Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-24

There, that's better! You're
better now, are you not? Il
That's all right, you're better, i
NO excitement! And what q
funny house, isn't 1t, with landscapes
like that in it,"
Yes, it's like the Musee Grevin.
But, say, Erik there
are no fortunes in there, What
a fright you gave me-"
why as there is no one
there?"
Did you design that room? It's
very handsome. You're a great artist,
Erik"
Yes. a great artist, in my own
line"
But tell me, Erik. why did you call
that room the torture, chamber"
"Oh, it's very simple. First of all,
what did you see?'
II saw a forest"
And what is in q forest?'
Trees"
And what IS in a tree?"
Birds"
Did you see any birds?"
mo, did not see any birds"
We'll, what did you see? Think!
You saw branches! And what are
the branches?" asked the terrible
voice. There's a gibbet. That is
why I call my wood the torture cham
Der! You see, it's all joke.
/ never express myself like other peo-
pie. But l am very tired OF it! q.
I'm sick and tired of having a forest
and torture-chamber in my house
and Of living like mountebank, in q
house with false bottom, .
I'm tired of it! want to have a nice,
quiet fiat, with ordinary doors and
windows and a wife inside 1t, like
anybody else! A wife whom 1 could
love and take out on Sundays and
keep amused on weekdays.
Here. shall I show you some card
tricks? That will help us to pass a
few minutes. while waiting for eleven
O'Clock tomorrow evening. My
dear little Christine! Are you
I listening to me? :. Tell me
ynU lovc me! No, you don't
love me but no matter, you
will! Once, you could not
look at my mask because you knew
what was behind. And now
| you don't mind looking at it and you
! forget what is behind, One
can get used to everything II
| one wishes. Plenty of youne
! people who did not care for each
| other before marriage have adoret
each other since, Oh, / don't know
/ what l am talking about, But you
/ would have lots of fun with me. Fol
instance, l am the greatest ventrilo
| quist that ever lived, l am the frs
ventriloquist in the world!
You're laughing. Perhaps you
don't believe me? Listen"
The wretch, who really was tn,
first ventriloquist in the world, wa
only trying to divert the child's al
tention from the torture-chamber; blu
it was stupid scheme, for Christin,
thought of nothing but. us! She re
peatedly besought him, in the gentles
tones which she could assume:
Put out the light in the little win
dow! Erik, do put out tn
light in the little window.
For she saw that this light, whic
appeared SO suddenly and of whic
the monster had spoken in so threat
ening a voice, must mean somethin
terrible. One thing must have pac
fed her for a moment; and that wa
seeing the two of us behind the wal
in the midst of that Respondent light
alive and well. But she would iSel
tainly have felt much easier If tn
light had been put out.
Meantime, the other had already bt
gun to play the ventriloquist. Ii
said:
Here, | raise my mask a little
Oh, only little! Yo
see my lips, such lips as I have
They're not moving! NJ
mouth is closed-such mouth as
have-and yet you hear my voic,
Where will you have it? |
> your left ear? In your right earl /
, the table? Listen, dear, it
in the little box on the right OF tn
mantelpiece: what does it say? 'Sha
1 turn the scorpion?' An
now, crack! Shat does it say in tn
little box on the left? Shall | tur
the grasshOpper?' And nov
crack! Here it is in the little leatht
bag. What does it say. L al
the little bag of life and DEATH
J And now, crack 1t is in CarIotta
throat, in Carlotta's golden throat.
Carlotta's crystal throat, as 1 live
What does it say? 1t says, It's
Mr.. Toad, it's / singing! l feel wit
, out alarm-co-ack-with it's meioc
! enwind me - co-ack!' Al
] now, crack! 1t is on a chair In II
. ghosts box and it says, Madame Ca
!. lotta is singing tonight to bring II
chandelier down.! And mo-
. crack! Aha, Where is Erik's volt
. now? Listen, Christine, darling
. Listen! 1t is behind the door OF Il
. torture-chamber! ListenI It's m
. self in the torture-chamberi Al
what do l say? / say, Woe to the
|. that have nose. real nose. al
) come to look round the torture-chaI
Der! Aha, aha, ahai"
? oh, the ventriloquists terrib
. voice! 1t was everywhere. ever
. where. 1t passed through the lit
. invisible window, through the wal
|. II ran around US, between US Er
; was there, speaking to US, We ma,