Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-28

minute-long seconds of silence. There
was no repetition of the strange, eerie
throat sound of command; nothing
but the coal-black eyes that never
wavered. Sydney took a step forward.
He did not know why. There was no
reason why he should have taken that
step; no reason why he should have
taken the next No reason on earth
but the woman, who was slowly back
ing before him; the woman with the
coal-black eyes.
He heard the door close behind him
creakingly as one sandaled foot of the
woman pushed it shut. There was no
movement of the eyes that held his:
no movement of the flickering candle
she held over her head. Behind the
woman, on both sides of her. were
hangings of dusty black velvet over
which weird, cabalistic figures ran
| riot; signs of the zodiac, freakish
hgures of animals out of all anatom-
ical proportions, suns, moons, stars.
All were of silver, the FURNISHED metal
that showed in the stiffness of the
| thick velvet.
The woman's back bent in a curtsey,
both arms swept wide, and the candle
IN its silver holder flickered above
her head, where her hand had left
IT! Sydney Thames knew it was a
trick; the velvet hanging with the
silver designs to impress the impress
stonable; the silver sandals; the tomb
like silence! the garish light of the
single candle that accentuated the
wierdness of it all All a trick, Yesl
All out the unwavering, unyieIding
eyes In the unfathomable depths of
which seemed to lurk the wisdom of
centuries dead and gone.
1he arms swept together the palms
met In a sharp, pistol-like slap in the
SllenGa ha1
shadow enshrouded the flickering
ilght for an instant, and crow.
black, monstrous, thing of evil. perch
ed on the outstretched right arm.
What is it, sir? Your business at
this hour?"
The rasping questions came from
the bird on the woman's arm! This
last uncanny detail in the whole un-
canny picture stirred the latent su-
perstition in Sydney Thames despite
himself. He shot a glance over his
shoulder toward the door through
which he had entered. But behind
him, as in the front. the heavy vel
vet hangings covered everything. The
door was hidden.
Your wishes, sir? Your wishes p"
IN the scratchy, grating voice of the
bird there was impatience.
what did he want? What could he
say? That he had followed the girl?
That he wanted to find out about the
murdered man at the restaurant? {?
That he wanted to know why the wo-
man of the silver sandals had drunk
her toast to the man with whom she
had sat at the table? Why the man
was killed? Who was he? who was
she? Who was the girl he had seen
enter the house a few minutes be-
fore?
These were the questions that flash
ed through the mind of Thornley,
Colton's secretary as he stood there
They were the questions he wanted
answered. Those were the things he
wanted explained. But he could not
ask them. The woman before him
must not suspect any connection with
the murder at the hotel. But even as
that thought came. Sydney Thames
knew-knew-that the COAL black ewes
of the woman that seemed to read his
very soul must understand his visit
and its reason. He could not lie!
THE murder at the hotel!" He
blurted the words, and cursed inward
ly because there was a tremor in his
voice that all mental striving had
not been able to keep out THE
murder at the hotel" he repeated in
anely. He knew it was inane, foolish
but the words seemed to come before
he could hold them back. He realiz-
eu tnaJ ne naQ PROBABLY spoiled every
thing; that he had failed at the first
responsible part Thornley, Cotton had
ever given him. But the blind man
was far away the coal-black ewes
were very near.
There was no murder" Again the
metallic voice of the crow answered.
as parrot would have answered; re-
peaung a thing it had learned by rote.
The woman did not move a muscle
her arms remained outstretched at her
sides, there was no expression on the
wrinkled face. She stood like a statue
against her background of black, her
arm perch for the crow who spoke
because she was deaf and dumb.
THE bearded man at the restaurant
the dead man there!" Sydney's
words were puerile. and he knew it,
but some separate consciousness seem
ed speaking while another part of him
stood aloof, unable to combat the
things, that was leading him to saw
words he did not want to say.
The Prophet" rasped the crow
The Prophet? You want to sneak
with the Prophet? He knows ali
things sees all things, tells all things
that you wish to know. Come!"
Again came the shadow across he
suspended candle, as the crow left the
Woman's arm. It's wings flapped
softly against the black velvet. It's hill
pecked at the hangings a moment
and they swung back, revealing
door. The woman arr,