The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-12-16

WAS dark ana silent. WIN IdCe uSSiN-
eddy 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 broad one, running right through
the centre OF the house from front 10
rear. Godfrey proceeded cautiously
and yet rapidly the whole length Of 1t,
flashing his torch into every room.
They were all luxuriously furnished,
but were empty Of human occupants.
From the kitchen. which closed the hall
at the rear, a fight OF stone steps led
down into the basement, and Godfrey
descended these with a steadiness !
could not but admire. We found our
selves In a square. stone tagged room,
evidently used as laundry. Two doors
opened out of it. but both were Sc
cured with heavy padlocks.
store rooms or wine cellars, per-
haps," 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
his knees beside the coach; the girl
side of the coach, and, disregarding
SWANS fierce glance. again placed
his fingers on the girls left temple.
Then he came back to me.
IF she doesn't revive pretty soon;
he said. well have to try heroic meas
ures: But there must be somebody in
the house. Let's look upstairs"
He led the Wnv I'M the broad ofoi rc
which rose midway of the hall, sending
Ia long ray of light ahead of him. /
| followed In no very happy frame of
mind. for l confess that this midnight
exploration Of an unknown house, with
a murdered man for its only occupant,
was getting on my nerves. But God
frey proceeded calmly and systemati-
cally.
The hall above correspondent to that
| below. with two doors on each side,
opening into bedroom suites. The first
was probably that of the master of
the house. 1t consisted of bedroom,
bath and dressing room, but there was
no one there. The next was evidently
Miss VauGhan's. It also had a bath
and a daintily furnished boudoir: but
| these, too We're empty.
Th"n. as we opened the door across
the hall, strange odor saluted us
an door suggestive somehow of the east
which in the first moment caught
the breath from the throat, and in the
! second seemed to mufrle and retard
the beating IF the heart.
A fash OF Godfrey's torch showed
! that we were in a little entry, closed al
! the. farther end by a heavy drapery
! Godfrey strobe forward and swept the
! drapery aside. The rush of perfume
was nTerpowerinG, and through the
! oTcning came n soft glow Of light
1t was a moment before l got my
h~"1th: then n mist seemed to fall from
| before my ewes and n strange sense of
cVaitation and we'll being stole through
mo. | cav Godfrey standing motion
loss, t~ansftXed with one hand holding
hack the drapery, and his torch hang
! IN unused in the other, and I crept
| forward and peered over his shoulder
at the Gtrangest scene l have ever
| Cazed upon.
Just in front of us, poised in the all
some three feet from the floor, hung q
sphere OF crystal, glowing with a soft
radiance which seemed to wax and
wane. to CULVER almost to darkness and
then to burn more clearly. 1t was like
| q dreamer's pulse, fluttering, pausing
| leaping. in accord with his vision. And
as / gazed at the sphere, l fancied ]
could see within it strange, elusive
shapes, which changed and merged
and faded from moment to moment
gestive. I bent forward. straining my
eyes to see them better, to fathom their
meaning.
Godfrey, turning to speak to me- saw
my attitude and shook me roughly by
the arm.
Don't do that, Lester" he growled
in my ear Take your eyes off that
crystal"
I tried to move my eyes, but could
not, until Godfrey pulled me around to
face him. I stood blinking at hin
stupidity.
realized the danger" he said. "A
sphere like that can hypnotise a mar
more quickly than anything else or
earth. especially when his resistance Is
lessened, as 1t is by this heavy per-
fume."
1T was rather pleasant" said. az
should like to try 1t some time"
well, you can't try it now. You've
got something else to do. Besides, II
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
and quivering radiance which the
phere emitted, and as I plunged my
eyes into its depths in an effort to sex
what lay there, 1t seemed to me thai
/ had never seen blaciness so black
AS stared into it, with straining eyes
a vague form grew dimly visible beside
the glowing sphere; and then recoilet
O little, for suddenly II took shape and
1 saw It was a man.
had a queer fancy, as I stood there
that it was really a picture into which
was gazing-one Of Rembrandes-
for, gradually, one detail after another
emerged from the darkness, vagu'
shadows took on shape and meaning
but farther back there was afwayl
more shadow, and farther back 'stii
more. =. .-. ...r....
The man was sitting cross legged on
a low divan, his hands crossed In from
Of him and hanging imply betweel
his knees. His clothing could see bu
vaguely, for &c was merged into TIT
darkness about him, but his hands
stood out white against IL. He wa
staring straight at the crystal, VIII
unwavering and unwinkfng gaze, amt
sat as motioniesg as though carved n
stone. The glow from the sphere
picked out his profile with a. line o.
light could see the high forehead
the strong, curved nose, the fun lfpi
shaded by a faint mustache. and TIT
long chin, only partially coEcealed b3
Il a close CliDped beard. IL was q won.