Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-26


of death. from the words which had
been ringing in his brain came the flash
Of revelation
"' And a will beyond my will
Binds my footsteps as | rise up TO depart y
A will beyond his will It was as
though Fleda's fingers were laid upon
his own; as though she whispered in
his ear and her breath swept his check {;
as though she was there in the room
beside him. making the darkness light.
tcmpCring the wind of Chastsemcnt to
his naked soul. In the OvcrStran of
his nervous system the illusion was
powerful. lie thought he heard her
voice. The pistol slipped from his fin.
gers and he fell back on the pillow
with a sigh. The will beyond his will
bound his footsteps.
Who can tell? The grim. malign cx-
pcricncc Of Fleda in her bedroom with
the Thing she thought was from be-
yOnd the bounds of her own life the
voice that spoke to Ingoby and the
breath that swept over his cheek were,
perhaps. as real in n sense as would
have been the Corporcal presence of
Jcthro Fave in one case and of Flcda
Drusc in the other. 1t may be that in
very truth FlCda Druse's spirit. with
it's poignant solicitudc. controlled his
will as he rose up to depart. But
il it was only an illusion. it was not
less a miracle. Some power of sug
gcstion bound his fleeing footsteps, drew
him back from the brink.
lie slept. Once the nurse came and
looked at him and returned to the other
room. and twice Jim stole in silently
for a moment and retired again to his
own chamber. The stars shonc in Mt
the doors that opened out from the
quiet room into the night, the watch
beside the bed licked on. the fox terrier
which always slept on a mat at the
foot of the bed sighed in content. while
his master breathCd heavily in a sleep
full of dreams that hurried past like
phantasmagoria-of hundred things
that had been in his life. and that had
never been; of people he had known,
distorted. ridiculous and tremendous.
Thcr" were dreams of fddlprs and bar
bcrS, of crowds writhing in passion in
a room where there was billiard table
and lucky horseshoe on the wall.
There were dreams that tossed and
mingled in one whirlpool vision. and
then Mt last cam" 4 dream which was
SO cruel and clear that it froze his
senses.
1t was the dream of great bridge
over Il swift flowing river: of his own
bridge over the Sagalac-of' that bridge
being destroyed by men who crcpt
through the night with dynamite in
their hands.
With a hoarsc, smothercd cry he
nwoEe. His eyes opened wide. His
heart was beating like hammer against
his side. Only the terrier at his feet
heard the muttercd agony. With an
instinct all its own, it slipped to the
floor.
1t watched its master get out OF bed !
cross the room and feel for coat along
the wall-an Ovcrcoat which he used as
a dressing gown at times. Putting it
on hastily. with outstretchcd hands /
lngolby felt his way to the glass doors
opening on the veranda. The dog. as
rubbed against his legs. Ingolby muir
INJURED soft. unintclligiblc word. and, !
in his bare feet. passed out OH to the |
vcranda. and from there to the garden
and toward the gate at the front of
the house.
The nurse heard the gate click lightly. |
but she was only half awake and as all |
was quiet i'll the next room, she COM
posed herself in her chair again with |
the vain idea that She was not Sleep ,
ing. And jim the faithful one, as
though under a narcotic of fate. was
snoring softly beside the vacant room.
The streets were still. No lights burned
anywhere so far as eye could see. But |
now and then. in the stiffness through
(which the river flowed on, murmuring
and rhythmic, there rose the distant
sounds of disordcrly voices Ingolby
was in a state which was neither sleep
nor waking, which was in part deli
rum, in part oblivion to all things in
the world say" Onc-an Obsession so
complete that he moved automa tically
through the street in which he lived
toward that which led to the bridge.
His terrier, as though realizing ex-
'actly what he wished, seemed to guide
him by rubbing against his legs. and
even pressing hard against them when !
he was in any danger of losing the mid
die of the road, or swcrving toward a
ditch or some obstruction. Only once
did they pass any human being, and .
that was when they came upon camp
of road builders. where a red light |
burned and two men slept in the open !
by dying fire. One of them raised !
his head when lngolby passed. but being |
more than half asleep. and seeing only |.
a man and a dog. thought nothing of /
it and dropped back again upon his
rough pillow. He was II stranger to
Lebanon and there was little chance of |
his recognizing Ingolby in the semi
darkness.
As they neared the river IngOlby be
came deeply agitated. He moved with |
his hands outstretchcd. Had it not |
been for his dog he would probably !
have walked into the Sagalac. for
though he seemed to have an instinct
that was extra natural. he swaycd and
staggered in the delirium driving him
on. There was one dreadful moment !