Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-27
The Dali ~ Story
The Haunted House-By T. A. Mitchell
copyrighted 1914. by Associated Literary Bureau

but one OF the heavier pieces Of 49,
bI9zed and cast a Iurid light ahors
the apartment. Directly opposite ,css
the portrait have mentioned. ana fba
eye which I had noticed being unt,E.
the other seemed to me TO belong N =
human being and was looking straivs.
at me.
I rubbed my own eyes TO see NOR.
clearly, and when looked again fbs
human expression had gone out Of tbs
eye OF the portrait Thinking tia,
must have been mistaken. compass
myself to sleep. Naturally thongs
/ Of my money and my weapon. Tbs
/ former was in a belt made for the pur.
pose OF carrying funds and strapnas
around my waist. The revolver was
! in my hand on the bed.
| My next awakening came from
! heavy weight falling on the floor in
| the room above. Then came the sound
of whistling wind. followed by a CRY.
Then all was still again. In a few
minutes the stiffness was broken BY
frightful shrieks. From the nomer.
of the first sound I sat up. clutching
my revolver. My gaze lighted on the
portrait of the old Spaniard, and IL
had again become human.
1 cannot say that l was frightened
but / will assert positively that was
mad. Yielding to an impulse which I
cannot well describe, / raised my re-
volver and sent a bullet straight at the
eye that caused the commotion within
me. And so sure was my aim that an
open space was left where the eye had
been.
Something fell on the floor Of the
adjoining room. The sound seemed
to come from behind where the per-
trait was hanging. Throwing myself
from the bed. recocking my revolver
with my right thumb and snatching
a burning brand from the fireplace.
l ran through a doorway and stood On
the other side of a partition. There
lay the body of a man l had shot
him in the eye and pierced his brain
The stiffness was broken by some
one running in the patio. but this was
all the indica ton had of the presence
of any one except the dead man. I
stood listening for some time then
was seized with a desire to get out Of
the place as soon as possible. l started
for the patio, dropping my torch as
went that it might not make me an L.
Illuminated target, and. reaching the
door of the house, gained the outside.
There 1 stood trying to pull myself to-
gether.
There was a streak of dawn in the
east 1t tended to quiet the horror
rt-ifI A oil -ba+
was there to fee from? 1 could hear
no sound from within. and all except
the wind was still without. l was as
well armed and had the same chance
as any one else / had killed a man,
and 1 preferred to learn if possible
whether 1 had been justified in doing
SO. Summoning my resolution. l re-
entered the house, peering through the
dim light for any one who might be
there.
1 regained without opposition the
room in which 1 had slept There
were embers on the hearth. and l re-
kindled the fire. There 1 stood with
my back to it. waiting for the day to
break. As soon as 1 could see without
artificial light 1 went to the room.
W nSTe the DOug ld- III I4le same pOSl-
ton I had left it. 1t was on the floor
beside a table, and the table was d.
rectly under a hole in the partition.
the latter being about the height Of a
man. 1 got up on the table, put my
eye to the hole and looked into the
bedroom.
Now 1 cosld form a theory. There
had been two or more men in the
house. One of them had looked
through the hole. which formed an eye
Of the picture. and seen me on the
bed. If he wished to rob me my re-
volver was in his way. An attempt
had been made to brighten me. but
to get an advantage over me
Dr. to drive me out of the house l could
only conjecture. inclined TO the lat
ter opinion.
Having gone thus far IN my invest
cations. resolved to go further.
the house. l looked into
closets, up Slimneys. under furniture
The last thing l did was to pull the
and mattresses off the bed
on which I had slept. Out rolled
shower of gold coins.
ID to gather up the coins. hide them
md report my experience at the next
own at which l would stop.
l reported my find as 1 had intended
o the police. informing them where
lad hidden the gold pieces. They Wis
ted the house in question ana recog'
liZed the man 1 had shot as a notori-
'us bandit. They wondered when ne
lad seen me lying on the bed that ne
lad not shot at me through the part
ion, but l reminded tnem that this
you'd have been difficult. Besides II
vas doubtless to his interest 10 fright
n me away.
I never heard that anything wss
one TO prevent the premises from DE-
lg used by bandits. The Mexican RI,
nj police are not very effective, ana
Don after my experience Governor
'arranza started his rebellion against
resident Huerta.