Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-12-23

! men became tne rage. MI. Marg0tSOn
is always looking out for something
new, so he says to me, 'Dupuy, let's
have few statues of naval officers of
history. Do you remember any"
'Sure! said l, there's Villeneuve and
st. Page and Quit talking French,
] said Mr.. Margotson. What about
John Paul Jones and Nelson?' So
set to work and made replicas of
them. The one of Jones was fair, but
the Nelson statue was first-rate / did
1T all from his portraits, and there he
stands in the gallery with one arm
and one eye, and everybody who
comes in recognizes him at once And
that brings me to the point"
"Ah, you've had trouble with Mel
SON. cried Brodsky.
Mon dieu!" said Dupuy, lapsing
into his native tongue as he wiped his
forehead, hes trying to murder me-"
The man broke off and eyed us fur
lively. had long learned to keep
guard over my face, but incredulity
was in my heart AS for the doctor,
he said nothing, and the man contin-
| ued:
1T must have been a week ago that
| the first thing happened. l was adjust
| ing the scabbard of his sword-we use
| real swords in our scabbards-and the
point flew through and went right into
my wrist-just missed a large artery.
Look"
He held his hand up for our inspec-
ton. There was a ragged cut, half
healed. along the base of the hand.
And I'll swea, that the figure
pushed the sword through the scab-
bard-pushed it violently, for it cut
clear through the leather But | didn't
| catch on just then. Then, four days
| afterward, as | was passing it, the
, thing flew from its pedestal and keeled
me over. My head just missed the iron
radiator by two inches. And tell you,
it didn't fall, it fairly threw itself at
me-
What does Mr.. Margotson say to
that? asked Brodsky.
HE laughs" answered Dupuy. 81
asked him to let me melt It up today,
come. Yesterday. when was passing
by, felt all at once the most peculiar
sensation of sleepiness come over me-
l remember stopping and passing my
hand over my forehead; an instant
later my wife's voice seemed to ring
in my ears. Paul, wake up for Gods
sake!' she cried. l opened my eyes
and was standing in front of the wax
figure, with the naked sword in my
hand. pointing at my heart. And yet
| have no memory of it all. But when
looked up the face was leering at
me-"
"A figure of wax" began incredu-
lously.
Then the man shot his final bolt,
which he had kept in reserve, with
all the dramatic power of his race.
1T isn't wax" he screamed, and fell
to shaking from head to foot
''What?" | cried
Its turning into flesh and blood,
sir"
What does Margotson say to that"
He laughs at me. / don't know
what to do. I've half a mind to melt it
and let Margotson discharge me; and
yet l have my wife to think of, and
there's no demand for such men as me,
the business having fallen off so. And
If I stay there, one day the thing will
kill me-"
Enough" said Brodsky We'll go
here at once. Can we get in?"
Il have the key" answered the
Frenchman, putting on his hat
We three left the house together.
We caught a car on the main road,
which ran past us one block away, and,
half an hour later, stepped out at the
entrance to the waxworks theater.
which stood in what was now the
heart of the business section of the
city, and was, In consequence, almost |
deserted at this hour of the |
evening. Our companion pulled out |
a key and opened a side door. We |
went up into great hall. round which |
were ranged statues of celebrities. life |
size figures of strikingly human as
pect.
And yet" unused Brodsky, stopping |
to regard a group of cleverly arranged
heroes of our civil war, the men who |
erect these think they have nothing
more than the external shells. How
ignorant they are of the psychic quail
les of their actions, Indeed, what do
hey dream of anything beyond the
Yet this gallery is almost
a breeding ground of souls. Who can
measure what influences such beings
draw down to them? Well, at least
no evilspirit would be attracted hither
among these men who offered up their
ives for their country"
Dupuy led the way toward an end of
he great hall. Here saw a group of
figures attired in Georgian dress, eyi.
fently Nelson would be found among
-hese. One of them, however. seemed
'ingulariy incongruous and out of
place. 1t was a short. thick-set man i'm
he costume of mechanic of today. II
seemed to move; started: then dis
covered that it was living man.
Mr. Margotson," cried Dupuy in
confusion.