The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-04-18
Eonhnued From onr Iast Issue
CHAPTER. "

hapEppd mad said to his friend
Of the effect on Sabre OF Mabel's
action against him: Hes crashed.
The roofs fallen IN on him" And
that had been sabre's own belief.
But II was not so. There are de.
grees Of calamity. Dumfounded,
stunned, aghast, Sabre would not
have believed that conspiracy
against him OF all the powers Of
darkness could conceivably worsen
his plight. They had shot their
bolt He was stricken amain.
But they had not shot their bolt.
The roof had not yet fallen on
him. The timbers OF the super
structure had but bent and crack
cd and groaned.
Their bolt was shot, the roof
crashed In, the four sides OF his
world tottered and collapsed upon
him, with the words spoken to
Sabre by that man who approach
ed and took him aside while he
stood TO take leave Of Hapgood.
The man said, II daresay you
know me by sight, Mr.. Sabre. I'm
the coroner's officer at Tidbor-
ough You're rather wanted down
there. The fact Is that young
woman that's been living with
yoil's Been found dead"
Sabre's face took then the
strange and awful hue that Hap
good had marked upon 1t.
Found dead? Found dead?
There?n
'rntyour house. Mr.. Sabre. And
her baby, dead with her."
Found dead? Found dead?
Effe2 And her baby? Found
dead3 Oh, dear God.......Catch
hold OF my arm a minute. All
right let me go. Found dead?
What do you neon, found dead?"
There's to be an inquest to-
morrow. That's what you're
wanted for"
.1nqnestY 1nquest?" sabre's
speech was thick. He knew it was
thick His tongue felt enormously
too big for his mouth. He could
not control 1t properly. He felt
that all his limbs and members
We're swollen and ponderous and
out Of his control. Inquest?
Found dead? Inquest? Found
dead? Goo God, can't you tell me
something?"
The man said, 81 say that's for
the coroner. And least you say
best, sir, IL you understand me.
Looks II the young woman took
poison. oXalic acid"
soxalic acld!"
They went to the cab.
II
In the morning, in the mortuary
adjoining the coroner's court. his
mind suddenly and with shock
most terrible made contact with
the calamity 1t had pursued.
1nthe mortuary........
When he arrived and aIEghted
from his cab he found small
crowd Of persons assembled about
the yard Of the court. Someone
said, "Therc he Isl" Someone
said, That's hinl!" A kind Of
threatening murmur went up from
thejpeople, What was the matter?
What were they looking at? He
seemed to be wedged among a
mass Of dark and rather beastly
faces breathing close to his own.
He could not get on. He was
being pushed. He was caused to
stagger. He said, ''Look out. I've
got game leg" That threatening
sort Of murmur arose more loudly
in answer to his words. Someone
somewhere threw piece Of
orange peel at someone. 1t almost
hit his face. What was up? What
Were they all doing?
AT the door OF the court Sabre
looked across to- where on the
other side OF the yard some men
were shutting out Of detached
building. The cotoner's officer
said, Jury. They've been viewing
the corpse"
"corpse!" The rough word
stabbed through his numbness. He
thought, Corpse! Viewing the
corpse! Obscene and horrible
phrase! Corpse! Effie!" He made
d movement in that direction.
The man said, "Yes, perhaps
you'd better"
He was against a glass screen,
misty with breaths Of those who
had stared and peered through it..
The policeman wiped his sleeve
{ across the glass. There you are"
Ah,........!! Now, suddenly and
with shock most terrible, his mind
made contact with that which it
had pursued, It had CROPPED as In
q dark room with outstretched
hands. Now, suddenly and with
shock most terrible, it was as II
those cropping hands had touched
in the darkness q face.
Ahs insupportable! This was
Etfe: This was Bright Fife. This
was that Jolly little Effle Of the
old, million-year-old days. This!
Thisl
She lay on a slab Inclined to-
WatuB tne EIass. she was Swathed
about in cerements. Only her face
was visible. Within the hollow Of
her arm reposed a little shape. all
swathed. She had brought 1t into
the world. She had removed It
from the world that would havs
nothing Of 1t. She had brought q
thousand smiles into the world,
but she had given otfense to the
world and the offended world had
thrown back her smiles and she
now had expressed her contrition
to the world. This was her contri-
ton that she lay here for men to
breathe upon the glass, and stare,
and rub away the dimness with
their sleeves, and breathe. and
stare again.
ab fffs1tnnnrkot,Jo aa1aa.t4,,t ~.