The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-10
LUCILLE LOVE. The Girl Of Musteru


upon the eyes, blackness 20 thick it mixed with
the rank. tomblike smell Of the underground
place wherein she stood
Slowly she CROPPED her way back to the steps
finding the last one and feeling about for some
means of throwing back the opening. The steps
beneath her feet were slippery, worn as though
the feet of thousands and hundreds of thousand,
had passed that way for as many years. And al.
ways about her, yet never close as to come
IN contact with her, were the owners of the feet
that slipped and glided sure-footedly upon thu
steps. Above her. that solid WALL beneath her,
steps that led down into the bowels of the earth:
about her, human beings whom she could not see
herself upon the steps. giving way to racking
sobs at the horrible fate that appeared to havs
put an end to her adventures.
No odds weirdly situated, how dreadful
inimical invisible though they be-is calculated
to rouse ones combative spirit. Lucille rose
swiftly, her brain in a whirl, her pulse numbed
as curiously claw-like hands-but human hands
sought out her wrists drawing her down the
steps, silently, with undertaking purpose but
never harshly Realizing the futility of resistance
her utter helplessness, Lucille numbly allowed
herself to be conducted down the long fight A
veritable army seemed to swarm before and
about her, judging from the footballs. The hands
upon her wrists were cold, unhealthy, hairy, yet
the sounds of the voices of her captors were the
harsh gutturals Of deaf mutes, incomprehensibls
yet human.
Her knees jolted almost from under her a.
she reached out and finally found downward
rockvaulted aisles, so close the sides
brushed against her, she was hustled. She had
given herself completely up to her guides. She
knew, with a heavy despair that only accident
could enable her to find her way back to the
steps through all the turns they had made. Quite
abruptly she felt her eyes blinded, the mantle
OF 6iackness was hung aside. For a moment she
could not SEE, then, becoming accustomed to the
transition from darkness to comparative light
she looked with a shudder of terror, upon the
hairy, dwarfed, mis-shapen creatures who sur
lad hor afrrac H. l,%~ -
turals OF mutes; creatures whom the perpetual
darkness had paled TO fsh-like pallor; crea-
lures whose hydrocephalic heads were always
bent far forward though the sense of hearing
had been given them in treble value because Of
the blindness with which the subterranean life
had afflicted them, q blindness complete as to
the white, sightless pupils that bulged at her
through the hairy name upon their faces
Sick with the EMBELLISHMENTS Of the sight,
Lucille lifted her eyes, at shrin chattering note
in the gutturals, q note that strangely ia
miliar, even welcome. Anything would have been
welcome to her against the repulsive
noises made by the mutes. She stared wonder
ingly at the enormous carven statue of q malign-
ant faced man, q man with mighty torso and
gigantic arms q man whose head lowered far
above her and whose forehead and neck and
arms were loaded with blazing rubies. The alien
sound that drove the mutes crouohing back came
from the gigantic statue And then Lucille
that huge orang outang squstted complacently
in the palms of the idol, his besdy eyes blinking
puckered curiously.
As though their fear had subsidized, the under.
ground creatures once more closed in upon Lucille
Some impulse made her dart toward the oran1
as though for protection The foul creatures were
about her, clawing at her with their horrible,
certain paws like giant bats The monkey seemed
suddenly to waken to the situation With a
shrill note OF rage he leaped from his squatting
posture and snatched the necklace Of rubies from
about the idols neck, finging it squarely into the
center of the mob. 1t had the effect of drawing
hail fl. ant rI,-.1l -.
orangs hairy paw plucked jewel after jewel from
the idol, hurting the:l at the creatures with the
speed Of bullets. Again and again he drove them
back from her and Lucille constantly fought her
way closer to this strange protector.
Her heart sank as she saw the creature had
more missiles. She caught fash of hairy
arms and body as he leaped toward her, his huge.
round arms failing about him, dropping the sub
terranean inhabitants at every swing. Lucille,
guided by some impulse, stopped and picked up
the blazing necklace, extending it to the orang.
He seemed not to notice. Wildly he threshed
about, the creatures dropping like nine-pins.
Backward, ever backward, Lucille felt her way,
edging through the mob as her protector cleared
passage. The rock ribbed vault echoed and re-
echoed hideousy with the shrill squeals of rage
from the orang, the gutturals of terror and pain
from her assailants. Now they fighting
among themselves, tumbling about in a wild chaos
OF arms and legs and bodies
She closed her eyes against the terrible sight.
Despite herself she almost succumbed to a feel
ing Of faintness from the nausea which the cres-
And still the orang fought jibbering wildly.
Suddenly Lucille felt her feet slipping from under
her; felt herself going down toward a ripping.
musical sound; gently falling through the black
ness as though she sank within soft mattress
of feathers.
Cold waters rose up and broke her fall. clos
ing about her and edging her gently to and fro
lnstinctively she reached out, her hands closing
about . narrow strip of wood. With every atom
OF strength in her frail body she chung, making
out finally that the object was a canoe. Slowly
she slipped down the current until flicker OF
narrow light glowed far ahead.
The sight inspired her with fresh energy. She
drew herself up, carefully balanced the canoe
against her weight then slipped into the bottom
and lay there, exhausted. She CROPPED about a.
the sides of the subterranean cavern expanded.
the light grew broader. paddle encountered her
fingers and she thrust it out into the water. Came
. crunching Of wood it ripped against the
rocky sides of the shallow ravine and she stared
in dismay at the useless handle that alone re-
manned to her.
Gently, laxily the canoe foated down, to-
ward the ever-expanding wedge of light. Slowly,
very slowly, the fresh air of the jungle met her
quivering nostrils, sweet to her now in COMPARE
SON with the unwholesome odor Of the under
ground world from which she had $50 mracu-
lously escaped And she opened her
mouth having her throat with the intoxicating
odor that had been so repulsive to her before,