Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-06
CHAPTER viii.
In Which I Understand the Feelings Of
Ghost.

In Which I Understand the Feelings Of
| Ghost.
So. I surmised, ! had been under
ground q whole day and two nights
and this was the morning Of the sec
ond day after Calypso's disappearance.
What had been happening to her ell
this time! My flesh crept at the
thought, and, with that daylight steal
ing in like living presence, and the
sound and breath Of the sea, my an.
guish returned hundredfold.
AS I stood on the little rocky plat.
form outside the door through which
had burned my way. and looked down
into the gllmmering chasm beneath.
and heard the fresh voice Of the sea
huskily rumb!ing and reyerberating
about hidden grottoes and channels,
all that Calypso was to me came back
! with the keenness Of a sword through
f! my heart. All /! there was my treasure
as I had known when my eyes first
beheld her-compared with which that
| gold and silver In there, whose CLEAN
had made me momentarily distrGught,
was but so much dust and ashes.
| Ardently as had sought 1t, what was
it compared to one glance Of her eyes2
| What If In the same hour. had lost
| my true treasure, and found the false?
At the thought. that gllttering heap
became abhorrent TO me, and, without
| looking back, sought for some way
| by which 1 could descend.
AS my eyes grew accustomed to the
dim light, saw nat there were some
| shallow steps cut diagonaly in the
rock. and down these had soon made
| my way, to find myself in a roomy cor
| ridor. so much like that In which 1 had
seen Calypso standing in the moonlight,
| that, for moment. dreamed II was
! the same, and started to run down 1t.
| thinking, indeed, that my troubles
were over-that In another moment l
would emerge through that enchanted
door and face the sea.
But alas instead Of a broad shining
| doorway, and open arms Of freedom
Widespread for me to leap into, came
| at last to a mere long narrow Slit
| through which could gaze as man
gazes through q prison window at the
sky. ...,
The entrance had once been wide
| and free, but mass Of rock had fallen
from above and blocked it up, leaving
only q long crack through which the
| tides passed to and fro.
I was still in my trap; it seemed
more terrible than ever, now that l
| could see freedom so close, her very
voice calling to me, singing the morn.
ing song Of the sea. But in the caverns
behind me, I heard another mocking
song, and I felt Q cold breath on my
cheek, for death stood by my side
a-grin.
THE treasurer he whispered, II
need you to guard that The treasure
you have rlsked all to win-the treas
rre for which you have lost-your
treasure! You cannot escape. Go back
and count your gold. 1t is AL GOOD
money" Ha! hat 1t 10 ill good
money!"
The illusion seemed SO real to me
that I cried aloud IT will not die! I
viii not die !"-cried It so loud, that
anyone in q passing boat might have
heard me, and shuddered. wondering
what poor ghost It was waiting among
the rocks.
But the fright had done me good,
and I nerved myself for another effort.
If only could wriggle past that con-
traction in the middle, I should be
safe. And II I stuck fast midway! But
the more I measured the width with
my eye, the less the narrowing seemed
to be. To be so slightly perceptible. it
could hardly be enough to make much
difference. Caution whispered that 1t
! might be enough to make the differ
ence between life and death. But al.
| ready my choice of those two august
alternatives was 50 limited as hardly
! to be called q choice. On the one
hand, I could worm my way back
through the caves and tunnels through
which I had passed. and hy my luck
again at the other end. IT,.
"With half 4 dozen matchesi"
sneered voice that sounded like To-
bias'-"Precisely" :. >, and the hor-
ror Of 1t was more than I dared face
again anyway. SO there was nothing
for it but this aperture, hardly wider
than one of those deep stone Sits that
stood for windows In Norman castle.
It was my last chance, and meant
to take 1t like a man. -
stood for moment nerytng myself
and taking deep breaths, ~ though I
expected to take but few more. Then,
ny left arm extended, entered 5ido-
wise, and began TO edge myself along.
It was easy enough for yard or two.
after which It was plain that It was
beginning to narrow. Very slightly In.
deed, but still little. However. / could
still 60 on, and--I could still 70 back. ]
went on-more slowly It Is true, yet
still I progressed. But tho rock was
perceptibly closer to me, I had TO
struggle harder. It was beginning to
mug me-vsry gsntiy-but it was BE-
ginning.
paused to take breath. could not
turn my head to. look back. but ]
Judged that had come over third
Of the way. I was coming up to the
waist that had feared, but could
still 20 on-very slowly. scarce more
than an inch at every effort yet every
inch counted, and ! had lots OF time
Ny feet and head were free-which