The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-10-01
p v.

I could not believe the slightest par
ticle in the ghost story. l am ration
alistic. But as the legend of the pond
took shape, my imagination began to
give substance to its shadows.
Yet the place was genial and cordial.
Mr.. Sidney's j~oviality vas the dom
inant note in the house. An aging sick
man might naturally have been testy.
He might have been impatient, have
had whims and crOchets. He might
have been irascible in his demands
upon and acceptance Of service. But
Mr.. Sidney was always cordial and
considerable. A great deal of the time
he spent in bed. When he was not In
bed, he sat In a great chair, and very
often a yellow Persian cat rested on
his knees. 1t was q difficult If not
dangerous matter for any n else than
Mr.. Sidney to touch the cat, named
Algol.
"The Winking Demon" said Mr..
Sidney, lingering the cats ruff as 1T
lay on his lap, and purred. l knew just
enough of the star AlgOl and It's vari-
ability to. understand the whimsicality
Of an old mans naming a cat for the
winking sum-. Algol in Mr.. Sidney's
lap blinked at me, and the old mans
genius for understanding and classi-
flcation seemed ulcanny.
Mr.. Sidney's room was of great size.
1t had two tireplaces and Il large cove
Of windows bullying toward the west.
At the smaller Of the two tireplaces
he had his breakfast. Either at the
large fireplace or in the outward bulge
Of windows, he had his dinner.
In spite of The Persian cat, Mr.. Sid
ney had three canarles In the room.
Algol respected them after a fashion
that | thought uncertain. | ave seen
q canary sitting on the cats head, but
| thought it was n decided case of mis-
placed confidence. Algol wanted that
canary and would continue to want it.
He was deferred from natural action
in the matter by his affection for the
strange but kindly master who want
ed cats and canaries to live together in
amity.
I know | never fully graSped Mr..
Sidney's scheme of life, but l thought
that he found existence irOnic. His
~graciousness and his c~heerfulness, l
thought, represented the garlands Of
his conquest Of morbidity. His per-
sonal charm was extraordinary. Every
one In the house felt it. But an aston
ishing thing about Mr.. Sidney was IN
occasional emotion which, as it mani
tested itself In his expressions-and
that was the only fashion / saw 1t for
q long time-waS one Of savage hate.
1t was only by coming or him when
he was not expecting me that l saw
this. l remember that the first time
l saw the expression on his face / was
dumfOunded. That l was not expected
in his room was entirely without inten-
ton on my part. People who were ac-
custOmed to being with him walked
into the room without ceremony. His
bedroom and bath were to one side.
His living-roOm he insisted should be
open without formality.
On the occasion I speak Of l had come
In quietly, but 1t was without intention
to surprise my patient. He was sitting
In his large chair with AlgOl on his
knees. His eyes were closed, and on
his face was an expression Of malevOl-
ence that was almost demoniac. 1t
vas so startling that the sight Of it
stopped me In my step and made me
feel more than uneasy, almost afraid.
Mr.. Sidney was quiet, except that with
mt hand he stroked Algol about the
head and ears. The caress was al
most imperceptible In motion, but AL
gol was p%urring SO loudly that the
sound filled the otherwise quiet room.
The INTERCHANGEABLE malignancy,
hatred, concentrated essence Of feroc-
ity-in Mr.. Sidney's face would have
stopped anyone. To one who had az
lection for him as l had, 1t was alb
hOrrent to see him so. 1t was a cOn
fession Of something l did not want
To know.
was In fear that he might hear M
and, opening his eyes, find that / had
discovered him. l was embarrassed
and uncertain what to do. 1t was a
silly pr~edicament, as l saw afterward.
My part was quite simple. l should
have paid no attention to any such
phenomenon as the expression on a
mans face and have acted perfectly
naturally.
The ~common-sense thing-and l con-
slider myself fairly sensible-was APP
parent afterward. 1t indicates the as
tonishing shock Of the thing that I was
unable to act senslbly. What was the
expression In IN amiable. charming
mans face, to knock q sensible person
out Of all his senses? Here was a
doing man merely toying with a cats
ears, and the very sight Of what was
expressed In his face, made me numb.
I cannot understand 1t now, the ter
rifying sensation being n which dis
appeared as the recollection Of the
| emotions faded. What l did was to
back toward the door, open 1t as quiet
ly as l could, back out. and then re-
enter the oom noisily.
Mr.. Sidney was looking ut me smil-