Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-28
TWO HALLOWEENS

" IN every possible way tonight
always excepting the witch.
Shall we consult her next7'
Hallowells eyes danced boyish-
ly. as he put out helping hand to the girl
| who was making perilous backward de-
scent Of the broad stairway, her fluffy
train thrown over her arm, lighted candle
| In one hand and a silver-backed mirror in
| the other. Though, perhaps, It's super
| fiuous.' he added mischievousy, "since I
| am positive you saw my face in the glass
just now"
"Oh, I am willing to give you a loophoIe
| for escape" Miss Frost retorted, as she
| stepped once more on the level. She was
q slip of a creature, with a tumbled blond
| pompadour and big, odd eyes, who looked
almost elflike in the eerie light Of the hall.
mo one but Beth Marklie would ever
have thought Of putting electric bulbs in
| side of pumpkins. These twentieth-c GEN.
fury jack-o'-lanterns make me positively
| creepy. Yes, am ready for the witch If
you are. I've done everything else in
doors, and decline to walk down a muddy
drive at midnight in high-heeled slippers.
even on the chance of picking up, the sort
OF stick who is to occupy the blest posi-
ton Of my future husband. Come along"
She LED the way through the great sweep
Of rooms, bereft of ordinary furniture and
decorations to make room for Halloween
reVelr1es; paused to encourage the en-
beavers OF q statuesque young person in a
Paris gown to ruin that possession by bob
bling frantically for apples in a chrysanthe-
mum Embedded tub; lodged a network OF
cords, stretching cobweb-wise in all d.
rections, which promised a written sou-
ton of fate's problem for those who were
patient enough to untangle its maze and
find an end, and finally arrived at the big
fireplace in the last room of the suite in
front Of which the witch was holding her
court.
X
"You see that copper kettle swinging over
the fire." Miss Frost said to her compan-
ion. 'Its full of molten lead, and the
witch will pour spoonful through the
loop of a. key handle which you hold. into
a pan of cold water-see, she is doing it
now-and 1t cools into the form of the i'm
plements with which-oh Nell-' she in
terrupted herself to call to the latest of
the witch's patrons Let me see-whyee,
1t looks like golf sticks!"
Then must be going to reward Arty's
lifelong devotion after all" retorted
the the other. with a roguish glance at
shadow for the entire evening, for golf
Is his only visible occupation, unless you
count me-" She moved on, the devoted
Arty still attending, and the others took
her place.
II wonder what I'll, get,'' Miss Frost's
eyes were wide as a child's, her red lips
parted. Are those pens? Heavens, you
learned person, do you? And that queer
thing-scales. you say, Old Witch? Not
to weigh sugar, hope?"
'"They are the scales of justice" Hal
lowell interposed with becoming gravity.
Have I told you that law is my chosen
profession?"
''You have told me a good many things
IN the three hours since we met" Miss
Frost replied, and her small chin tilted
QiS0ainfuilV. 'but / that WI
among them"
"And 1 have still more to tell, when
there is another three hours at my COM
mand." Hallowells tone was light, but
the girls eyes dropped under his. Now
for my future wifes callng-what does
she do?"
**
'Wastes her time, apparently" said Miss
Frost, eff the scattered appearance of that
lead counts"
Wears strings of damonds-see them"
droned the witch. It's rich lady, you'll
be getting, sir, and"
"Pshaw!' Evelyn Frost's enthusiasm
suddenly cooled. II am sick of this nom
sense. 1t is time to go home, anyway.
Shall we say goodbye now, Mr.. Halo
well?" She held out her hand.
IF we do, when am going to see you
again?" Hallowells grasp on the girls
hand was tight enough to be painful.
Ion tel Hlc HOt W, LOT i call OBEY
you; I am coming to see you-you live
here in the city, 1 mean?"
Il am staying with my sister, Mrs. Mar
tin. I thought you knew-236 Mercer
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. you needn't think
let go my hand, Mr.. Hallowell, some one
will see - and goodnight" Hallowell
watched the last of her many ruff1es dis
appear around the curve of the stairs,
then turned away with a smile.
And you needn't think, my little Hal
loween fairy, that I am going to give you
up without struggle" he said.
'It was awfully pretty, wasn't it7 and
ghoulish, too. I do adore Beth's parties,
don't you? They are different, and
do you take sugar?' Miss Frost, across
the tea cups. smiled into Hallowelrs grave
face, and wondered why she should feel
nervous. She had looked forward to this
Thursday afternoon, and now, with Mrs.
Martin discreetly occupied at the other
end of the room and no one else apparently
noticing, their tete-a-tete promised to be a
failure. He had said there were so many
things he wanted to talk about and,
though she had given him his opportunity,
he was sitting silent and distracted. She
didn't understand.
Eyes to your last question" he spoke
soberly, land it was certainly pretty and
ghoulish. AS to it being different I can