum
bling like a distant drum.
Digging his nails into his palms, he
waited and in the suspense Of dread be-
gan to count the seconds
One minute two - three
He shifted his weight from one foot to
Seven
He passed a hand across his face and
brought 1t away wet with perspiration.
In some remote spot a bell began to
toll; at first slowly-clang! clang!
clang!-then more quickly. until the
roar of it's sonorous, gonglike tones
seemed to fill all the world and to set 1t
a-tremble. Then, insensibly, the tempo
became more sedate. the fierce clamor OF
it moderated. and Amber abruptly was
alive to the fact that the bell was speak
ing-that It's voice. deep, clear. sound,
metallic, was rolling forth again and
again a question couched in purest San
skirt:
who is there? Who is there?
= = Who is there? ="
The hair lifted on his scalp and he
swallowed hard in the effort to answer:
but the lie stuck in his throat-he was
not Rutton and and 1t Is very hard
to lie effectively when you stand in stark
darkness with mouth dry as dust and
your hair stirring at the roots because
of the intensely impersonal and aloof ac-
cents OF an inhuman Bell-voice, tolling
away out of Nowhere.
WHO is there?"
Again he failed to answer. Somewhere
near him he heard a slight noise as of a
man moving impatiently. and then whis-
per. Respond. thou fool!
Art thou come, 0, Chosen Of the Gate