The record-union., 1893-11-11
For the REcoRD-UNIoN.l
MR.. AND MRS. BARL0.
begun by John Howe seering.l
CHATTER I.


wife. In easy circumstances, with cosy
friends-why shouldn't they be happy?
No man was SO big and strong and
handsome and good as Henry Barlo in
his wife's eyes; no woman was so dainty
and sweet and lovable as Nita Barlo in
her.husband's eyes. There was nolskel-
eton in their closet Mr.. Barlo assured
himself several times day OF this fact.
Nita Barlo in her simplicity never
thought to ask the question even OF her
SELF No, indeed! They had no secrets
from one another. Their lives lay like
two open volumes-one had but to look
to read.
Their house in the suburbs of town was
small cottage, with a yard to corre-
spond The house adjoining them was
large building. 1t was the most striking
feature of the neighborhood in fact, as its
turrets rose several stories above the
highest OF it's neighbors. AS the build
ing outrank ed its fellows in nagnltlcence,
so did its owner outrank his nelghDors III
wealth and influence.
Richard Ferras, the banker, was its
owner.
One morning after Henry had gone
down town to his Office Mrs. Barlo was
startled by strange noise IN the FerraS
mansion. She only heard it once, and
then but indistinctly, yet it left an un-
comfortable impression.
Often during the morning her thoughts
recurred TO the strange sound. She had
not heard it clearly enough to feel certain
just what it was like, but as near rs she
was able to describe it to herself it seemed
TO have been a smothered cry for help.
She went to the side window and looked
at the lower part of the Ferras house. In
summer the tall, thick k-branched trees
completely hid that part of it, but now
| the trees were leatless and almost the
whole of the building could be plainly
seen. Here and there window was
partly hidden by cluster OF limbs.
| These windows were only in the first and
second floors, though; the trees reached
no higher than that. Nita looked at the
house critically, but she could see moth
! ing strange or unusual in its appearance.
She raised the window and leaned her
arm upon the sill. Then it gradually
dawned upon her that there was some
thing strange about the place. 1t was 10
O'Clock and yet not a window of the man-
| sion had been raised or a shutter opened.
Nita Barlo drew herself in with
strange numbness at her heart and
vague, indefnable sense of evil. Why
! boring house? Why were the shutters
closed? Had the rich banker and his one
daughter suddenly gone for pleasure
! trip and sent the servants home? Her
common sense told her that it was very
unlikely at this season of the year. and
besides. would she not have known it be-
/ fore this?
And then, what meant that half
smothered cry?
She was getting excited. 1t was
| foolish she could not but admit, and yet
! her every nerve and muscle seemed to be
fairly quivering with a weird prophecy
Of evil. In her nervous misery her
thoughts naturally turned to Henry. He
could help her. He was so strong and
! brave and clever!
But she knew he would not be back
until one or two o'clock. Could she wait
until then? She was growing so nervous
! that she began to imagine all sorts of hor-
rible things. There was no one that she
felt like calling to her assistance, and so
she finally decided on desperate step.
Hastily dressing herself in her street
costume, she went out and passed in at
! the Ferras' front gate. Her heart beat
violently as she mounted the stone steps
and rang the door bell. Twice, thrice she
rang it. Its deep-toned reverberance
tioated out of hearing through the in
terror of the house and stole back in faint,
uncanny echoes. But no other sound
came.
She tried the door, and finding it un-
! locked, decided to enter without invita-
| ton.
CHAPTER II.
The house seemed to be deserted.
Through the rooms of the first floor she
passed quickly. They were of course
untenanted, but there were no signs that
their occupants had left them hurriedly.
1t was the same in all the rooms Of the
upper floors. A most orderly arrange
ment OF the furniture appeared in all the
apartments. AS Nita Barlo, white-faced,
yet resolute. passed down the stairs lead
| ing to the basement, her ungloved hand
struck something soft and gummy on the
balustrade. 1t was drop OF partly dried
| blood. She shivered as she recognized it,
and paused for moment. Had she bet
ter after all try and solve this mystery !?
She, delicate, unused to scenes of violence,
to recklessly seek to find-she knew not
what horrible thing
Perhaps if she had known-had known
for certain just what was concealed in the
space beyond that closed door at the foot
Of the stairs, she would not have hesi-
tated as she did. But she did not know,
and her imagination formed visions of
all kinds of horrible things to fill the
room of that missing knowledge. But at
last her natural bravery overcame all
cowardly feelings, and it was with almost
| a brayerdero motion that she descended
| the last few steps of the stairway and
| flung the door at the bottom wide open.
| Finished after Mr.. Seerings death by his son !
1t was some time after the sad death of
my dear father that | came across the