The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-09-05

staring they sat rigidly, while the in
carnations of Ram Chunder grew more
violent.
Look !" whispered the Spider. great
ly agitated. Staring still more in
tently, the bewildered Morgan saw the
form of Ethel asleep in her bed, one
arm thrown over her head.
"Great heavens!' he said with
shudder.
Within her room the girl, awakened
by what she did not know. slowly
opened her eyes. For moment she
rubbed them after the manner of one
who has slept deeply and well, then
as she lay looking at the ceiling the
light Of intelligence which had filed
her pupils gradually faded, while in
its place came the CLASSY, staring gaze
of one who falls beneath the spell of
a hypnotist. Over her form a con-
vulsive shudder ran and twice she es-
sayed to arise, each time seeming to
be pulled back upon the bed by some
invisible force. Then apparently the
mysterious power which was urging
her up triumphed, and slowly, uncer-
tainly as one moves when in daze,
she threw aside the cover and stepped
upon the floor.
Glad in her night robe, her white
arms and upper bosom cleaning in
the subdued light of her room, she
seemed thing ethereal as she slowly
passed from her bed toward the door.
Stepping around Rainface. who lay fast
asleep upon the rug she opened the
door which led into the corridor, and
going into 1t crossed the hall. Nor
gan and Bellas stepped forward, but
the voice of the old fakir arose warn
ingly.
"Touch her not. The Child of
Siva-'
John Davis, asleep in his room,
opened his eyes in bewilderment and
sat blinking at the wall.
"Queer dream. that. Had vision
or dream or nightmare or something
that Ethel was prowling around in her
sleep and threatened by some danger
Guess I'd better investigate" Swing
ing his feet to the floor he passed out
Of the room.
Avoiding the Indian as the girl had
done he FASTENED to the door leading
into the corridor, opened 1t and glanced
down the hall. Ethel was just dis
appearing into a room upon the other
side. and to his partially sleep be-
fogged senses she seemed to be float
Ing spiritlike rather than walking with
feet that touched the floor. Wonder
ing what on earth it meant, and wait
ing only until she had disappeared be-
hind the opposite panel, with two
bounds he was at the door. 1t was
locked. Already Morgan had turned
the key.
Still beneath the occult influence of
Ram Chunder. Ethel CROPPED her way
into the room across the hall. RAM
leaning forward, whispered fiercely in
the Hawks ear.
"He is coming after her." at the
same time handing the other man a
card upon which had been roughly
scrawled:
ITO find where she whom you seek
has gone, open the casket." With a
brief glance at the hastily written
casket. and all hastily withdrew them
selves into an adjoining room.
Davis, finding the door which barred
his way locked placed his shoulder
against it and gave a mighty heave.
Before the violent impact of his body
the lock burst as does a pipestem and
he entered. The odor of incense still
hung heavy in the air. and rushing
to the window he opened it and thrust
Ii. thA x,-t.
yard for Ethel No sign of her was
to he seen and turning his attention
to the room he began to search it
frantically Closet and portieres yield
ed nothing, and upon the verge OF
starting for the next room where the
conspirators crouched, his eye fell
upon the small casket. Halted by the
sight he stared wonderingly at 1t for
a moment, then picked up the card.
Instantly the terrific power con-
tanned within the casket loosed itself
into his body. Unable to release the
handles of death he stood swaying, his
eyes slowly closing, his face gone the
color of death and his breath coming
in gasps. Second by second the life
was being shocked from his body
Ram Chunder. opening the door of
the other room at this moment, stood
upon the Threshold one long, skinny
finger pointing at the collapsing Davis.
A smile of infinite evil was upon his
drawn face.
"Seel The power of Siva" he ex-
claimed triumphantly. Barring skinny
arm he took from Shallum a long, ser
petine-edged East Indian knife and be
gan creeping forward.
Unable to endure longer the mystic
rious power which was shooting
through his frame as living lightning,
with long, indrawn gasp John col
lapsed upon the floor, his hands still
tightly clutched about the fatal han
dies.
aTn mako sure - hreathed Ram