Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-05-10
CHAPTER XXI.


tudes Of a Persian In the Cellars
Of the Opera-The Persian's Mar
rative.
It was the first time that entered
the house on the lake. l had often
begged the "trap-door lover" as We
used to call Erik in my country. to
open its mysterious doors to me. He
always refused. l made very many
attempts, but in vain, to obtain ad-
mittance. Watch him as might.
after first learned that he had taken
up his permanent abode at the opera,
the darkness was always too thick to
enable me to see how he worked the
door in the wall on the lake. One
day. when l thought myself alone. 1
stepped into the boat and rowed to-
ward that part of the wall through
which l had seen Erik disappear. 1t
was then that l came into contact
with the siren who guarded the ap-
proach and whose charm was very
nearly fatal to me.
had no sooner put on from the
bank than the silence amid which
floated on the water was disturbed by
q sort of whispered singing that how
cred all around me. 1t was half
breath. half music; 1t rose softly from
the waters of the lake; and was sur
rounded by 1t through I knew not
what artifice. 1t followed me, moved
with me and was so soft that 1t did
not alarm me. On the contrary, in
my longing to approach the source of
that sweet and enticing harmony, 1
leaned out of my little boat over the
water, for there was no doubt in my
mind that the singing came from the
water itself. BY this time. was
alone In the boat in the middle of the
lake: the voice-for 1t was now dis
tinctly a voice-was beside me. on
the water. l leaned over, leaned still
farther. The lake was perfectly calm,
and a moonbeam that passed through
the air hole in the Rue Scribe showed
which was smooth and black as ink.
| shook my ears to get rid OF posi-
BILE humming: but l soon had to &C.
cept the fact that there was no hum
ming in the ears so harmonious as
the singing whisper that followed and
now attracted me.
Had I been inclined to superstition.
[ should have certainly thought that l
had to do with some siren whose bus
mess 1t was to confound the traveller
who should venture on the waters of
the house on the lake. Fortunately. l
too fond Of fantastic things not to
know them through and through; and
[ had no doubt but that l was face to
face with some new invention CT
Erik's. But this invention was SO per-
feet that, az l leaned out OF the boat,
I was impelled less by desire to
discover its trick than to enjoy its
charm; and I leaned out, leaned out
until l almost overturned the boat.
Suddenly, two monstrous arms is
sued from the bosom Of the waters
and seized me by the neck. dragging
me down to the depths with irresisti-
bic force. should certainly have
been lost, II had not time to give q
cry by which Erik knew me. For it
was he; and, instead of drowning me,
as was certainly his first intention.
he swan with me and laid me gently
on the bank:
"How imprudent you are!" he said.
as he stood before me. dripping with
water. why try to enter my house?
| never invited you! don't want you
there, nor anybody! Did you save
my life only to make it unbearable to
me? However great the service you
rendered him. Erik may end by for
getting it; and you know that nothing
can restrain Erik, not even Erik him
SELF"
He spoke, but I had now no other
wish than to know what l already
called the trick Of the siren. He sat
lsfied my curiosity, for Erik. who is a
real monster-I have seen him at
work in Persia, alas-is also, in GER
tain respects, regular child, vain
and self-conceited, and there ia moth
Ing he loves so much. after astonish-
Ing people, as to prove all the really
miraculous ingenuity of his mind.
He laughed and showed me long
reed.
Its the silliest trick you ever saw"
he said, but it's very useful for
breathing and singing in the water.
I learned 1t from the Tonkin pirates.
who are able to remain hidden for
hours in the beds of the rivers"
spoke to him severely.
ITS trick that nearly killed mel"
I said. "And it may have been fatal
to others! You know what you prom
ised me, Erik? No more murders!"
Have l really committed muir
ders?" he asked, putting on his most
amiable air.
"Wretched mani" cried. Have
YOU forgotten the rosy hours OF
Mazenderan?"
"Yes," he replied. in sadder tone.
II prefer to forget them. l used to
make the little sultana laugh.
thought"
"All that belongs to the past" ! de-
claied, but there is the present .
and you are responsible to me for the
present, because, If had wished.
there would have been none at all
for you. Remember that. Erik; l
saved your ife!"
And I took advantage of the turn
OF conversation to sneak to him of