Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-22

sawdust box-spitsful. like all other
visions-chose this particular moment
to recur to the author OF Harold RAJ
rnorez."
He was standing by tho portal Of his
own bedroom. GaspinE. he hoped
across the threshold, kicked the door
shut. and maintaining possession OF his
armory. though, perhaps. not Of his
faculties, huddied himself upon the bed
and buried his face IN tho pillow.
It II not altogether discreditable to a
boy in the dark that he sometimes imi
tates an ostrich. But 1t IS unfortunate
because. when one 10 already IN the
dark. very little relief can be obtained
by closing the eyes.
Penrod. burrowing into his pillow,
could see the Old Man rather more
plainly that II he had allowed his eyes
to remain open. He saw him through
the pillow and through the wall; it
seemed that the Old Man was lying on
the hail rug just outside the closed
door, and that before long he would get
up and come into the bedroom and bend
over the bed and But here mag
ination baked In ultimate horror
Without lifting or turning his face
Penrod managed to sauirm inside the
bedclothes and to cover himself COM
pletely. as far as the top of his head.
for tho Old Man was but one OF the
monsters that threatened.
BurElarsI
halls upstairs and downstairs; the air
Of the whole house became murmurous
with their whispers and rustlngs.
Penrod. still not moving his head.
beneath the sheet; slid the gun of the
coverlet. and pushed it as far under the
bed as he could. Burglars might be
more merciful II they believed him but
a little lonely sleeping child intending
no resistance
He gulped lamentably. and q poig-
nant bitterness began to form no incon-
siderable part of his condition.
What kind Of parents were they the
asked himself). who could go blithely
off and leave little lonely child to be
found by burglars-and other Things
in a great. horrible. hollow, empty
house? Probably his father and mother
were somewhere with a whole crowd Of
people. in brightly lighted rooms no
doubt at this very moment they were
Laughingi
His indignation extended to cover the
cases OF his nineteen-year-o sister
Margaret, and of Della. the cook, and
Katie. the housemaid. Most likely all
three Of these marble hearts were also
somewhere, talking and laughing.
Big. strong, old. grown people-every
one OF them-well: maybe they would
be sorry tomorrow! Besides, he would
get even with them-if he lived.
He was making up his mind in what
manner a general revenge should be &C
conplished upon the household when
the handle of his door clicked family
and yet distinctly: was. softly turned,
and the door opened little way.
Periods heart did not stop, but his
breath did. He lay motfonless.
The door was closed again. gently
The heart and breath both bounded
There was no doubt about it: some
thing had certainly opened his door
and had looked at him. He had felt it
It was too much for closed eyes! Pen
rod lifted himself on his elbow and
stared whirlingly about him until his
gaze became fixed in utter horror upon
the threshold of the door. y thread of
light glimmered wanly along that
threshold.
Shaking to the verge of spasm. Penrod
gathered his weapons again.
Then the light disappeared. and there
was darkness--and silence and silence,
and silence.
And whatever the color of the CLEAN
beneath the door. the thread that re-
NAMED upon the fixed retina of Pen
rods eye, after the actual light had
gone, was green.
Now, indeed. out OF the darkness over
the frenzied boy did Chimera peer and
monster hover! The green thread broke
and twisted into shapes; bodiless, face
less eyes came closer and closer and
closer, while animals breathed hot upon
his cheek.
The silence grew tenser with noises
just about to burst forth; the dark
visions just ready to make themselves