Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-03-26
But ne respects me:

him that I could only despise him If
he did not. then and there. give me
my liberty he offered 1t
he offered to show me the
mysterious road Only = .
only he rose. too and | was
made to remember that. though he
was not an angel, nor ghost, nor a
genius, he remained the voice .
for he sang. And listened .
and stayed! That night. we
did not exchange another word. He
/ sang me to sleep.
when l woke up. I was alone, ~
ing on sofa in simply furnished
little bedroom, with an ordinary ma
hogany bedstead, lit by lamp stand.
ing on the marble top of an old Louis
Philippe chest of drawers. | soon dis
covered that I was a prisoner and that
| the only outlet from my room led to
a very comfortable bathroom. On re.
turning to the bedroom, l saw on the
chest of drawers note, in red ink,
which said, My dear Christine, you
need have no concern as to your fate.
You have no better nor more respect
full friend In the world than myself.
You are alone. at present, in this
home which is yours. ! am going out
shopping to fetch you all the things
that you can need felt sure that l
had fallen into the hands Of a mad.
man. l ran round my little apart
ment, looking for way of escape
which could not find I upbraided
myself for my absurd superstition,
which had caused me to fall into the
trap. felt inclined to laugh and to
cry at the same time.
This was the state Of mind In
which Erik found me. After giving
three taps on the wall, he walked in
quietly through door which I had
not noticed and which he left open.
He had his arms full of boxes and
parcels and arranged them on the bed,
In leisurely fashion. while l over
whelmed him with abuse and called
upon him to take off his mask, If tt
covered the face of an honest man.
He replied serenely. You shall never
see Erik's face And he reproached
me with not having finished dressing
at that time of day; he was good
enough to tell me that it was two
o'clock in the afternoon. He said he
would give me half an hour and, while
he spoke. wound up my watch and set
1t for ME. After which, he asked me
to come to the dining-room, where
nice lunch was waiting for us.
Il was very angry, slammed the
door in his face and went to the bath
room. When came out again
feeling greatly refreshed Erik said
that he loved me, but that he would
never tell me so except when ! al
lowed him and that the rest of the
time would be devoted to music.
What do you mean by the rest of the
timer l asked. Five days. he said.
with decision. asked him if should
then be free and he said. You will be
free. Christine. for, when those five
days are past, you will have learned
not to see me: and then. from time
to time, you will come to see your
poor Erik He pointed to a chair op-
posite him, at small table, and I
sat down, feeling greatly perturbed.
However,, ate few prawns and the
wing of chicken and drank half a
glass Of tokay. which he had himself.
he told me. brought from the Konigs-
berg cellars. Erik did not eat or
drink. asked him what his nation
atty was and If that name of Erik
did not point to his Scandinavian
origin. He said that he had no name
and no country and that he had taken
the name of Erik by accident.
AFTER lunch, he rose and gave me
the tips of his fingers, saying he
would like to show me over his fiat;
but | snatched away my hand and
gave cry. What I had touched was
cold and, at the same time. bony: and
I remembered that his hands smelt OF
death. oh. forgive met he moaned.
And he opened door before me.
This is my bedroom. If you care to
see 1t. 1t is rather curious His
manners. his words. his attitude gave
me confidence and l went In without
hesitation. felt as if We're enter.
walls We're all hung with black, but.
Instead of the white trimmings that
usually set off that funeral upholstery,
here was an enormous stave of music
with the notes OF the Dies Irae, many
times repeated. In the middle of the
room was a canopy. from which hung
curtains of red brocaded stuff, and.
under the canopy. an open coffin.
That is where l Sleep said Erik.
Zone has to get used to everything
In life, even to eternity The sight
upset me so much that turned away
my head.
"Then | saw the keyboard of an
Drs~n which filled one whole side OF
the walls. On the desk was music
book covered with red notes. 1 asked
leave to look at it and read, Don
Juan Triumphant Yes, he said, I
work twenty years ago. When have
finished, l shall take it away with me
IN that coffin and never wake up
again You must work at it as sell
lom as you can l said He replied,
I sometimes work at it for fourteen
lays and nights together, during which
live on music only. and then l rest
or years at time Will you play
ne something out of your Don Juan
triumphant I asked, thinking to
please him. You must never ask me
hAt,' he said, in gloomy voice. \
will play you Mozart, If you like,