Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-16
The Daily Story
THE BLACK HoUsE-BY ALI
Copyrighted ;s1s by Associated Literary Bureau

Beneath me was a large room fur
nished as bedroom and Il study,
There were large table heaped with
books and papers, Il desk and COM
Portable chairs. The walls were lined
with bookcases filed with volumes
bound in uniform dark covering.
1t was workroom, the workroom of
student.
The student was Dr. Ramercliff. He
was sitting at the desk absorbed in
writing. He had already filed sheet
after sheet of paper all of which were
scattered over desk and floor.
Suddenly he leaned back in his chair
and an agonized expression convulsed
his face. He reached his hand to-
ward small vial. shook some pellets
into his mouth and dropped back in his
chair, one hand gripping his heart. His
eyes closed and he breathed heavily.
Was his seizure a heaven sent oppor-
tunity for me?
l slipped back to my tree, gained
the piazza and found entrance through
a front window. 1 pried open the
wooden shutters, smashed the glass
with the butt of my revolver, turned
the catch and raised the sash. AS
entered seemed to be smothered in
folds of heavy drapery. Kicking my
self clear, 1 found myself in total dark,
ness.
drew out my electric torch and
pressed the button. Heavens shud-
dered as realized my surroundings.
h. H.,
ell, for walls and ceiling were paneled
in black, the carpet was of thick black
pile, the furniture of dead black luster-,
less teakwood, cushions, draperies-
everything in that horrible room was
the same grewsome black.
I opened the black enameled door
and entered a black hall. I passed
through a black library and a black
dining room, and my nerves We're ATTN
gle with horror.
The kitchen was cheerful apart
ment compared to the others, for 1t
was slate gray. .
Up the black painted stairs I crept,
feeling a strange depression stealing
over me, the unwholesome influence Of
the dreadful house; through a black
upper hall to the nearest black paneled
door. There paused.
What would find within this grew
some place where DR.. Ramercliff,
plainly a lunatic. had taken his beau
tiful bride, petted daughter of the mil
lionaire?
I turned the handle and entered
black boudoir.
Stretched on the couch. face down.
ward, her face buried in black sofa pill
lows, was a slender form CARRIED in
! black.
| Her hair was white as snow.
! 1 turned the light upon her. and 1
! placed my hand on her arm, and she
! screamed with terror.
go awayr' she cried. sob. go
away:'
"Mrs. Ramercllf," said-"Miss Hal
sey-Bessie!''
At the last word she turned and lift
ed her beautiful white face to me, q
face wild with fear Her black eyes
widened, and she gave one great glad
cry.
"Oh, take me to father" And then
she sank back unconscious.
I did not stand upon my going from
that place. / gathered the poor little
bride in my arms and carried her down
the stairs and out of that awful house.
/ was able to get q team that would
take us to Oakdale, where l hired a
.motorcar, and about midnight we drew
up to the Halsey residence, the white
haired bride with my handkerchief tied
over her lovely locks, CARRIED in black,
and l the young detective with my
first great case.
Mr.. Halsey was in his library. and I
shall never forget his glad face when I
restored his daughter to him.
l remained long enough to hear her
story, and then left father and daugh-
ter together, for l must journey once
more down to Woodruff and ascertain
If that insane bridegroom had sue
cumbed to the seizure / had witnessed
from the roof.
He was dead when 1 reached the
black house victim OF heart dis
ease. And so persisted n brilliant
mind that was destroyed by its own
intensity.
Bessies story was pitiable enough.
Her husband had taken her to the
black house. and as coolly and i'm
personally as he might have watched
the struggles of butterfly impaled on
q pin he studied the effect of color on
the brain. In the dense black atmos.
phcre of the black house he calmly
watched the slow killing of the beau.
tiful girl. He had told her of his IN
tention. and she had struggled desper
ately to get a message to her father
Once she had escaped and reached the
road, but when she found them in pur
suit she tossed her letter into the
bushes and allowed herself to be re
, captured, but her message had gone
forth
That was ali. Mrs Ramercliff re
covered her health and beauty, and the
secret OF her disappearance was never
1ivulged.
Benjamin Halsey kept his word. RI
rewarded me. He made me the rich
est man in the world, for 1 married
Bessie afterward