Sioux County pioneer., 1922-11-09

ACdAI dUVut Ills
II mustn't-you've spoiled 1t now,
Roady."
"No-Honey. can show you the
way. He's nearly gone. What were
you going to do when he went-7'
"He'd have dissolved in air, Roady-
I know. The spirits have told me-"
Perhaps So" The voice Of the scar.
faced, mean-visaged Squint Rodaine
was still honeyed, still cajoling. "Per-
haps so-but not at once. Isn't there
a barrel Of lime in the basement7"
"Yes."
"Come downstairs with me-"
They started downward then, and
Fairchild watched them pass, Rodaine
in the lead, carrying smoking lamp
with its half-broken chimney careen-
ing on the base, Crazy Laura, num-
bling her toothless gums, her hag-like
hands extended before her, shuftling
along in the rear. He heard them go
far to the rear Of the house, then de-
scend more stairs. And he went fiat
to his stomach on the floor, with his
ear against tiny chink that he might
hear the better. Squint still was talk
ing in his loving tones.
"see, Honey" he was saying. "rve
I've broken the spell by going in up
stairs. You should have told me. I
didn't know-I just thought-well,
thought there was some one in there
you liked, and got jealous"
"Did you, Roady7" she cackled.
"Did you?"
"Yes-1 didn't know you had him
there. And you were making him i'm
mortal?'
II found him, Roady. His eyes were
shut, and he was bleeding. It was at
dusk, and nobody saw him when car
ried him in here. Then started CIV
ing him the herbs"
"That you've gathered around at
nightT'
"Yes-where the dead sleep. I get
the red berries most. That's the blood
Of the dead, come to life again."
The quaking, crazy voice from be-
low caused Fairchild to shiver with a
sudden cold that no warmth could
eradicate. Still, however, he lay there
listening fearful that every move from
below might bring cessation of their
conversation. But Rodaine talked on.
"Of course I know. But I've spoiled
that now. There's another way, Laura.
Get that spade. See, the dirt's soft
here. Dig hole about four feet deep
and six or seven feet long. Then put
half that lime from the barrel in there.
Understands"
"What forf'
"1t's the only way now; we'll have
to do that. It's the other way to i'm
mortality. You've given him the
herbs?"
EYES," .,
"Then this is the end. Sect Now
do that, won't you, Honey?"
"Youll kiss me, Roady?"
"ThereP' The faint sound Of kiss
came from below. "And there's an
other one. And another!"
"Just like the night our boy was
born. Don't you remember how you
bent over and kissed me then and held
me In your armsT
"rm holding you that way now,
Honey-just the same way that held
you the night our boy was born. And
I'll help you with this. You. dig the
hole and put half the lime in there
don't put it all. We'll need the rest to
put on top Of him. You'll have 1t done
in about two hourso There's some
thing else needed-some acid that I've
got to get. It'll make it all the quick
er. d'll be back. Honey. Kiss me-"
Fairchild, seeking to still the hor-
ror-laden CULVER Of his body, heard
the sound Of kiss and then the clat-
ter Of a mans heavy shoes on the
stairs, accompanied by slight clink
from below. He knew that sound
the scraping Of the steel Of a spade
against the earth as It was dragged
into use. A moment more and Ro-
daine, mumbling to himself, passed the
door. But the woman did not come
upstairs. Fairchild knew why; her
crazed mind was following the In.
structions Of the man who knew how
to lead the lunatic intellect into the
channels he desired; she was digging,
digging grave for some one, grave
to be lined with quicklimei
Upstairs was some one who had
been found by this woman in an un-
conscious state and evidently kept In
that condition through the potations
Of the ugly poison-laden drugs she
brewed-some one who now was
doomed to die and to lie In quick
lime gravel Carefully Fairchild gained
his feet; then, as silently as possible,
he made for the rickety stairs, stop
ping now and again to listen for dis
covery from below, But It did not
come; the insane woman was chanting
louder than ever now. Fairchild went
on.
He felt his way up the remaining
stairs, rat scampering before him;
he sneaked along the wall, hands ex-
tended, cropping for that broken door,
finally to find it. Cautiously he peered
within, striving in vain to pierce the
darkness. At last. listening intentlv