Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-02
THE VACANT WORLD
BY GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND
Copyright. 1910. by Frank 4. Muasry companv

own race had hccn Never had lac SO nd
| mtrgd it's diverse types Of force and beauty.
as now. now when all were hut a dream
Ugh" thought he. dtsgustcd beyond
| measure at the sight before him And all
| these things are Just as much alike as so
many ants IN "a NM / question II they've
| got the reason aud the socializcd intclll'
gene" OF ants"
He heard the girl breathe quick. ms she,
| too, watched what was going ON outside n
| certain change had tllcn place there. Tho
| mist had somewhat thiuurd away blown
by the frcshcntug breeze through Madison
forest and by the htghcrrislng sun. Both
| Watchers could now see further into tho
woods and both perceived that the horde
Sas for the most part diaposlng Itself To
| sleep.
| only II few vague, uncertain figures werc
| now moving about with strangely un.
| steady gait. weak.kuecd and simlau.
| In the nearest group. which Stern had
already had chance to study, all save one
OF the creatures had lain down. The man
and woman could quite plainly hear the
raucous and bestial snoring OF some half
dozen Of the gorgcd things.
Come away. you've seen enough, more
than enough ne whispered In the girls
ear
Sho shool, her head
mo, no. She answered, under her breath.
"IIow horrlblc--and yet, how wonderful
Then misfortune happened; trivial. yet
how direly pregnant
For Stern, trying to readjust his position,
laid his right hand ON the wall above his
head.
little fragment Of loose marble. long
since ready to fail. dislodged itself and
bounced with sharp click against the steel
I-beam over which they were both peelSing
The sound. perhaps, was no greater than
you would make In snnpping an ordinary
lead pencil in your fingers; yet on the In.
ataut three OF the things raised their
bulbous and exaggerated heads in an att-
tude Of intense. suspicious listening. Plain
tu see that their senses, at least, exceled
those of the human being, even as a dogs
might.
The individual which, alone OF them ALL
had been standing. wheeled suddenly round
ana made n step or two toward the build
ing Both watchers saw him with terrible
distlnctness, there among the sumRcs and
blrches. with the beauty Of which he made
a shocking contrast
Plain now was the simian aspect plain
the sidelong and uncertain gait. bent back
and crooked legs, the long, penduluuH arms
and duly fcrocioug face.
And as the Thing listened, Its hair bTis-
tlng II thrust it's villainoua, apelike head
well forward open fell the mouth re-
vealing the dog teeth ana the blue. shrly-
eled-lookInB gums.
wrinkle creased the low dun brow.
Watching with Mortified fascination stern
ture sniff the air as though taking up some
scent of danger or OF the hunt
Then up came the right arm they saw
the claw-hand with spear poise itself
a moment From the open mouth burst
with astounding force and suddenness a
snarlIng yowl. inartculate, ahrill, horrible
beyond all thinking.
An instant agitation took place all
through the forest, The watchers could see
only small fanltke space OF it--and
even this, only few rods from the huild-
ng-yet by the confused, vague noise that
began, they knew the alarm had been
given 10 the whole Horde.
Here. there, the cry was repeated. A
shifting moving sound began, In the yis- |
ible group the Things were getting 10 their
haudike feet, standing uusteadily on their |
loose-skinned. scay legs. gawpng about
them, whining and clicking with disgusting
sounds
Sudden. numblng fear seized Beatrice
Now for the first time she realized the
imminent peril. now she regretted her in |
sistence on seeing the Horde at close range
She turned, pale and shaken; and her |
trembling hand sought the engineers,
lie stil, for a moment, keep his eve 10 |
the crack. fascinated BY the very horror
of the sight Then an at once another |
figure shambled into view,
"A female one :" he realized shudder- |
ing. Too monstrously hideous. this sight |
to be endured With a gasp, the man |
turned back
About Beatrice he drew his arm. To-
gether almost as s0undlessly as wraiths |
they stole away out through the office, |
out 10 tine hallway into the dim light |
OF the arcade once more.
Here. for a few moments, they knew that |
they were safe, Retreat through the |
Marble Court and up the stairs was fairly |
clear. There was but one entrance open |
into the arcade. the one through Pine Tree |
Gate; and this was blocked so narrowly /
By the giant bole that Stern knew there /
could be no general mob-rush through IT. /
no attack which he could not for a while /
hold back so long As his ammunition and /
the girls should last
Thus they breathed more freely now
Most Of the tumult outside had been cut
on from their hearing BY the retirement
into the arcade They paused 70 plan their
course.
on Oh Allan hos horrible = she uhis-
partd II VAS an my fault faf having beah
IS headHfIeaa saf haFlns Insisted q q look
at them HeFzlse Hte
szsnf - cautioned azaz4 30 matter