El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-11

The window gave little or no light,
and the door was closed, her grinning
grandson leaning against it Imply.
The witch began by reading the
fortune of John Tull1s, who had been
pushed forward by the wide eyed
prince. In a cackling monotone she
rambled through a supposititious his
tory Of his past, for the chief part
so unintelIigible that even he could
not gainsay the statements. Later
she bent her piercing eyes upon the
prince and refused to read his future.
shrilly asserting that she had not the
courage to tell what might befall the
little ruler, all the while muttering
something about the two little princes
who had died in a tower ages and ages
ago. Seeing that the boy was fright
ened. Tullis withdrew him to the back
ground. The Countess Marlanx came
next She was smiling deriSively-
''You have returned from some one
whom you hate" began the witch
''He is your husband You will marry
again. There is a fair haired man in
love with you. You are in love with
him 1 can see trouble
But the countess deliberately turned
away from the table, her cheeks fam
ing with the consciousness that a smile
had swept the circle behind her grace
full back.
"Ridiculousr she said and avoided
John TulliS' gaze Il don't care TO
| hear any more. Come. baronl You are
next"
Truxton King, subdued and troubled
in his mind. found himself studying
his surroundings and the people who
went so far to make them interesting
His eye had fallen upon crack in the
door that led to the kitchen, although
he had no means of knowing that it
was q kitchen To his amaZement,
cleaning eye was looking out upon the
room from beyond this narrow crack.
He looked long and found that he was
not mistaken. There WAS an eye glued
close to the opposite side of the rickety
door. and its gaze was directed to the
Countess Marlanx.
Without pausing TO consider the re-
suit of his action. he sprang across the
room. shouting as he did SO that there
Was a man behind the door GraSping
the latch. he threw the door wide open.
the others in the room looking at him
as if he were suddenly crazed-
There was instant connection, with
cries and EXPLANATIONS from ALL Quick
as the others were. the old woman
was at his side before them, snarling
with rage. Her talonlike fingers sunk
into his arm, and her gaze went dart
ing about the room in most convinc
ing way.
Baron Dangloss was convinced that
the young man had seen the eye. With
out conjunction he began search Of
the room. the old woman looking on
with grin of glee.
Search. Search" she croaked. 1T
was the spirit eyei 1t is looking at
you now. my fine baroni 1t finds you,
yet cannot be found. No. no! Oh. you
foolsl Get OUT Get out, All of you!
Prince or no prince, | fear you not,
nor all your armies. This is my home,
my castle! Go, Cor
There was man here, old woman"
said the baron cooIly. Where is the
man.
She laughed aloud, q horrid sound
The prince clutched Tullis by the leg
In terror.
There is no window, no trapdoor.
no skylight." remarked the baron, puz7
zled. Nothing but the stovepipe, six
inches in diameter A man couldn't
crawl out through that, I'm sure. Mr..
King, we've come upon a real mys-
tery-the eye without a visible body"
Suddenly the old woman stepped into
the middle Of the room and began to
wave her hands IN a mysterious man
Ter over an empty pot that stood on
the floor in front of the stove. Then
before their startled eyes thin film
OF smoke began 10 rise from the empty
pot 1t grew in volume until the room
was quite dense with it, Even more
quickly than 1t began it disappeared,
drawn apparently by some supernat-
ural agency into the draft of the stove
and out through the rickety chimney
pipe.
deafening crash as of many guns
came to their ears from the outside
With one accord the entire party rush
ed to the outer door. a wild laugh from
the bag pursuing them.
''Therep she screamed .HThere goes
all there was of him. And so shall we
all go some day Fire and smoker
Just outside the door stood Lieuten-
ant Saffo Of the guard.
Good Lord y, shouted TnlliS ssMhat