The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-10

creasing in force, were the things
which influenced him. But his efforts
at applying reason to his state were
fruitless He felt an irrepressible tre
NOR pervade his frame and upon his
! heart sat the very incubus of cause
less alarm.
| He sat up in bed nd peered earnest
| ly into the utter gloom of his apart
ment and listened-he could not tell
why he listened or what he expected
to hear But he did hear now certain
low and indefinite rounds. which came
at long intervals through the pauses
OF the storm-whence he could not
guess. An intense sense of horror, IN
endurable and unaccountable, took pos
session of him. He arose hastily and
dressing, began to pace rapidly to and
fro through the room He had taken
but few turns in this manner when
he heard step upon an adjoining stair
case. He recognized it as that of Rod
erick Usher Roderick entered the
room bearing lamp. There was mad
hilarity in his eyes, a restrained hys-
terra in his whole demeanor. He stared
at his friend for a few moments in
silence and then cried. Have you seen
it?" Saying this he carefully screened
| the lamp, went to a window and threw
| 1t open. The gust which swept into
the room nearly lifted them off their
feet.
1t was singularly wild, yet beauti-
full night-sternly beautiful and wildly
| singular in its terror and beauty. A
whirlwind had apparently collected its
forces in the vicinity, for the great
rushes of air came first from one d.
rectfon and then from another. These
frequent and violent alterations and
the excessive density of the clouds
which hung so low they actually touch
ed the turrets of the house, did not
prevent a perception of the fact that
these clouds were careering from all
points against each other with lifelike
velocity, but not passing away into tho
distance. There was no glimpse of
moon or star nor was there any flash
ing of lightning. But the under sur
faces of these huge, agitated masses
of vapor, as well as all terrestrial OBJ
jects about were in the unnatural light
of family glowing, but distinctly WIS.,
ible, gaseous vapor, or exhalation.
which seemed to hang about and en-
shroud the mansion. Was it the aura
of the falling House of Usher-that
condensation of vapor which Roderick
said had been going on for centuries
to influence the destinies of his racei
The friend dragged Roderick back from
the easement and closed it. These ap-
| pearances," said he, ARE electrical phe-
| nomena not uncommon, or 1t may be they
have their origin in the rank miasma Of
the tarn. SIT down, pray. Here is one of
your favorite romances. I will read to
| you and SO we will pass this terrible night
| together" The volume which he caught
| up at random was that antique fantasy of
| Sir Launcelot Canning, 1.-The Mad Trist."
The friend had seized the book with an
idea that the mad folly which he might
read In it would bring relief to the now
agitated hypochondriac, for the history Of
mental disorders in full Of such anom-
| allies. Usher listened to the wild tale
with a strained, eager air of vivacity I'M
| til tho reader came to the part where
Ethelred' kills the dragon. The words of
| the sentence were And Tthelred lifted
up his mace and struck the head of the
dragon. which fell dead before him and
gave up his pesky breath with shrek so
horrid and harsh and withal so piercing.
that Ethelred had never heard the like
| thereof before
At this point the reader paused abrupt
| ly, for he heard, distinctly heard, with a
feeling of Wild amazement. low and ap-
parently distant. harsh. protracted