Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

THE METAL MONSTER, “Ruth!” cried Drake, and at the shocked wonder in his cry I saw her wince. “Wait,” she said, and held up a little, tremulous hand. ‘“ You asked—and now you must listen.” For an instant she: was silent; and when once more she spoke her voice was low, cu- riously rhythmic; her eyes rapt: ‘“T was free—free of every human fetter of fear or sorrow or love or hate; free even of hope—for what was there to hope for when everything desirable was mine? And I was elemental; things yet fully conscious that I was—lI! “Tt was as though I were the shining shadow of a star afloat upon the breast of some still and hidden woodland pool; as -: though I were a little wind dancing among the mountaintops; a mist whirling down a quiet glen; a shimmering lance of the au- rora pulsing in the high solitudes. And there was music — strange and wondrous music and terrible, but not terrible to me— who was a part of it; vast chords and sing- ing themes that rang like clusters of little swinging stars and harmonies that were like the very voice of infinite law resolving within itself all discords. And all—all— so ordered,.so—so mathematical—passion- less, yet—rapturous! “Out of the Thing that held me, out from its many colored fires pulsed a very essence of .vitality—inexplicable, a flood of inhuman energy in which I was bathed. And it was as though this energy were--- reassembling—me, fitting me even closer to the elemental things, changing me fully into them. “T felt the little tendrils touching, ca- .ressing—then came the shots! . Awaken- ing was—dreadful, a struggling back from drowning. I saw Martin—blasted! I drove the—the spell away from me, tore it away., And, O Walter—Dick—it hurt—it hurt—and for a breath before I ran to him it was like—like coming from a world in which there was no disorder, no sorrow, no doubts, a rhythmic, harmonious world of light and music, into—into a world that was like a black and dirty kitchen! ‘“‘ And it’s there,” her voice rose, hysteri- . cally. “It’s still within me — the taint; whispering, whispering; urging me away one with the eternal - 695 . from you, from Martin, from every human _thing; bidding me give myself up, to sur- render my humanity to—to what? And for—what? Ah—that I do know! “Its seal,” she sobbed. ‘‘ No—his seal! An alien consciousness sealed within me, that strives to make the human me a slave —that waits to overcome my will—and if I surrender gives me freedom, an incredible freedom—and makes me, being still hu- man, a—monster!”’ She hid her face in her hands, quivering. “If I could sleep,” she wailed. ‘‘ But I’m afraid to sleep. I think I shall never sleep. again. For sleeping how do I know that—it—may not then conquer me?”’ I caught Drake’s eye; he nodded, un- derstanding fully my unspoken question. I slipped my hand down into the medicine- case, brought fofth a certain potent and tasteless combination of drugs which I carry invariably upon explorations. A little I dropped into her cup,-then held it to her lips. Like a child, unthinking, she obeyed the suggestion and drank. ‘But I'll not surrender!” Her eyes were tragic. ‘“ Never think it! I can win— don’t you know I can?”’ ° “Win?” Drake dropped down beside her, drew her toward him. “ Little girl and bravest little girl I’ve ever known—of course you'll win. And remember this— nine-tenths of what you’re thinking now is purely overwrought nerves and weariness. You'll win—and we’ll win, never doubt it.” ‘““T don’t,” she said. CHAPTER XXIII. THE HOUSE OF NORHALA. ER eyes closed, her body relaxed; the potion had done its work quick- ly. We laid her beside Ventnor on the pile of silken stuffs, covered them both with a fold of blanket, theg looked at each other long and silently—and I wondered whether my face was:as grim and drawn as his. “It appears,” he said at last, curtly, “that it’s up to you and me for powwow quick. I hope you’re not sleepy.” ~“T know it—oh, - it will be hard—but I will—I will—’”’- (C(O) ANIC 6)(0)©) S (C(O) nn