A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 61: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“The taxi man had awakened. He _ touched my shoulder. He said: ‘O.K., boss, get in. I ain’t got anybody.’ I said: _ “Sure you have.’ He flashed on the inside ‘Slight. The cab was empty. He said: ‘I _ been waitin’ here an hour, boss, on a _ chance. Just dozin’. Nobody got in. You seen a shadow.’ “T stepped into the cab and told him where to take me. We had gone a couple of blocks when I thought some one was _ sitting beside me. Close to me. I had been looking straight ahead and turned quickly. _ I caught a glimpse of something dark be- _ tween me and the window. Then—there - was nothing, but I distinctly heard a faint _ rustling. Like a dry leaf being blown along a window in the night. Deliberately, I - moved over to that side. We had gone ~ another few blocks when I once more saw _ the movement at my left, and again there was a thin veil of deeper darkness be- - tween me and that window. “The outline was that of a human body. _ And again as it flicked out I heard the rustling. And in that instant, Alan, I knew. | — “T confess that I had a moment.of pure panic. I called to the driver, about to tell _ him to take me back to the hospital. Then _ my nerve came back, and I told him to go _ ahead. I went into the house. I felt the _ shadow flitting with me as I entered. _ There was no one up. It companioned me, - impalpable, incorporeal, glimpsed only by _ its movement, until I went to bed. It was _ with me through the night. + 5 _ “T thought that like Dick’s shadow it 3 would go along with the dawn. This one - didn’t. It was still there when I woke up. 4 I waited until they’d all had breakfast— _ after all, Alan, a little playmate like that ' was nothing to introduce to the family, "you know.” : cally. fs He squinted at me sardoni- - I looked at my watch. It.was five ovlock. I said: “Bill, have you got de _ Keradel’s address ?” Bill said: “Yes,” and gave it to me. I said: “Bill, don’t worry any more. I have ' anidea. Forget about the shadow as much _ as you can. If you haven’t anything im- portant, go home and go to sleep. Or “would you rather sleep here a bit?” e . He said: “I’d rather lie down here for CREEP, SHADOW! x (ee —————oooOo———— # 61 bother and plague me so much here.” Bill lay down on the bed. I unfolded the Demoiselle’s last letter and read it again. I called up the telegraph company and found the nearest village to the de Keradel place. I got the telegraph office there on the phone and asked them if there was telephone communication with Dr. de Keradel. They said there was, but that it was a private wire. I said that was all right, I only wanted to dictate a tele- gram to the Demoiselle de Keradel. They asked—“the what?” I answered “ Miss de Keradel.” I felt ironic amusement at that innocent “Miss.” They said they could take it. I dictated: “Your souvenir most con- vincing, but embarrassing. Take it back and I surrender unconditionally. Am at your command at any moment when as- sured this is done.” I sat down and looked at Bill. He was asleep, but not very happily. I was wide awake but not very happy either. I loved Helen, and I wanted Helen. And I felt that what I had just done had lost Helen to me forever. (C@) é - y ‘ * 4 lnm t pny ee ee ee a et ee ee Ee ei oe eee Ged ete eo Ae eee ee ee Ae ee eee eee. :