Tensas gazette., 1917-12-14
Copyright 1917. Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.J
By BOOTH HARRINGTON


"Musther PenrOd,'
This was hail rrom the house. Del
la, the cook, emerged from the kitchen
door and stood upon the back-porch in
silent stable.
"Musther PenrOd Y rout there SIM
where's, why can't y'answer me? Yer
father an mothers away fer dinner
an SOS Miss Marg'rut an I'm not goin
to wait ahl night. so If ye want amy
thing feat ye better c'min an eat it.
rs the last I'll cahl YET"
However, she came to the door five
times during the gradual dusk to shout
"Musther Penrod" and various warn
ings; but the stable remained stolidly
unresponsive. Finally she delivered n
real ultimatum, and when it proved In
effectual, retired permanently.
Certainly her voice had reached the
physical ear of Penrod, but 1t conveyed
no meaning; his mind had not heard
it. PenrOd's self was in horrible cav
ern in the Rocky mountains with Har-
old Ramorez.
Like many another good soul moved
TO attempt the transmutation of vision
into manuscript, this author was not
aware how frail and tlracherous are
the processes of the alchemy. The fact
that words are fixed symbols of things
concerned PenrOd little; he thought
that the words he set upon the paper
meant all the things he heard and felt
and saw, in his minds eye. as he wrote
things which so stirred and thrilled
him that his hand had begun to trem-
bic as ii sped, faster and faster, across
the pages.
He shook with horror of the awful
refuge discovered by Harold Ramorez
he saw green vapor shimmering In
its sinister hollOws; he heard the
shrieking of the canon wind across the
cavern's mouth, saw 1t lifting and toss
ing the white hair and beard of
dreadful figure which lay there, naked,
torn and drenched. He fed toward
the green vapor in the depths, only to
turn back, shuddering with CHASTITY
suspicious, while out of the darkness
hundreds of eyes-eyes without bodies.
eyes without faces-looked at him and
began to come closer, and closer, and
closer.
When such a situation is thus con-
ceived and developed in such an au-
thor, 1t seldom proceeds toward con-
valescence; but rather the symptoms
become more and more malignant in
definitely. relief being obtained only
after the author has had nights
sleep. So 1t was but natural that Har-
old Ramorez's suspicious concerning
the green vapor turned out to be well
founded. The vapor proved, indeed, to
be the ghost Of the unfortunate Old
Man who had suffered so greatly after
arriving at the cavern, and on the
journey thereto and also, owing to the
Vaccinations of Mr.. Wilson. for six
teen long. previous years.
And. with the typical inconsistency
of all ghosts. this one had undergone
COllDltlt VI SluCt
passing. Forgetting every former tie
and all gratitude, 1t seemed wholly
inimical to its former benefactor. and
assuming the position of terrOr-in-chief
OF place upon which. I'm life. ii had
pronounced an unfavOrable opinion
and for which it had shown no attach
ment whatever. ii now appeared to
have no affairs to call II elsewhere.
nor any purpose in existence save to
unsettle the reason of one who had
shown II nothing hut kindness. For.
in truth, Harold Ramorez feared he
might 90 mad--and Penrod's mouth
opened and his eyes bulged fearsomely
as he wrote.
And that very instant the flame Of
his depleted lantern died absolutely.
Harold Ramorez himself was not left
in more complete eclipse. Instinct
brought Penrod to his feet at bound;
and. as he looked out over the side Of
.he sawdust box toward the open door,
his state of mind was one that needed
the immediate reinsurance of sunshine.
And bright. warm, July afternOOn sun
shine was what Penrod fully expected
to see.
Instead. he looked into Egyptian
night
Therefore 1t Is not surprising that
when Penrod emerged from the stable.
a very few seconds later. breathing
disconcertedly, he bore In
both hands. ready for all emergencies,
an overweighty but certainly formid
able weapon, which had come to his
hand as he slid down from the saw
dust box.
1t was an AK.
There was no moon; there were no
stars; there was no light in heaven
there was no light in n neighbours
house. The air was thick and black;
in the yard took curious,
changing shapes, and Penrod kept
wary eye upon them as he threaded
his way to the kitchen door.
1t opened to his hand. revealing
nothing save by reminiscent Odor; but
there was dim light in the dining
room. Thither he proceeded. his I'M
nerved condition being at once i'm
proved by the sight of viands and veCe-
tables, for there was plate upon the
table at his accustomed place. and
food plentcOus. though grown cold.
\ conjunction of suggestions. oc-
curing as he ate, recalled something
like an echo of Della'S voice; gradu-
ally he became susceptible to an i'm
preston that his father and mother