The Washington times., 1917-09-18

HEN had nnlShed, ne Saio;
AA/ "I am glad that 1t 10 old
" and big. l myself am Of an
old family, and to live
in Il new house would kill me. A
house cannot be made habitable in 4
day. and. after all, how few days 20
to make up a century. 1 rejoice also
that there is a chapel Of old times.
We Transylvanian mobiles love not tn
think that our bones may lie amongst
the common dead. I seek not gayety
nor mirth, not the bright yoluptuous-
ness Of much sunshine and sparkling
waters which please the young and
gay. am no longer young, and my
heart, through weary years OF mourn
ing over the dead, Is not attuned to
mirth. Moreover. the walls Of my
castle are broken; the shadows are
many. and the wind breathes cold
through the broken battlements and
easements. love the shade and the
shadow, and would be alone with my
thoughts when may" Somehow his
words and his look did not seem 70
lccord, or else II was that his cast Of
face made his smile look malignant
and saturniHe.
Presently, with an excuse, he left
me. asking me TO put all my papers
together. He was some little time
away, and began to look at some Of
the books around me. One was an
atlas. which found opened naturally
at England, as II that map had been
much used. On looking at 1t I found
In certain places fittle rings marked,
and on examining these I noticed that
one was near London on the east side,
manifestly where his new estate was
situated, the other two were Exeter
and whitby on the Yorkshire coast
1t was the better part OF an hour
when the Count returned "Aha~, he
said; 'stil at Jour books? Goodi
But you must not work always. Come.
am informed that your supper Is
ready" He took my arm, and we
went into the next room, where
found an excellent supper ready on
the table. The Count again excused
himself, as he had dined out on his
being away from home. But he sat
as on the previous night, and chatted
whilst ate. After supper
smoked, as on the last evening. and
the Count stayed with me, chatting
and asking questions on every con-
ceivable subject, hour after hour. 1
felt that 1t was getting very late in
deed. but 1 did not say anything, for
/ felt under obligation to meet my
hosts wishes in every way. was
not sleepy, as the long sleep yester-
day had fortified me; but could not
help experiencing that chill which
comes over one at the coming OF
the dawn, which is like, in its way.
the turn Of the tide. They say that
people who are near death die gen
orally at the change to the dawn or
at the turn OF the tide: any one who
has when tired, and tied as It were TO
his post, experienced this change IN
the atmosphere can well believe Il.
All at once we heard the crow OF a
cock coming up with preternatural
shrillness through the clear morning
air: Count Dracula, jumping to his
feet, said:
KEPT TALKING UNTIL
DAWN WAS UPON HIM.
why, there is tho e>morning again
How remiss am TO let you stay up
so long. You must make your CONVEX
satIou regarding my dear new coun-
try Of England. less interesting. so
that may not forget how time flies
by u.s." and, with a courtly bow, he
quickly left me.
wen. into my own room and drew
the curtains. but there was little to
notice; my window opened Into the
courtyard, all I could see was the
warm gray of quickening sky. So I
pulled the curtains again, and have
written OF this day,
May began TO fear as wrote
In this book that I was getting too
dlfruse, but now l am glad that 1
went into detail from the first, for
there is something SO strange about
this place and all In II that I cannot
buc feel uneasy ] wish ] were safe