Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1917-10-05

| ihib uttcu the case eutlTelyl n
temporary lunacy. intermittent, prob
ably unsupported by the affected per-
sons nearest friends, perhaps I'M
known even to himself. clouding a
mind sane at all times save when
once month the moon shone full up
on it's owner.
was so impressed that could not
het away from It..
II / could find such spot-par-
ticularly If IL were spot under which
sCme person slept should certainly
not let that person go until after the
most rigid investigation of his mind
and his nocturnal habits.
But how could such a spot be
found? Obviously could not set my
men upon the task of searching half
a million bedrooms at the hour of mid
night when the moon was full. The
thing was quite as hopeless as ever.
All l had gained was q curious dis
coyery in psychology-unless-
seized the calendar again. The
murderous maniac would return-he
would return at the next full moon.
My hair suddenly rose. The moon
was full that night! And the sky out
side was absolutely cloudless.
Already / had spent so much time
on this lunar theory that 1t was half
past eleven. Another half hour--and,
would 1t be myself or the new house.
keeper had secured who would serve
as the lunatic's next victim?
Quickly / drew two revolvers from
the drawer of my desk. ] turned the
room, my ears straining for the first
sound.
II seemed to me that sat thus for
hours before / heard slight noise in
the kitchen-a faint scratching.
! rushed through my bedroom and
the narrow hall past the servants
room. At the kitchen door halted
for an instant, staring into the black
ness until could make out the dLmly
outlined windows.
The scratching came again.
For a police officer ! was terribly
| frightened. The whole thing seemed
SO CHASTITY SO uncanny-the invisible
enemy had shown himself so resource
| full before that / half wondered
whether was dealing with flesh and
blood.
The utter black was hardly broken
where the windows faced the dull
brick walls. waited
The scratching was repeated. II
came again and again. crept out In
TO the middle Of the room, taking
pains to avoid touching chair or a
table. / stopped and listened.
l could hear the sound more dis
tinctly now. At least l believed l
could trace its direction. 1t came
from the window by the pantry door.
| thought. AS / reached this con-
clusion IT stopped
Once more / waited-until / could
stand the suspense no longer.
struck match and lighted the
gas. in the meanwhile keeping my
eyes riveted upon the window.
AS the lamp fiared up l barely
stified scream or terror
A mouse, frightened at the light,
turned and ran almost from under my
feet back into the pantry.
Only the wrought-up condition OF
my nerves could account for my fail
ure to recognize the sound II had
made
Had not known it would make me
womanishly hysterical, / should have
given vent to the laughter which
struggled up within me.
supposed il was now long past
midnight, but my watch told me II
was but five minutes past twelve.
Trembling, almost faint with the
sudden let-down from the strain of un-
seeing fear, turned out the light
again and started back TO my vigil In
the front room.
reached my own bedroom.
My blood suddenly froze with
horror.
Never had / seen it before in the
years / had lived in that suite but
now
A large square Of light, as the MON
peered through the angle of the "
shaped court, lay full over the pillow
of my bed! Copyrighted by the
Frank A. Munsey Co.