Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-09-29

there was one part OF the manor grounds
for which she had a particular dread it
was this avenue.
There was. as She knew. a path lead
ing more directly to the house through
the shrubbery on her right. 1t was Ger
tainly rather overgrown and the hriars
would give her Il rude welcome. But
better g score of holes in her dress than
/ that fearsoine. solitary walk! plunging
| through a cluster of evergreeus which
separated the drive from the plantation
beyond, she was hurrying at breakneck
speed along the beaten track which did
| duty for a path, when suddenly she dis
covered that she had taken wrong turn
and had come Unexpectedly upon large
piece of garden which lay quite at the
back of the house and was closed in from
the rest of the grounds by Il huge laurel
hedge.
She paused perplexedly. In order to
reach either the side door or the front
door she would be compelled to pass inn
mediately beneath the walls of the north
| wing that wing which she had avoided
so strenuously ever since she had first
learned its terrible history. Surely she
could find her way back again through
the shrubbery? Even the avenue, she
felt, would be preferable.
What was that She started as low,
unmistakablc cough suddenly came to her
ears. Once, twice, She heard it. a sound
of hollowness and strange mearthliness,
which caused every particle of color to
fade from her cheeks. The next instant
there was Il movement of the trees
rustic of leaves, and a dark figure
emerged from the shadows of the laurelS
and, looking neither to the right or left,
glided swiftly past her
Phyllis stood straining her eyes TO
gaze through the darkness. staring in fas-
cinated horror at the rapidly retrcating
form. Noiseless, unSeeing, il had passed
like some phantom of the night. dark,
military looking cloak hanging in limp
folds around it, its footsteps making not
sound upon the gravel path.
Twice the figure had been lost to view
in the shadow of the ccdars: twice it had
appeared again. and now she could sec
that 1t WAS quickly nearing the house. 1t
mounted those three stone steps. crossed
he wide, grassy terrace, and-all at
once Just as it reached the door leading
to the gunroom, that door which had been
closely locked and barred for the last
ten Years, il disappeared vanished like
air through those ancient. worm eaten
panels.
At this moment PHYLLIS was conscious
of 4 terrible dizziness stealing over her.
Something like a cloud seemed to rise mp
before her eyes. and to obliterate every
thing in one huge blot. Instmctivelv she
stretched out her hand and seized hold of
the branch of a tree; but how long she
stood there with her fingers grasping the
hard. lichen-coyered bark how many
minutes elapsed ere she turned and fed
as if for dear life through that labyrinth
of bushes--she never know She felt as
if she must have spent hours in that
ghostiy shrubbcry, and that Miss Dare
and the whole household would be turn
ing out en- masse to search for her.
To her establishment James, who was
in the act of closing the shutters at one
of the windows as she rushed by, let her
pass without evincing the slightest symp-
tom of surprise.
Longing to pour out her trouble to
somebody, to tell some sympathetic
listener of her experiences. she ran up
the steps. threw open the door, and, bang
ing it behind her with resounding slam.
came breathlessly into the hall.
The lamps were still unlighted but a
bright log fire was blazing away with I'M
usual cheerfuness in the wide old-fash-
ioned CRATE, illumining the dark oak
paneling and the smooth. highly polished
floor and casting all manner of grotesque
shadows across the hall.
Suddenly Phyllis gasped and started
back in alarm. \ dark head had Just
shown itself above the high carved back
of chair, and pair OF splashed Wei
lingtons were resting calmly on the old
tucd hearth.
Benedict, who had been living stretched
full length before the fire, fast asleep,
sprang up eXcitcdly at his mistress en-
trance
All, Miss YcIverton. is that YOUR
The occupant of the chair had risen to
his feet and was now coming slowly to-
wards her, tail, soldicrly figure, plainly
defined against the light from the
brightly burning logs Your dog and |
have both been listening anxiously for
your footstep. He, however, has had a
decided advantage over me. As he knew it,
whereas | did not. But what am | talk
ing about? ! was going TO offer you my
apologies for taking you by surprise like
this He paused abruptly as he noticed
the girls look OF bewildermcnt. The
FIRST thing ought to do is to introduce
myself formally, as | suppose you will
not have the vagucet idea who | am
TO BE CONTINUED.
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Kingfishers as Weathercocks.