In the huge new cemetary [1??1], about two miles away, the old people buried their son and came back to the house covered in shadows and silence. It was all over so quickly that at first they could hardly realize it and felt as though something else might happen - something else which was to lighten the load [?oμ￡] which was too heavy for old hearts to bear.

But the days passed, and expectations [hope] gave way to resignation [′??°] - the hopeless resignation of the old. Sometimes they did not say a word because now they had nothing to talk about. Their days were long and tiring.

About a week later the old man woke up suddenly at night and found himself alone in bed. The room was dark and the sound of quiet weeping [crying] came from the window. He raised himself in bed and listened.

"Come back," he said softly. "You will be cold."

"It is colder for my son," said the old woman and wept again.

The sounds of her crying slowly died in his ears. The bed was warm, and his eyes heavy with sleep. He slept again but badly. Suddenly a wild cry from his wife awoke him.

"THE PAW!" she cried wildly. "THE MONKEY'S PAW!"

He looked up in shock. "Where? Where is it? What's the matter?"

She came running across the room toward him. "I want it," she said quietly. "You've not destroyed it?"

"It's in the main room, on the shelf, he replied. "Why?"

She cried and laughed at the same time and bending over, kissed his cheek.

"Just now I thought about it," she said in a frightening voice. "Why didn't I think of it before? Why didn't you think of it?"

"Think of what?" he asked.

"The other two wishes," she replied quickly. "We've only had one."

"Was not that enough?" he asked angrily.

"No," she cried "We'll have one more. Go down and get it quickly, and wish that our boy be alive again."

The man sat up in bed and threw away the bedcloths with his shaking hands. "Good God, you are mad!" he cried. "Get it," she ordered; "get it quickly, and wish - Oh my boy, my boy!"

Her husband lit a candle. "Get back to bed", he said unsteadily. "You don't know what you are saying."

"We got the first wish," said the old woman, "why don't we ask for the second?"

"A coincidence," muttered the old man.

"Go get it and wish," cried his wife, shaking with exitement.

The old man turned and looked at her and his voice shook. "He has been dead for only ten days, and besides he - I would not normally tell you this, but - I could only recognize him by his clothing because of the bad accident with the machine. If he was too terrible for you to see then, how about now?"

"Bring him back," cried the old woman, and dragged [í?] him towards the door. "Do you think I fear my own child?"

He went down in the darkness and felt his way to the main room and then to the shelf. The paw was there. Suddenly, he had a horrible fear that the unspoken wish might bring his mutilated [2D·?μ?] son before him before he could escape from the room. He was so afraid and confused that he found that he had lost the direction to the door. His forehead [?°??] was cold with sweat. He felt his way round the table and felt along the wall until he found himself near the bedroom door with the evil paw in his hand.

Even his wife's face seemed changed as he entered the room. It was white and eager and because of his fears seemed to have an unnatural look. He was now afraid of her.

"WISH!" she cried in a strong voice.

"It is foolish and wicked," he said.

"WISH!" repeated his wife.

He raised his hand. "I wish my son alive again."

The paw fell down to the floor, and he looked at it fearfully. Then he sat down trembling into a chair as the old woman, with mad eyes, walked to the window and opened the curtains.

He sat until he was very cold, some times looking at the old woman staring through the window. The candle which was dying down, was throwing strange shadows on the ceiling and walls. Then suddenly it became bright and just as suddenly it died out. The old man, with a sense of relief at the failure of the paw, went back to his bed and a minute afterward the old woman came silently and lay down beside him.

Neither spoke, but lay silently listening to the clock. A stair creaked, and a squeaky [noisy] mouse ran noisily through the wall. The darkness was cruel and after lying for some time the old man took the box of matches and lighting one, went downstairs for a candle.

At the foot of the stairs the match went out and he paused to light another. At the same moment a knock on the door came so quietly that it could hardly be heard.

The matches fell from his hand and spilled on the floor. He stood without moving, his breath stopped until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and ran quickly back to his room and closed the door behind him. A third knock was heard in the house.

"WHATS THAT?" cried the old woman, getting up.

"A rat," said the old man shaking - "a rat. I saw it on the stairs."

His wife sat up in bed listening. A loud knock was now heard.

"It's Herbert!"

She ran to the door, but her husband stopped her. He caught her by the arm and held her tightly.

"What are you going to do?" he whispered hoarsely.

"It's my boy; it's Herbert!" she cried, struggling. "I forgot it was two miles away. What are you holding me for? Let me go. I must open the door."

"For God's sake don't let it in,: cried the old man, trembling.

"You're afraid of your own son," she cried struggling. "Let me go. I'm coming, Herbert. I'm coming."

There was another knock and then another. The old woman with a sudden move broke free and ran from the room. Her husband followed down the stairs and called after her as she hurried downstairs. He heard the woman trying to open the door chain and the lock. Then the old woman's voice was heard.

"The lock," she cried loudly. "Come down. I can't open it."

But her husband was on his hands and knees feeling wildly on the floor in search of the paw. If only he could find it before the thing outside got in. Angry knocks could be heard through out the house and he heard the noise of the lock slowly being opened. He could hear the creaking of the lock as it was slowly opened. At the same moment he found the monkeys's paw, and in a mad voice made his third and last wish.

The knocking stopped suddenly, although the echoes of it could still be heard in the house. He heard the lock open and the door opening. A cold wind rushed up the stairs, and a long, loud cry of dissapointment and sadness from his wife gave him the courage to run down to her side, and then to the gate beyond. The street lamp nearby shone on a quiet and empty road.