The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-11-12


and a thunderstorm at an old
inn In the forest. Thick branches OF
pine, hemlock, oak and beech met
above the decaying and sunken
roof, and a luxuriant growth Of ivy
framed the small dingy panes Of the
shutterless windows. A decrepit old
woman with a candle met them at
the door and served supper in the
iow-ceiled, smoke-begrimed room
termed by courtesy the parlor, and
afterward escorted them along the
bare echoing passages to tiny bed
chambers under the sloping caves.
The party consisted of a young wo-
man noted for her beauty and CO.
quetry, a lady of mature years dis
tinguished for her love of dress, an
elderly man devoted to amassing
gold by any and every "a in his
power, and the chauffeur, who was
part Of his machine. and lived,
breathed and moved to the impulse
of speed.
They all met next morning at the
door of the inn to continue their
Journey. None had desired any
breakfast, and all were pale and
silent, and had apparently rested ill.
No one spoke until the car was NOV
ing slowly forward on the lonely
road, and the inn was lost to sight
among the trees.
"Huu did you sleep?" Queried the
elderly %,financier Of the ladies.
II had horrible Dreams" they
ehorused in reply.
II, too" echoed the Chauffeur.
Then each in turn proceeded to
tell his or her experience, begin
ming with the youthful coQuette.
a" was no sooner between the
Sheets" she said, than l was sud
denly transported to a region where
nnutterabe silence reigned. and 1t
was very cold. 1 was entirely with
out clothes-not so much as the ira
ditional fig leaf hid my ~nakedness,
and l was literally starving, while in
addition to the pangs of hunger l
suffered burning thirst. A dish was
set before me by unseen hands. 1t
consisted of human hearts, each n
broken in half, and still %quivering
with remnants Of life. | turned
from it, shuddering with horror,
and reached for a golden goblet
which stood beside it.
1.-THE goblet was brimming with
blood. The cold grew more intense.
and l shook with icy tremors, when
4 cloak was cast across my bare
knees, now violet-tinted where they
we're pinehed by the bitter winds
The cloak was made Of human skins,
still raw and bleeding. and starving.
thirsting, s~hivering, I awoke."
Her story was received without re-
mark, and the wolnan Of fashion
next spoke.
"The moon" she said, twas a
great flashing mirror, and | stood
before it, surrounded by towering
piles Of dresses Of every color, cut
and fabric, which l was engaged in
trying on. AS soon as a dark,
shadowy form, which was always be-
hind me, but which l could never see
face to face, had fastened one gown
into place on me 1t was immediate
ly whisked off and another was
hooked, tied, b%uttoned, and pinned
upon my weary body. Ny limbs tot
tered, my back and head ached ex-
sruciatingiy, l was faint and dizzy,
but still that awful trying-on process
never ceased, and still the great piles
NJ frocks instead of diminishing
we're piled up aroundsme by invisible
hands until the mass Of finery SEEM
I'd about to fall upon and smother
me. l started up in bed suffused
from head to foot with a cold sweat
of agony, and breathed a prayer Of
thankfulness as l saw tho gray
dawn filtering through the ivied
window"
The financier told the next tale Of
woe:
Il" toiled through the ether with
. great bag of gold on my back.
Other bags were in my bullying pock-
cts, and l carried one in each hand.
Hvarv c+ar that plittornd in thn fir