Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-29

Every Dit OF Will SNQnSy lHdlheS
possessed fought back the fear, the
His fist clenched at his sides; his jaw
set then relaxed as he asked his
blunt question, the only question that
would come to his atrophied brain:
why were you at the restaurant
dead?"
In type, the question sounds silly;
but there was nothing silly in 1t to
Sydney Thames as he felt the hand
of the bearded man on his head, as he
saw the woman before him who was
apparently sleeping, as the black crow
blinked at him from it's perch.
"I was not dead - 1 slept" The
kindly note was still in the heavy
voice.
But why did you choose such a
asked the question doggedly. The
strangeness of the thing was making
him forget the superstitious awe.
Somehow he wanted to smile at the
grimness of it-of asking a man he
had last seen dead the why and where
fores OF it all. Surely no one had
ever had such an opportunity before!
Because there was feasting and
merrymaking. Death should always
come to the banquet board to re-
mind the living that the body is but
an ephemeral wrath inclosing the
restless spirit"
The old Egyptian idea of the
mummy at the feasting board?" asked
Sydney. His only feeling now was one
of curiosity to see how far he could
go. He forgot the sleeping woman,
the crow the single candle in the
velvet-hung room. He thought only
of the voice in which was a note of
kindiness, and the gentle pressure of
the hand on his head.
II was in Egypt ten centuries
agone. My beliefs are the beliefs of
the wise men of the Nile" The SOL
emn sincerity of the words was un-
mistakable. 1t drove all thoughts of
amusement from Thames mind. The
man standing over him believed what
he said! But Sydney Thames refus-
ed to be side-tracked. The man who
spoke might believe such a thing, but
Sydney Thames refused to credit such
belief The man was there, and Col
ton had said he was dead in the res
taurant. The blind man did not make
mistakes!
"You were murdered in the restau-
rant" Sydney snapped out the words,
and his muscles grew tense for the
explosion he expected. The hand on
his head did not move; there was no
new note in the voice that answered: i:
THAT is untrue. l went to sleep
hours before you saw me. The two
who guided me knew ! was sleeping;
lief, and preparation was necessary
to carry out my wishes. When the
day came for my sleep - forecasted
by the oracles centuries back -
everything was ready. Those who car
ried out my wishes will be rewarded" !"
The words carried convictionl Sgd
ney Thames shivered under the touch
/ Af hA h hfc frnI ant ha1
to the picture at the restaurant: the
mechanical walk, the waiter, and the
woman who not only guided but sup
ported. Dead when he entered the
restaurant! The thing seemed absurd.
A dead man could not walk even
with supporting arms! And Cotton
| had remarked the strangeness of the
| bearded mans voice!
You do not believed" The kindli-
ness was gone now. Anger had taken
its place. "See!"
The hand was lifted from his head.
The man stepped back. Slowly he
rolled the sleeve from his left arm,
barring the thin, corded forearm.
Around the flesh, above and below the
elbow, Thames saw cleverly hinged,
double circlets of silver!
The preparation!" said the solemn
voice. Years of thought. and of
toll wrought by mine own hands; OF
bands of silver, of coils, and springs
and braces of your new metal called
steel"
The mechanical walk! The auto
maton leg lifting! The unmoving
head, held high! All those things
came back to Sydney then. There
was no lie in the speaking voice
Sydnsy knew that And his eyes
had seen!
so you died naturally?" the words
came slowly from Sydney's lips. 1.-THE
bringing you to the restaurant was bu
the carrying out of your desires?"
He remembered the toast the wo
man had drunk the touch of thu
womans lips to the mans forehead
walked out of the restaurant. 1t mus
be true, all true. Thornley, Coltol
had been wrong! There had beel
no murder; only the obeying of
curious wish of a strange man.
yes" The bearded man answer
ed the question as he slowly backe
toward the cabinet in the corner
"Yes. So you may tell your blin
master"
His blind master! The words arotis
ed Sydney Thames numbed brain lik
sudden plunge into cold water, ant
brought back to his mind all the sus
picion the words of the man had al
layed. He knew of Cotton! He mus
know of the trailing. So it was all
trick. He realized then that he ha,
left the bearded man at the restau
rant. There was no way he coul'
have gotten here. Who was this man
Who was the man with his finger
around the stem of the wineglass
Who was the woman? The woman
He'd forgotten her completely!
He moved his chair as the curtain
of the cabinet closed before the back
ing man. Silver Sandals eyes wer
still closed. her body moved back an,
forth in her chair. He started to rise
He'd find out what it all meant! TIL
sharp voice of the crow cut the tomb
like silence.
Wake, Silver Sandals" it com
manded. "The young man has seel
and heard. Wake, and touch hin
with your hand, that he may knoy
it is not all dream"
The body swaying ceased. Tn
coal-black eyes opened slowly, stare
straight into his. Again Sydney fel
their uncanny power. His tens
muscles relaxed as he sat back in tn
chair. The woman rose slowly fror
her seat. She came toward him, he
silver sandals moving slowly under tn
black silk or her gown, her hand
rigid It her sides. Once more Sgd
ney felt the wild impulse to get away
III .