Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-01-11
PROLOGUE.

SAAARooA, II Idd SlSlcu ltlS IpSlSlcI
and was on his way to the sleeping
quarters, paused and turned his
purplish face toward the door that had
been shaken by the blow. keener witted
than most of the derelicts who drifted
into this house of refuge, he wondered
whether the place could furnish him
amusement. Also, he was making a
mental bet that there could come in
nobody more wretched looking than he.
After a short, dead silence outside,
there followed the oun of hard flesh
and rough finger nails scraping and
clawing on the woodwork. The door
swung in very. slowly, and that which
had n llke a sack of meal stood
WaVering in the opening, like a spectre,
his right shoulder against the door
lamb. his left hand still on the knob.
He trembled visibly, and. without re-
moving his shoulder from the wood
against which he leaned, passed his
right hand YEARLY across his forehead.
the long, pale fingers moving loosely
against his coal black, tangled hair. He
wore no hat. His beard, a. week old,
completed the dark, circular frame for
his cad white face, made all the
ghastlier by the big, fever lit eyes.
The eyes We're terrific. They had in
them the flame of terror. 1t was as if
the fierceness Of it lighted up all the
badges of misery that he wore. His
collar was gone, showing the neckband
OF his shirt fastened with a bone collar
button. The rusty Goa hung open, ex-
posing a tear in his shirt just over his
heart, and from the right cuff of his
coat sleeve, as he moved his hand with
that peculiar, crawling motion, dangled
a long piece Of cloth. His trousers,
baggy and shapeless, Tapped slightly
as his knees knocked together. His
Clothes, too big for him, made him look
like a draped skeleton. His torn shoes
EnGp2d III nc If flnrr 1el l--- ~ y
with mush.
me terror that was in his eyes was
also in his heart. 1t was more ap-
parent. more real, than any terror that
had ever faced Simpson the bum, or
Old sullivan. 1t was something super
Simpson shivered.
Sullivan, who had let his paper slide
nolslly to the floor, got to his feet.
'HelIo!' he said, trying to make the
WORD a mere greeting. In reality it was
a to the stranger to speak, to
baIish the spectral impression.
h trembling man sprang into the
room with the agility of a cat. slammed
the door shut, and fell hard with his
back against it. He looked like one
VINO has run a great distance and
makes one last effort to escape pursuit.
11ls burning eyes glanced at Simpson
mt then at the few articles in the
barely furnished room, but they took no
knowledge of what they saw. The
flame of them, brilliant and steady
went toward Sullivan.
What can we do for your" the old
man asked b~rusquely, disliking the brill
liant eyes.
The stranger, a grotesoue flattened
against the door, licked his lips twice
ana tried to speak. When he did so. if
was IN a rafting whisper, n he moved
ms neck ~curiously as if his throat hurt
him. Noi
Help me" he said, and there was in
the whisper something that sounded
unpleasantly like Z whine.
All right" Sullivan, having n,,tied
himself together, assured him. Come
over here" ~
The visitor trembled as If invisible.
irresistible hands had hold of him. and
again ms burning eyes surveyed the
room blind1y. He came away from the
door with an infinity of caution. his
breath audible in his nostrils. He came
slowly, his, knees half giving wav he
meath him. AS he walked, half Of the
sole or his right shoe fell away from
ms ms loot and tapped against the floor.
i'is arHs hung loose at his sides.
will yous-he said, WHISPERING
when he almost had reached the desk
will you %help-help me?"
Although the whine of appeal was
stun IN the whisper. there was. back Of
that, something which sounded like a
ne" de1lnltlon OF despair. 1t
thal ne mad no hope of finding helm.
"Sure!" Sullivan answered him
breezily. MN
NJ stranger lurched against the desk
fell forward, the hardness Of his
pony elbows making a knocking noise.
win his head bowed, his nose mashed
against the hard wood. he flung up his
right arm, his hand shaking, the fingers
moving through the air with the slow,
Gravity motion, nj screamed aloud
n prolonged note. S
"Ee-ee-ee!" he lamented shr;uv
I'm afraid Of it,"
He lifted his head SO that it was
flung far back on his shoulders and
stared at Sullivan.
I've run through the streets" he
said in a whisper. through the streets
through the fields-l. 900 miles,
And It was always-always behind me.
1t held on to my shoulder"
He clapped his left hand to his right
grinned sheepishly. trying to cover up
ms failure to capture that which
threatened him. ~
Nearly got it then!" he declared.
The whisper, more than The burning
eyes. made Sullivan all sympathy. He
lister around.
quired kindly.
The stranger took the pen and pushed
the torn piece of coat sleeve out of the
way. preparatory to writing. He paused.
the pen webbing In his hand, while a
new n grayer horror spread over his
race. Then, with the new ugliness up
on nim, he began to laugh in a silly,
scarcely audible, fashion.
MY name?" he giggled. Somebody's
stolen it," Then slowly, the words
coming one by one through his vacu-
ous IN "!-don't-know-my-
name. Sort Of joke. 1 don't know who
l am"
All right" Sullivan said lightly, TAX
ing the pen from the others palsied
myers. I'll sign for YOU" He wrote
IT down and spoke 1t: John Smith
mere you are. That all right"
John Smith laughed ~vacantly and be-
gan to look aroun the room furtively.
Inc tramp Simpson, who had been
watching him with absorbed interest.