Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-25
THE HOUSE OF THE
BLACK RING.
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE
by Henry Holt & Coz
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE.
Copyright. 1905. By Henry Holt & COZ

and hour yet Come on" He swung out
through the door, and after a wavering
moment she followed him. From the porch
they went through the back yard, with its
! litter of old wood and farming tools and
/ decayfng odds and ends. Suddenly before
they had come to the path by the rail fence.
she stopped.
Let's sit awhile" she proposed, sinking
upon a limestone fragment. He turned with
puzzled look, then arranged one OF the
buckets for seat. A fringe of ragged
cedars gave them almost the seclusion of
room For a time neither spoke. A
strange new mood was upon her, and 1t
awed him.
The sun disappeared. snufred out even be-
fore II reached the horizon. The dull bel
low or the run swelled high with It's spring
HOOD. came up steadily from below The
twilight. vague and unreal amid the half
seen smoke, was deepening fast. A chorus
OF frog voices spattered shrilly from along
the stream; robins and blackbirds were ia
fuil swing with their evening songs.
WHATS the matter. Lona?' he asked
AFTER while. You're not like yourself"
Abr"
NO: you're not"
How am differentY"
81 don't know. II seems almost IA II
something was troubling you"
What could?"
81 don't know; but don't you get lone
some hereY Say, why don't you get out
cattler'
But. Iona. you forget; I'm one of them.
and so are you"
I'm notl' She turned and faced him de-
family
What do you meanT'
An" And you're not; you're different"
You're like me-and we hate EN- We
just hate 'emr'
"Lonap' There was look in the girls
eyes that frightened him.
And You'll know some tfmer'
"LonaP' He arose and took dizzy step
toward her.
mo, no, no-dont!-Comer She arose
swiftly and turned toward the path It's
getting darker; we must go for the water
He followed her breathlessly. BY the
creekside she paused for an instant, while
he dipped the buckets; then she turned and
ran up the path again.
Come. quick" she ordered in a penetrat-
ing whisper 1t was as If some fearful thing
were lurking somewhere in the gen.
"WaitLplease do he gasped after they
had scurried halfway up the hill. Cant
we stop minute?' She turned instantly
and faced him.
''NoI-at the fiat stone-comef'
Again they FASTENED up the path. At the
stone he sank down breathless. The girl
wheeled instantly, and, standing straight
and rigid. peered back into the run. She
was very near him. How perfect she was
as she stood there in the twilight-a wom-
an TO dream about. Fair as Jonquil.
Iona" he whispered, what is it?'
Nothing"
But you're strange There's something
the matter. What is It down there.
Lona?" He felt like shuddering. he knew
not why. 1t was as If something were
lowering over them.
TITS nothing; It's the evening Let's
keep perfectly still. Don't you hear it?"
Hear what?"
The evening It's a concert Harkw
1t was not hard to imagine. The evening
hymn of the May day was swelling all
about them, but above all, and dominating
1t all, was the gibber of the Run just be-
low them. There was something strange
about it, something that crept over him
more and more like a premonition of dan
ger: the gloom of the place, the dark
forms of the cedars. the imprisoning tam
gle Of the rhododendron and the smutches
of black above-the ridges convergfng into
the Gap. He began to look about him al
most stealthily. Then he caught a glimpse
of her. and something all in a fash thrilled
him as with fear.
She was looking with wide eyes. every
muscle and nerve in her body tense, down
through the laurel tangle to where the
waters of Roaring Run break through the
Gap. Automatically he turned in the d.
rection of her gaze, but he saw nothing.
Iona, what is it?"
ITS nothing-come!-quic She lodged
with lightning movement as If some unseen
thing had struck at her. then darted away.
One instant and she was gone
Scarce realizing what he did, he sprang
after her. He looked eagerly right and
left. behind every cedar and tangle. She
had vanished utterly.
"Lonap' he called In fearful whisper.
'Lonar Then he raised his voice and
shouted. "Lonar
Hush! Sh-h-h-h-hw She was right at
his elbow, as IL she had risen from the
earth. "Come-quickp'
But, Iona. what is It? For Gods sake
what's this all about? Lonar'
..o ouekF she ~ Whispered sE ed tragiGaliy;
were in danger and tried to pull him along.
But, Iona" he pleaded, the touch of her
hand thrilling, him nightly, what is it?-
mo. no, no! You must go-You must
never come back. Come-quick!'' There
was an intensity about the girls words
that frightened him.
Lona-what it is
Col command" She Missed the words
In his very ear. 'fIf you speak, It's death.
One word and it's death. Come" Her hot
breath was In his face. She was pulling
him along as df in a panic. Then, as by
magic she gone He stopped for a
moment in his tracks
Everything was unnaturally silent Even
the frogs for some mysterious reason had
ceased their chorus He found himself
listening breathlessly for he know not
what. A CHASTITY fear creeping over
him Something black and awful was lurk-
ing right near him. The air was hot and
sitting: 1t was difficult to breathe; his
head seemed bursting. Cautiously he began
to pick his way; then he began to walk
rapidly; then to run; nor did he stop until
he had reachtd his fathers door.
The next morning all was normal again
The night seemed like some confused
dream, far off and vague. He laughed at
his panic, and all day long the passion
In his heart grew more imperious He
would go down again: he would go that
very evening. But he found no life about
the old house that night, nor the next For
a week he tried to see her, but the whole
place seemed deserted There was no re-
spouse to his rapplngs at the cabin: Il was
as II the family had moved away. He went
down INTO the Run and sat on the fiat rock
until long after twilight but there was no
SOUND or movement. Then for time he
Went no more into the uncanny hole, but
tried TO smother out his thoughts by the
hard work of spring planting
eTo be continued tornorrow.)
Russian Leaders Attack on Americans