The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-21
The
Sable
I.orcha
8ss1oe Ha.sitino


although i knew that she would de.
mand IL ! was unprepared. To gain
tine rather than information I bade
her bs moro explicit.
Everything" she pursued, inclu-
sively. with . peremptory emphasis
which indicated her determine ton not
- b denied.
NY hesitation resulted In somo am.
plihcation on her part. Ghc vas i'm
patient a well a. resolved, and re-
ssnted what she Interpreted a. my ~
luctancs to graify her.
Everything" she repeated. 'Ev.
esything that you have been hiding
from me from the frst. I am entitled
70 know. What about the head that
Wa cut from tho portraiti What was
k that caused The shocks which
brought on Uncle Roberts illness!
Why did you 90 for the mail four
umee today. and sit al the rest Of the
time In Uncle Roberts studyf What
he happened 20 make him worSe
thao afternoonf What A. troubling
you. nowf I'm not . child, I'm .
woman. and I refuse to b kept In ig.
norancs any longer"
She was glorious a. she thus for.
nuiatsd hsr demands. her cheeks
blaxins. her eyes brilliant. her voice
. crsscsudo. She must have seen my
sdniration. Certainly I made no at.
tempt TO hide Il: and before she had
CUTE finished had possessed myself
Of her clasped hands. and was bestow-
ang upon them IN applauding pres.
sure,
And her argument prevailed. She
msw too much not to know more.
Camsron's wishes In the matter could
no longer b regarded. Just how
taceully ] managed the disclosure. Il
- not for me 20 Judge. Perhaps I
told more than I should. Possibly
rvvsalsd too httiA I wss guided sole
u By the wish not to alarm her. un-
duly. And yst. - nearly every Tea
ture of the a6air was of necessity
alarming. n became . vsxins problem
- 10 vhs< 70 include and what 20
emit.
Eventually shs heard the whole
story. svsxy phase oe Il. And 20 it 70
not altoesthsr clear IN my memory
how mscA I conveyed that nisht and
how mech was lsft for me- to add ten
1ayS later.
TAsrs 10 no question. hows~er. n.
SArding that third letter which had
pesu . fnystsfIously received that
day. drew u from the envelope.
there. at the tisbls. and We read Il to.
sethsr. By The Light Of the pink-shad.
ID candles: our chairs touching and
her cool little left hand ciaspsd hard
In my sinswy right.
A spread the sheet that sinister
appearing black daub at the bottom
smots me with . sense Of III 90 acute.
" poignant a. . rapier thrust, and
the heavy. regular. upright chirog.
raphy. with its odd 70 and p's, 20
swssomely familiar. was scarcely less
disturbing.
Silently the girl and I ran through
the dossn lines.
Like its two predecessors tho let.
ter began with the sentence:
That which you have wrought
shall In turn be wrought upon you"
No longer could this be regarded a.
Idle boasting. II had become an edict
OF grave significance. And what fol.
lowed only emphasized tho proven
force behind this series Of singular
communications.
"All having been performed an fore.
told. our power 10 demonstrated"
Then. simply. almost crudely, but
Of horrid poignancy. ran the words:
Know then. that before the morn.
Ing of the Eighth Day hence, as passed
the .see from the portrait. a. IYssod
the reflection from IL '~'-r-
you. physically. will pass ...... -
OF men into torment"
As read my breath caught In my
throat and my pulses paused. Evelyn
pressed closer to my side, and I felt
her shivsr a. with cold. The final
words. solemn. sdmonitory. priest.
like. were these:
Say not Heaven is high above!
Heaven ascends and dsscends about
our desds. daily inspecting us. where
soever We are"
instantly she turned TO me. and !
saw there were tears on her cheeks.
and that her long dark lashes were
wet.
You cannot ten him this. Philip"
she said. her voice low but unfalter-
ing.
NO." ! replied. II cannot tell him.
In his present condition. It might be
fatal"
And now he must get WELL" she
declared. with decision. "He must be
well enough I'm q few days to be
moved. Ho shall not stop In this
house any icnser. He shall go where
he can bo protected. and these fends.
Whnaxar fhav ara nannni nr ,riIl q ~.