Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21

to be over. There was a long silence Then he
realized that Tsen Lee was speaking
i regret the wait, but my servant had to no
far. The girl-as assured you-was not In
my house"
Benjamin Usher looked at Norton. The
young man was feeling the strain of the UNI
certainty and the deadening weight of the
sitting. smoke-filled air. His face was drawn
into lines Of greenish pallor Usher knew that
Norton had neither slept nor eaten for q night
and day. He started to speak; to say some
bractng word. He tried-and failed And
then, with horrible stab of realization, he
knew the truth. He could not speak ..
The awful truth beat like hammer blows
against his brain. His mind had the abnormal
clarity OF crystal. His inner senses had
quickened into piercing brilliancy exaggerating
with diabolical emphasis every detail of the
gittering room. He knew 1t was the effect Of
the tncense-some inSidious, powerful drug
that enSiaved the body's strength even before
the mind was aware Of the danger
He tried to Lift his hand to the gun under
his armpit. But 1t was as If it were buried
under thousand pounds of heavy glass;
visible but helpless. panic came upon him.
and he struggled dercely to throw himself out
Of the chair. to lift his hands. If only he could
feel the cool. rounded butt of his gun against
his palm! Inwardly he writhed and fought.
Outwardly he sat lumpishly, staring at his
HAND. The cigarette had fallen from his fingers.
Dimly. yet with enormous ease, he heard
Tsen Lees voice.
You are comfortable hope? This incense
IS called In my unworthy tongue Shut Hsen
Piao which might be translated into your
honorable language as Though Asleep, the
Mind Watches It affects the body-yOu have
noticed It, perhaps-but not the inner senses.
In the land of Han 1t Is used much TO torture
criminals who have broken the law-or who
have displeased some one In authority"
His voice trailed into silence. Then the two
men saw his figure moving toward them, enor-
nous. grotesque. warped as though seen
through nawed glass. yet uncanniy vital.
hdeousiy clear.
With the part Of his mind that was struggling
against the awful bondage of the chained
physical senses. Usher knew that Bruce Norton,
too, was making Q terrible, futile effort TO
release himself from the enslaving numbness.
If the two Of them could but fling themselves
forward upon that malignant, black-robed
figure that was coming nearer-nearer-
Usher was In gray haze-a hideOus unreal
world through which his lowered eyes could
see only Q hand-hiS own; q rug of startling,
yet repellent beauty; the half of cigarette still
burning, eating its way into the fabric; and
the SLOW intolerable approach Of that menacing
figure that was Tsen Lee.
THE black-and-gold figure seemed to sink
gently down through the enveloping mist.
fat, yellow hand enlarged into horrifying pro-
portions swooped upon the glowing bud Of IRE
and lifted 1t.
The voice Of Tsen Lee came again.
This rug, honorable guests, is worth .
hundred women such as she whom you desire
to take from me. Yet I wish to keep them
both-for as long as it pleases me. i do not
permit cigarettes-and men-to come between
me and my WILL I dispose Of them-so!"
He was back against the wall-his hand
pressed against the dragon tapestry there.
Now Benjamin Ushers staring, tortured eyes
saw square Of blackness appear in the Moor
before him. The rug had swung downward
on . hinged piece Of hooring-his abnormally
alert mind grasped the significance Of 1t even
before the tapping Of water struck against his
ear-drums. His eyes caught the f1aring arc Of
the cigarettes burning tip as 1t fell past him.