The Detroit times., 1912-07-13
CHAPTER I.
The hyacinth Letter.

O7AF Z " '.
The Hyacinth Letter.
Philip Steele's pencil drove steadily
over the paper. as IL the mere writing
OF letter he might never mail In
someway lessened the loneliness.
The wind is blowing a furious gale
outside. From on the lake come vol
leys OF sleet. like shot from guns, and
all the wild demons OF this black night
in the wilderness seem bent on tear
ing apart the huge end-locked logs
that : IL
man companlonship. VIM naugnr opr
this roaring DISSOLUTION about and
the air above filed with screech-
ing terrors Even through thick
log walls can hear ehe surf
roaring among the rocks and
beating the white driftwood like
thousand battering-rams, almost at
my door Ii is night TO make one
shiver. and In the lulls OF the storm
the tall pines above me whistle and
wall mournfully as they straighten
their twisted heads after the blasts
Tomorrow this will be desolation
vi SHOhs lAtlt NAAA w oAVN AApAAa
here 10 Hudsons Bay. from the Bay
TO the Arctic. and where now there is
all this fury and strife OF wind and
sleet there will be amending quiet
the stiffness which breeds our tongue
less people OF the north But this is
small comfort for tonight Yesterday
caught little mouse in my -four
and killed him. | am sorry now, for
surely all this trouble and thunder in
the night would have driven him out
from his home in the wall 10 keep me
company
IL would not be SO bad If 1t were
not for the skull Three times in the
/ last half-hour | have started 10 take
IL down from its shelf over my Crude
stone fireplace, where pine logs are
blazing But each time have faller
back. shiyering. into the bed-like chair
4 | have made for myself out OF sap
lings and caribou skin II is human
skull, II would be different. But ii il
living man, with a voice. and eyes
and brain-and that is what makes ms
uncomfortable. ! III II were an ole
skull, it would be Different But It i:
a new skull Almost | fancy at times
lAdN NAANAS ID lAAN lul hAAlS III tic ~ 9
less sockets. where the red freight
from the archaeological logs plays Il
grewsome flashes; and | fancy, too
that in the brainless cavities OF the
skull there must still be some of the
old passion, stirred into spirit life by
the very madness OF this night.
hundred times | have been sorry thai
kept the thing, but never more 81
than now.
How the wind howls and the pines
screech above me, A pailful OF snow
I plunging down my chimney, sends tn,
chills up my spine as II II were the
very devil himself, and the steam o
II surges out and upward and hides th'
skull. II IS absurd 70 go to bed. e
make an effort to sleep. for | know
what my dreams would be Tonigh
/ they would be filed with this skull
/ and with visions OF face, a woman!
/ face
Thus far had Steele written wher
/ with nervous laugh he sprang from
1 his chair, and with something tina
sounded very near to an oath, in thu
Wild tumult OF the storm, crumplet
| the paper in his hand and flung 1
among the blazing logs he had de
scribed but few moments before
"Confound It, this will never do!
! he exclaimed, falling into his owl
! peculiar habit OF communing with him
| self. II say II won't do. Phil Steele
deuce take 1t II it will You're gettinl
nervous, sentimental, almost home
sick Ugh, what beast OF a night
He turned TO the rude stone fire
place again as another blast of snow
| plunged down the chimney
Wish I'd built fire In the stoy,
! instead of there" he went on, films
his pipe. Thought IL would be Iii
tie more cheerful you know Lore
! preserve US, listen to that"
| He began walking up and down tn,
hewn log floor of the cabin, his hand
deep in his pockets, putting out volum
| nous clouds OF smoke II was no
often that Philip Steeles face was un
/ pleasant to look upon, but tonight I
wore anything but It's natural gooC
| humor. II was a strong, thin face. Sc
| on by a square jaw, and with clear
| steel-gray eyes In which Just nov
| there shone strange glitter, as thel
| rested for a moment upon the whit,
! skull over the fire. From this SCRUTINY
| Of the skull Steele turned TO a rough
board~table, lighted by twisted bi
or cotton cloth, three-quarters sub
merged in a shallow tin of caribou
! grease. In the dim light of this i'm
provised lamp there were two letters
opened and soiled, which an Indar
had brought up to him from Nelson
house the day before One of then
was short and 10 the point II was al
official note from headquarters order
ing him 10 join a certain Buck Nom,