The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-01-10

Customod weakness In her knees. lie
for her For some moments the gloom
was Impenetrahla to her eyes but ms
their pupils dilatcd she begun TO dis
cover shadows within the shadow until
she WIS ahe to make ont the entire
scheme Of Interior arrangement The
ground floor. with the exception of nm
open space around the trunk of the
tree. was devoted 10 series of vast
sleeping rooms into which. she gnth
cred from muttered phrase OF Mae
Closter's. were hertled nightly all the
girls of marriagcnble nEe. accompn
MED b.. few Of those old harrdnns
who In certain tribes net na govern
esses with the qualification that II t.
their duty to ins'ill NIL the knowledge
which the mentors of the young of
civilized peoples are supposed to with
hold.
Around the trunk Of the tree. which
was twelve feet or more IN diameter
~ rough spiral stairway had been con
structed to give access to u platform
which was built on and around The
main intersection of wide spreading
limbs. This platform was inclosrd
md lighted by oil lamps. A glance
tithin told her that II was the abode
f Manchester himself. the weIl-uigh
mpregnnhle center of the spiders web.
IL. Al
turdy limbs of the tree and M ench
f them climbed u series Of projecting
leafs which served ns ladders to- rearl,
vast system of smaller platforms.
uilt wherever the natural disposition
+ the branches afforded adequate sup
,ort. These lesser rooms were used
~ storehouses for merchandise. pro
isions and ivory: and few Of them.
ear the very top Of the tree. were
itted out MS guest chambers especially
tdnpted To The safe keeping of doubt
NJ strangers rs also for the effective
iiding of chntteI. human and other
Use. which for one reason or another
Manchester desired to keep out of
sight
Into one of the latter Andrea was
finally uahered. hreathless from her
mat. n clean blanket. clay pot of
drinking water with dipper mnde out
of n cocoput shell and square box
filled with sand. evidently intended for
49, IF In Tho y
light came from cotton wick laid In
an open vessel filled with oil from the
castor bean.
"There you are. Sisaie." said Mae
Closter, In his new oily voice. every
thing you can possibly need and when
ever you want to go out, oil you have
to do IL to climb down and go through
my room. You won't have to do your
own cooking for day or two; I'll send
your scoT up"
Andrea's henri sank tn depths that
II had never reached before; her lowe,
lip trembled and drew down at the
corners.
snow. don't look so glum." said Mac
Closter, Ieerlpg Mt her. "Just remem.
her that you couldn't be safer In h-----l
than you are heref'
He turned and left her with n laugh
mt his own joke The measured "Ha
Hal Ha i-Ha Hal Hai !" reverberat
ed through the intermlnable mazes o'
the entombed tree. More than ever II
seemed the hooking laugh Of thirty
voices, chanting In unison. She threw
herself full length. face-down. on the
grass mat and covered her ears with
her hnnds. Presently bodily exhaus
tion came to her aid and she merci
fully slept.
Hours later she awoke to feeling
that she had been definitely summoned
by her subconscious self to face nm I'm
minent danger. Night had fallen and
its pence had settled on the craal In
general. but there was no peace In the
great cain. Out of MncCloster's room
arose through the whispering stiffness
series Of monstrous sounds. mon
strously mngnified rumblinp
curses. mutterings. the occasional
crash Of shattered empty bottle
Then came a silence more ominous
than the noises, for Il was alive. q
creeping thing with tentacles that
seemed To be writhing up the limbs OF
the Tree.
fTo HE CONTtNTtTrDl