Chapter 31
chapter thirty one of bizarre by lawton mccall this librivox recording is in the public domain recording by nick the creeping fingers mrs waffen's figure resembled that of the punch bowl behind which she was standing it was broad and squat with a slight tapering at the base and her mind was like the punch sweetish and characterless with scrappy rinds of things floating about in it each guest who presented a cup received the same dipperful and the same set of remarks good evening i'm so glad you could come i just love hearing ghost stories don't you see that log over there she pointed to a huge gray hulk that lay at the side of the open fireplace that's real driftwood and it ought to give just the right kind of light i found it myself on the beach and had the gardener bring it home in the wheelbarrow look it's all honey-coned with age
a tall serious-looking young man stepped forward and extended his glass he knew that that was the way to please her and she was the woman who he hoped and feared would be his mother-in-law she beamed do have another mr carson he did for he was in a desperate mood he was to leave for the city on the early morning train and this evening would be his last chance to propose to polly for several months somehow despite his best efforts the psychological moment had never arrived just then polly sailed into the room fresh and rosy in a flutter of white muslin he put down the glass and hurried over to her good evening polly he said in an ardent undertone couldn't you slip away from this crowd and take a stroll on the beach no george i'm hostess to-night she shook her head including some airy little curls which seemed to make light of her refusal we are all to gather around the hearth and listen to the stories then she added teasingly besides it is in your honour that mother is giving this party
yes she's very kind i'm sure he said awkwardly think of all the trouble she has taken over that log carson faced her with a square jaw listen to me polly there's something serious i want to talk to you about before i leave you i polly called mrs boiffin isn't it time to begin perhaps it is she answered innocently what do you think george i think the story-telling might as well begin at once he said stiffly a few minutes later all lights were turned out the score of young people had settled themselves about the room in comfortable attitudes some on chairs and sofas some on cushions on the floor while in the midst of them sat the narrator a girl of eighteen who affected a deep morbidity gazing into the fire she began her tale as though she were in a trance carson sulkily picked his way after polly towed a seat beside the hearth just as he was reaching it he tripped over something bulky
why that's my log exclaimed mrs woffin from the back of the room dear dear why hasn't any one put it on the fire the story waited while mrs woffin scurried forward and personally supervised the placing of the log upon the andirons and then sat down beside the hearth opposite polly do go on cried several voices you stopped in the most exciting part the narrator looking daggers at mrs woffin paused long enough to show that she didn't have to go on unless she wanted to and then resumed her tale suddenly as he lay there in the haunted room on the very bed where the old man had been murdered he felt an invisible hand on the bed-clothes mrs woffin shuddered and a large black ant peered out of a hole in the log to see what was going on then he felt a second hand more terrifying than the first beholding his home in flames the ant rushed back indoors to spread the alarm
along the highways of the interior he sped a second paul revere rousing the sleeping insects of which there were many oh groaned mrs waffin the exodus of paul's friends proceeded in orderly fashion larv and eggs first was the order carrying their infants upon their backs they filed out of the subway openings in steady processions the hands clutched the covers just above his feet fear paralyzed him so that he could neither move nor cry out a party of refugees applied to mrs woffin for shelter she was so absorbed in the story that she did not see them then the fingers began to creep up up up his flesh tingled with horror mrs woffin quivered like an aspen leaf she breathed hard her eyes nearly popping other people began to feel creepy they clutched his knee and mrs woffin uttered a piercing shriek and clasped her knee with both hands she was invaded
then polly screamed and carson began to slap himself on various parts of the anatomy there was a general panic girls squealed and clambering frantically upon chairs shook out their lifted skirts young men stamped about wildly mashing ants and people's toes in equal numbers mrs waffen tormented from head to foot galloping in circles moaning oh mercy oh mercy save me george cried polly clinging to his arm yes darling he answered fervently if the ants had been raging bulls he would have saved her from them but they were ants and their ways were devious he hesitated slapping himself thoughtfully turn on the lights yelled some one no don't screamed half a dozen shrill voices save me repeated polly distractedly i can't stand this any longer i'll perish
struck with a swift inspiration he caught her up in his arms and started for the door she made no resistance out of the room he carried her then through the front hall and down the front steps half way down the walk she asked where are you taking me to the ocean why you clever boy people sitting on the verandas of neighboring cottages saw in the moonlight a sight that electrified them with horror a powerful-looking maniac with a helpless woman in his arms strode across the beach and began to wade out into the water hoping to save her they ran to the shore and put out in boats and canoes oh sighed the victim blissfully as carson led her down into the water it feels so cool and quiet polly george real harder doctor cried the steermen of the nearest boat he's trying to strangle her chapter thirty one
