Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-05-05


cause of Atwood's illness, but glad of
the opportunity to drive the kodakers
away.
One night Mrs. Deering was awak-
ened by the low muttering of distant
thunder. She fell asleep again, only to
be awakened by the same ominous
noise.
She was n of those women who can
face any amount of real danger, but
who tremble in the awful presence of
the incomprehensible. She got up and
stood at the window.
Away in the western sky the storm
king was shaking his golden chains on
a background of dead black. Without
the night was ~noiseless. Not a leaf
was moving.
Mrs. Deering threw a shawl about
her shoulders and sat down to watch
the storm. The leaves began to nod
and sway in the rising breeze.
Suddenly the great trees seemed to
shudder. A chain of lightning leaped
from the black sky and darted, smoke
like, among the trees, leaving the dark
ness deeper than before. Immediately
following this ferretlike flash a snow
white figure emerged from the shadows
OF the great birch, passed up wei the
shoulder of the hill and disappeared
down the steep bluff in the direction
of the river.
A new, strange terror sat upon the
soul of the lone watcher at the window.
Shuddering, she rose and stepped into
the hall.
The tranGom was dark over Atwood's
door. He had retired, though he had
been in the habit of writing long after
midnight.
Off in another wing of the big house
the boys were sleeping. She stole
softly into her sisters room, which
faced the west, and to her surprise
found Aunt Phoebe sitting at her win
dow.
She, too, was nervous and unusually
distressed. The two women camped
together that night. In their conversa-
ton, the little that passed, each blamed
the storm for her nervousness.
Aunt Phoebe was up early the fol-
lowing day and began to investigate
what she called the scandalous con-
duct OF some of the female help. She
went after Jeanette first, but the fiery
little French-C Canadian parlor maid
o convinced the self-appointed SUI
perintending housekeeper that she had
not been out in her robe de mutt.
Then Aunt Phoebe stood Sarah up,
and Sarah Indignantly denied having
left her Don during the night and
promptly handed in her notice.
1t took time, even for Aunt Phoebe,
to nerve herself to move on Mary, the
cook. In two minutes it was all over
and Mary was packing up.
I've given notice." said Sarah, as
Mary, red and perspiring, stamped up
the back stair.
1--WE given them a chance to fill me
place." said Mary.
Aunt Phoebe, bafied and alarmed.
called Mrs. Deering, who, after much
diplomacy, succeeded in establishing a
truce between her sister and the serv-
ants.
ITS all very we'll for them to denv
it," said Aunt Phoebe when her sister
chided her, "but l saw a hussy come
up the river path and pass around to
the rear of the house just as you en-
tered my o last night"
Mrs. Deering stared at her sister.
1t was Sarah's night out that night,
and with the consent of Mrs. Deering
jeanette went with her.
1t was midnight when the two girls
entered the lower gate and hurried
along the driveway.
There's where the dreadful man
hid" said Jeanette, 'to photograph Mr..
Atwood in the swimming pool. Isn't
Mr.. At"
Jeanette stopped short, grasped
Sarah's arm and stared in the direction
of the pool. Out of the shadow of the
big birch a white figure Jared, crossed
an open, star-lit space and disappeared
over the shoulder of the hill in the d.
rection of the river.
The girls caught hands and raced
for the house.
A few nights after Louis, the elder
of the Deering boys, returned late
from a banquet. While he was hunt
ing the keyhole he heard footsteps as
of a man running along the driveway.
Turning, he saw a woman running
straight for the front door. As she
came near she fell forward and he
caught her in his arms.
AS he lifted the falling woman he
saw a white figure pass under a tulip
tree on the brow of the hill and then
drop suddenly behind the bluff.
Young Deering, not wishing to
alarm the household, drew his find to
the front of the veranda and held her
face to the starlight and began to
look her over.
1t was Mary, the cook. He laid her
gently down on the door mat, plucked
a bunch of dew-wet leaves from a tn.
iip Tx uAu ldLIlSu LCI ldCG,
PLEASE, sur" said Mary, would
you be so kind as to see me to the rear
of the house?"
Yes, yes, Mary" said Deering,
you'll be- all right now"
AS they passed around to the west
side Of the house Mary kept glancing
back toward the big birch from whose
dark shadows she could have sworn
she had seen a ghost appear.
They set a watch in Mrs. behring's
room, which overlooked the grounds
to the south and the river to the west,
but the apparition failed to appear.
They watched again on the following
night. Midnight, and nothing came.
Just as they were breaking up the