South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-02
The Abandoned Room

eyes the dancers made long nebulous
bands Of color In which nothing had
form or Conference. Instinctively he
felt he hadn't dined recklessly
enough to account for these amaz-
ing symptoms. He was suddenly
afraid
"Carlosl" he whispered
He heard Maria's voice dimly:
Take him home"
A hand touched his arm. With a
supreme effort of will he walked
! from the room, guided by the hand
on his arm. And always his brain
recorded fewer and fewer impress
sions for his memory to struggle
with later.
At the cloak room some one help
ed him put on his coat He was
walking down steps. He was in some
kind Of a conveyance. He didn't
know what 1t was. An automobile,
a carriage, a train? He didn't know.
He only understood that it went
swiftly, swaying from side 10 side
through a sable pit. Whenever his
mind moved at all it came back 10
that sensation of a black pit in which
he remained suspended, swinging
from side TO side, trying TO struggle
up against impossible odds. Once or
twice words flashed like fire through
the pit: "Tyrant.-Fool to CO."
From a long immersion deeper IN
the pit he struggled frantically. He
must get out. Somehow he must find
wings. He realized that his eyes
were closed He tried to open them
and failed So the pit persisted and
he surrendered himself. as one &C
cepts death, to it's hateful blackness.
Abruptly he experienced a mo-
mentary release. There was no more
swaying. no more movement OF any
kind. He heard a strange. melan-
choly voice, whispering without
words. always whispering with a flu
tile perseverance as if it wished him
to understand something it could
not express.
What is it trying to tell me?" he
asked himself.
Then he understood It was the
voice of the wind, and it tried to
tell him to open his eyes, and he
found that he could. But in spite of
his desire they closed again almost
Immediately. Yet, from that swift
glimpse. a picture outlined itself
later in his memory.
In the midst of wild, rolling
clouds. the moon was a drowning
face. Stunted trees bent before the
wind like puny men who strained
impotently to advance. Over there
v-as one more like a real mana
figure. Bobby thought, with a black
thing over its face-a mask.
This is the forest near the Ced-
ars." Bobby said to himself. I've
come 10 face the old devil after all.
He heard his own voice, harsh. re-
mote, unnatural, speaking to the dim
figure with a black mask that wait
ed half hidden by the straining trees
why am here in the woods near
the Cedars?"
And he thought the thing an
swered:
Because you hate your grand
father
Bobby laughed, thinking he UNI
derstood. The figure in the black
mask that accompanied him was
his conscience He could understand
why il went masked.
The wind resumed its whispering.
The figures, straining like puny
men. fought harder. The drowning
face sinking back, back into the
sable pit.
81 don't want to CO." he moan
ed.
A long time afterward he heard
whisper aeain, and he wondered IL
il was the wind or his conscience.
He laughed through the blackness
because the words seemed so ao-
surd.
Take off your shoes and carry
them in your hand. Always do that
1t is the only safe way.
He laughed again, thinking:
What a careful conscience!" \
He retained only one more impress
sion. He was DULY aware that some
time had passed He shivered. He
thought the wind had grown angry
with him. for it no longer whisper
ed. It shrieked, and. he could make
nothing of its wrath. He struggled
frantically TO emerge from the pit.
The quality OF the blackness deep
ened. His fright grew. He felt him
self slipping, slowly at first then fast
err faster down into Impossible
depths. and there was nothing at all
he could do to save himself
go away! For Gods sake, go
away!"
Bobby thought he was speaking TO
the sombre figure in the mask. His
voice aroused him to one more ef-
fort at escape. but he felt that there
was no use. He was too deep.
Something hurt his eyes. He open {
ed them and for a time was blinded
by a narrow shaft OF sunlight rest ;
ing on his face. With an effort he
moved his head to one side and
closed his eyes again, at first merely
thankful that he had escaped from
the black hell, trying 10 control his
sensat atoms of physical evil. Subtle
curiosity forced its way into his sick
brain and stung him wide awake. |
This time his eyes remained open, /
staring about him, dilating with a 1
wilder fright than he had expert I
enced in the dark mazes Of his I
nightmare adventure.
Ja bod payrer seen this nlaCa be- 4