Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-05-06


The bottles we're brought forward
and they sat down one on each side
Of the dusty mahogany table. The
man facing me was Spencer, the other
sat with his back my way
Well play till the hands point to
three, % announced Spencer, taking out
his watch and laying it down where
both could see It DO you agree to
that?-unless I win and your funds
go a-begging before that hour"
q agree" The tone was harsh; it
was almost smothered The man was
staring at the watch; there was a
strange set look to his figure; a paus-
Ing as Of thOught-of sinister thought,
l should now say; then I never
stopped to characterize It; it was fol-
lowed too quickly by loud laugh and
a sudden grab at the cards.
You'll wini I feel it in my bones"
came IN encouraging tones from the
rich man. If you do'-here the storm
lulled and his voice sank to an en-
couraging whisper-"you can buy the
old tavern up the road. It's going for
a song; and then we'll be neighbors
and can play-pIay-"
The bills had all gone one way.
They fell within Spencers grasp. Sud
denly hard upon a rafting peal which
seemed to unite heaven and earth,
heard shouted out:
"HaIf-past two! The game stops at
three
Damn your greedy eyes!" came
back in a growl. Then all was still,
fearfully still, both in the atmosphere
outside and in that within, during
which l caught sight of the strangers
hand moving slowly around to his
back and returning as slowly forward,
all under cover of the tabletop and a
stack of half-empty bottles.
81 can buy the CIaymore tavern,
can I? Well, I'm going to-" rang out
into the air as the speaker leaped to
his feet. Take that, you cheat! And
that! And that" And the shots rang
out-one, two, three!
Spencer was dead in his Folly. [
had seen him rise, throw up his hands
and then fall in a heap among the
cards and glasses.
Then the man who stood there
alone turned slightly and I saw his
face. I have seen it many times
since; l have seen it at Claymore tav-
ern. He put the weapon back in his
pocket and began gathering up the
money. When every bill was in his
pockets he reached out his hand for
the watch. Then I saw him smile. He
smiled as he shut the case, he smiled
as he plunged it in after the bills.
Next moment I woke to a reaIiza-
ton of myself and all the danger of
my own position. I had the instinct
to make leap for the window over
my head and clutch at its narrow sill
in a wild attempt at escape.
But the effort ended precipitately.
He was coming toward me-a strain
ing, painting figure-half carrying, half
dragging, the dead man who Topped
aside from his arms. My senses
blurred and I knew nothing till on
sudden they cleared again, and l woke
to the blessed realization that the
door had been pushed against my slen-
der figure, hiding it completely from
his sight, and that this door was now
closed again and this time tightly,
and was safe-safe!
The relief sent the perspiration in
a reek from every pore; but the icy
revulsion came quickly. AS I drew I'D
knees to get better purchase on the
sill, heavens torch was suddenly lit
up, the closet became a pit of dazzling
whiteness amid which l saw the blot
of that dead body, with head propped
against the wall and eyes
Remember, l was but fifteen. The
legs were hunched up and almost
touched mine. The door-the door
which would rid me instantly Of any
proximity to this hideous object. l
flung myself at it-found the knob
turned it and yelled aloud-my foot
had brushed against him. I knew the
difference and it sent me palpitating
over the threshold; but no farther
Love of life had returned with my es-
cape from that awful prison house,
and I halted in the semidarkness into
which I had plunged, thanking heaven
for the thunder peal which had
drowned my loud cry.
For 1 was not yet safe. He was
still there. He had turned out all
lights but one. He had not seen me
and was going. 1 could hear the
sound of his feet as he went STUN
bling in his zigzag course towards the
door. Then every sound both on his
part and on mine was lost in a swoop
of devastating rain and I remember
before me, he started again into view,
within the open doorway where in the
glare of what he called heavens can
dies he stood, posing himself to meet
the gale which seemed ready to catch
him up and whirI him with other in
consequent things into the void of
nothingness. Then darkness settled
again and was left alone with Muir
der-alI the innocence of my youth
gone, and my soul very charnel
house.
I had to re-enter that closet; had to
take the only means Of escape prof
fered. But I went through it as we go
through the horrors of nightmare.
l simply did it and escaped all
lightning flash and falling limb, and
the Iasso of swirling winds-to find
myself at last lying my full length
along the bridge amid a shock of ele-
ments such as nature seldom sports
with. Here I chung, for I was breath
less, waiting with head buried in my
arm for the rain to abate before I at
tempted a further escape from the
MUCH JOY IN ANTICIPATION