The Washington times., 1910-05-21
CHAPTER X.
The Face at the Window.


PRESENTLY. and none too soon for
sore strained nerves, We came out
| into an open space before the old home
stead and stopped, by mutual consent,
stockstill. in the mold Of ancient flower
beds.
We were then distant from the house
some thirty or forty feet.
II was stately, imposing old place,
In its Way-a distinctly Southern and.
indeed, gulf coast way. have observed
"a style OF architecture confined 70 such
localities exclusively.
one would have thought that the resi-
dents lived In fear Of foods: and per-
haps such is the case. For the lower
moor, and that only, was OF brick and
adobe. the bulk Of the main walls being
OF adobe, and the supporting pillars
| for the wide veranda above being Of
brick, solidly built. This floor. OF base
Dent was completely dark.
Above, the edifice WIS Of two stories,
with an attic. all of W BOD, and on each
floor, extending $50 far as I could dc-
termlne) all around the four sides Of
the house. were broad, spacious We
i randas with laticed balustradeS and pill
lars in the form OF Ionic columns
Of which had once been painted white.
| but now was crusted with mold and
| CRIME, festooned with creeperE, and
what paint remained was taking and
peeling of
From the veranda Of the first floor a
: broad flight of wooden steps led 70 the
ground, and these were rotted and sadly
| broken, caved-in IN spots.
! The doorway was a blot OF blackness
| as were all the windows. which We're
| French" SC called, running from the
ceiling TO the veEanda-all black save
and except one
And that one-the one nearest the
corner on the extreme left-Was the
window from which shone the green
( lamp
We two grown men. clutching each
It'll
burning there. a brass student lamp Of
! old pattern, with shade OF green,
whose rays streamed out upon the
piazza boldly.
shall not forget in many years.
Within there was room whose depth
we could not. estimate, receding as II did
| into gloom and ooscurity- What was
visible Of the walls was cracked, and.
/ like everything else about the place,
deeply encrusted with Wildew.
Directly in front Of the window there
was a desk, iat-topped and laden with
papers and books; and / remember see
ing a black valiSe, trimmed with nickel,
such as physicians carry. on one corner
/ The green lamp stood upon this desk.
/ and in chair BY its side. Profile toward
/ US, sat hgure-a form. shape, mani
festation. hallucinatiOn: but ngUre-
/ The head at first was bowed forward.
a the head OF a man studying. the
green rays fell upon shock OF silver
/ hair and shoulders clothed in shabby,
/ Seam-worn black. OF the face there
k was lite visible but a thin, hooked
| nose beneath shaggy white eyebrows,
and thin lips compressed above rag
I ged gray beard
| The Thing whatever II was, was writ
| ing, apparently the right arm rested
/ upon the table, the hand holding a pen
| and travelling 10 and fro over a sheet
/ OF paper. once the hand was raised. as
/ when one dips into his ink-poJ, and Il
/ seemed a very claw OF bones through
/ which the light penetrated.
/ I am telling this exactly as We saw
Il, Faraday and 1. The details are sub
/ stantiaHy correct. for We compared
notes afterward. and agreed in ali par
| ticulars.
NV own eyes are quite keen. and
Faraday had thoughtfully. and un-
| luckily for his subsequent peace OF
/ mind, provided himself with a pair OF
! eXtra-strensth spectacles. which he
wore by night, or when absolutely OBJ
| iiged 70 read.
Thus we twain stood, rooted in tn,
/ deep mold as though We wished %
l grow there, breathing with labor, star
| ing and hless-(FascinaLed2 On
struck mOtiOnless with fear?)-fOr 9
/ space OF some minutes. while the ThinE
| continued its performance.
Faraday's hand was cold and damn
within my grasp, and the roof OF my
/ mouth had gone dry and hot, while the
1 hairs upon my head bristIed Ike unto
| the quilts Of the frstful porcupine Fear
/ dumb fear. was upon me. 7 can laugh
| at IL now. but then Il was most resi
! and moving 70 both OF US
| Abruptly the terror within him vrr7Ine
| a groan from Farsday, and then came
| the hideOus change.
The Thing Strengthened suddenly IN
/ its chair throwing back fits head. The
| claw hand went 10 its throat, convul.
/ sively
The face turned full toward the win
/ dow and was very horrible, twitchine
| stricken lips that strove vainIy "a
| speak.
The moon hid its face in a. black ve,r
/ and an owl whimpered in the distance
/ TO be followed by the far bowling OF :
! fool dog. Where before the window
/ had been bright with the eerie lfsyht now
\ was solid darkness: the picture OF the
\ Thing was wiped out as a scnool bow
swabs drawing from his sIste with q
| sponge.
Thereupon we went away with much
swiftness.
Faraday I can blame for being the
! first TO desert missed him suddenly
] from my side, and, reaching out into
| the gloom. could not find him nor hear
! the rasD OF his breath
! Instantaneousiy the underb-7lsl
| crashed and protested behind me, and
| knew that he was going back to keer
an engagement with Zeb on the Besi
| Gallant.
] ] did not wait I did not care TO STAY
| any longer, now that the curtain Wa
| rung down; whether or not there was
1 TO be another act was a matter Of NJ
/ interest to me.
| I galloped and cavorted madly through
! the woodland, laundering into trees and
| bushes. tripping over the crawlInc
creepers, blindly dashing through lush
! grasses.
I ran more by the sense OF feel, with
| hands outstretched before me to guard
my face, and by the sound Of the de-
| parting Faraday, who was in no los.
] haste than myself
/ What maniac fear rode upon my
shoulders, whispering in I2y startled