The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-12-16

peered into the hall beyond. The hall
was dark and silent. With face decid-
edly grim, he took his torch from one
pocket and his pistol from another.
Come along. Lester" he said. We've
got to look into this. Have your torch
ready-and your pistol. God knows
what further horrors this house con-
tains.
He pulled back the curtain, SO that
the hall was lighted to some extent
from the open doorway, and then
was a broad one. running right through
the centre Of the house from front 10
rear. Godfrey proceeded cautiously
and yet rapidly the whole length of it,
flashing his torch into every room.
They We're all luxuriously furnished,
but We're empty Of human occupants.
From the kitchen. which closed the hall
at the rear, a flight Of stone steps led
down into the basement, n Godfrey
descended these with a steadiness I
could not but admire. We found our
selves in a SQUARE. stone tagged room.
evidently used as a laundry. Two doors
opened out of It. but both were Sc
cured with heavy padlocks.
Store rooms or wine cellars, per-
maps Godfrey Ventured, mounted the
stairs again to the kitchen, and re-
turned to the room whence we had
started.
everything there was as we had left
1t. The dead man sat huddled for
ward in his chair. Swain was still on
ms knees beside the coach; the girl
a not stirred. Godfrey went to the
slde OF the coach. and, disregarding
SWANS fierce glance. again placed
ms fingers on the girls left temple.
Ihen he came back to me.
If she doesn't revive pretty soon,'
ne SAID. We'll have to try heroic meas
ureS. Blu there must be somebody in
the mouse. Let's look UPSTAIRS"
he led the WaV IN the broad ctoiry
winch rose midway of the hall, sending
a long ray of light ahead of him. I
loilowed IN no very happy frame of
iillnd. for l confess that this midnight
exploration of an unknown house, with
d murdered man for it's only occupant,
was getting on my nerves. But God
trey proceeded calmly and systemati-
cally.
The hall above correspondent to that
below. With two doors on each side.
was probably that of the master of
the house. 1t consisted of bedroom
path n dressing room, but there was
no n there. The next was evidently.
MISS Naushan's. 1t also had a bath
ahd a dalntlly furnished boudoir; but
theSe, too We're empty.
Then. as we opened the door .o,oss
the hall, g strange odor saluted rs
an door suggestive somehow of the east
--Wflcn IN the first ome cal1eht
tae breath from the throat, and in the
second seemed to muffle and retard
the boating of the heart.
a flash of Godfrey's torch showed
mat we Were in a little entry, closed AZ
inc farther end by a heavy drsrerv
godfrey strobe forward and swent the
dfapery aside. The rush of perfume
~, empowering. and through the
ofrn!ng came n soft glow of light.
1t vas q ome before 7 DOT ~
q n; then a mist seemed to fall from
i'ei2"e my eyes and a strange sense of
"Nai'a.'on and we'll being stole through
ne. Saw Godfrey standing notion
toss. transftYed. with one hand holding
hack the drapery, and his torch ham,
'aE unused in the other, and I cre1t
1pFWard end peered over his shoulda
az me strangest scene l have ever
S2zed upon.
Just in front of US, poised in the air
some three feet from the floor HING q
sphere of crystal, glowing with a sof,
radiance which seemed to wax and
Wane. to CULVER almost to darkness and
then to burn more clearly. 1t was like
a dreainer's pulse, fluttering, pausing
eaPa1ls.t IN accord with his vision. And
as l gaZed at the sphere, | fancied T
u see within it strange, elusive
shapes. which changed and merged
and faded from moment to moment.
and yet always clearer and more s1,p-
gestlVe. | bent forward, straining my
- 1S StlC ~ 1dtlOIn Their
meaning. $500
Godfrey, turning to speak to me. saw
my attitude and shook me roughly bv
the arm.
Don't do that, Lester" he growled
in my ear. Take your eyes Off hat
crystal"
L tried to move my eyes, but could
not, until Godfrey pulled me around to
face him. I stood blinking at him
90 urae ,,aa,,11y 49, --.-,. -
realized the danger" he said eL0is "A
sphere like that car %hypnotise a man
more quickly than anything else on
earth, especially when his resistance is
lessened, as it is by this heavy per
fume."
1T was rather pleasant" T said. 81
should like to try it some time"
We'll, you can't try it now. You've
got something else to do. Besides, it
has two victims already"
Two victimS?'
Look carefully, but keep your eyes
off the sphere" he said, and swung me
around toward the room again.
The room waS shrouded in impene-
trable darkness, except for the faint
n quivering radiance which the
phere emitted, and as 1 plunged my
eyes into its depths in an effort to see
what lay there, it seemed to me that
L had nev seen blackness so black.
AS l stared into it. with straining eyes,
a form grew dimly visible beside
the glowing sphere; and then l recoiled
a little, for suddenly it took shape and,
l saw 1T was a man.
l had a queer fancy, as I stood there,
that 1t was really a picture into which
l was gazing-one of Rembrandts-
for, gradually. one detail after another
emerged from the darkness, vague,
shadows took or shape and meaning,
but farther pack there was always
more shadow. and farther back still
more.
The man was sitting cross legged on
a low divan, his hands crossed in front
OF him and hanging Imply between
his knees. His clothing I could see but
vaguely, for it was merged into the
darkness about him. but his hands
stood out white against it. He was
staring straight at the crystal, with
u~nwavering and ~unwinking gaze, and
sat as motionless as though carved in
stone. The glow from the sphere
picked out his profile with a line of
Light could see the high forehead,
the strong, curved nose, the full lips