The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-06-14
The Mystery

BY
JOSEPH BROWN COOKE
Copyright. iW7. by story-Press Corporation
CHAPTER xI.-Continued.

CHAPTER xI.--Continued.
Hope l didn't hurt you, jerks"
said MacArdel, alphabetically, when
we had him securely %pinioned. Il just
want to have a little quiet talk with
you, but I'm not quite ready yet"
We let the fellow up and seated him
In a chair passing the hitching strap
from the wagon about his waist for
greater security.
by the way, jerks" said MacArdel,
as we were performing this last
thoughtful act. Nobody can hear you
If o shout, but don't do 1t, anyway,
or III have to gag you. Mr.. Ware and
! lave some matters to discuss and
we don't want to be disturbed"
We sat and talked about everything
under the sun except Carney-Croft and
It's affairs. while | marveled at Mac
Ardel's actions, but was unable to
question him as to his plans or OBJ
jects in the presence of the conquered
jerks.
MacArdel consulted his watch with
gradually increasing frequency, and,
finally, when the hands pointed to ten
minutes before IL, he said abruptly:
Ware, you take this fellow down to
the path where theghosts come out
and I'll go and get the widow. I've got
her locked up in the house."
The behavior of jerks was remark.
able to witness, as MacArdel uttered
these words for, although his capture
and that of his accompilce effectually
prevented the temperance of the
ghost, at least on this occasion, he
could not have shown more evidences
Of genuine terror If he had expected to
encounter an army of specters. After
some difficulty | succeeded in getting
him to rise, and, with his arms snugly
bound behind his back. he shambled
with trembling legs down under the
trees where we were joined in anoth.
err moment by MacArdel and Mrs.
Bruce.
The two guilty ones did not look at
each other, but stood in sullen def
anc waiting for what might come
next. MacArdel placed them side by
side, and, as we faced them, he be-
gan:
You two have been circulating
ghost stories about this place all over
the country. You've ever been here
yourselves at midnight, wrapped up in
sheets and trying to scare people out
of their wits and injure this property,
You were here last night and when
we shot at you we hit you, jerks
and wounded your hand. You dropped
the sheets and a lot of other things
and then you came back and got them
all after we had gone to bed. YOU
can't deny it, jerks, for we found
them in your wagon this morning
while you were asleep. Now, there's
more than this" continued MacArdel
There has been some queer doings in
side the house, too, and you've got
some way of getting in and playing
your tricks
He stopped speaking and eyed then
closely for a moment before going OF
Then he resumed, slowly and impress
sively:
But there's something ever worse
than all this to be explained, and WI
are going to find out about the whole
matter If we have to keep you here al
night. Several of the pieces of cloth il
thdt Nv naNC DCCA uoCu " Jill
thing else than making ghost clothes
You know what they've been used 70
and"
ooh, my God, help mel" screame,
jerks, and before l could reach him
he reeled and fell forward on his face
AS l turned to his aid l saw the sam
pair of filmy figures glide slowly pas
us but with increasing speed as the,
neared the river, where, on the prev
Gus night, they suddenly vanished be
fore our eyes.
The widow made no sound. bu
stood perfectly m%otionless with fac
like marble and eyes almost burstin
from her head.
MacArdel stamped his foot imps
tiently and muttered:
There's more in this than
thought. Help me get this fellow ul
Ware, and we'll take 'em both back t
the house."