Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-23

arms OF Mrs. Klopton. In fifteen min
utes was in bed. with that good woman
piling on blankets and blistering me II
unprotected places with hot-water bot
| ties. And in an hour / had had a whfh
| Of chloroform' and DR.. Williams had SCI
| the broken bone.
/ l dropped asleep then, waking in the
| late twilight to q realization that l was
meant conviction for Andy Bronson. will
a charge of murder hanging over my
head, and with something more than ar
impression Of the girl my best friend
| was in love with, girl moreover who
/ was almost as great an enigma as the
| crime itself.
! And I'm no hand at guessing riddles, =
groaned, half aloud. Mrs. Kloptor
came over promptly and put a cold cloth
| on my forehead
"Euphemia," she said to some one out.
side the door, telephone the doctor that
he is still rambling, but that he has
| switched from green ribbons to riddles
There's nothing the matter with me,
thinking out loud. Confound that cloth;
| it's trickling ali over mel" l gave 1t a
| fling and heard 1t land with soggy thud
on the floor.
THINKING out loud is delirium." Mrs.
Klopton said, imperturbably. "A fresh
cloth. Euphemia.'
This time she held 1t on with a firm
pressure that I was too weak to resist.
| l expostulated feebly that I was drown
| ing, which she also laid to my mental
| damp sleep. 1t was probably midnight
| when reused again. had been dream
| ing of the wreck. and it was inexpress-
IDLY comforting to feel the stability OF
ity of Mrs. Klopton. who sat. fully at
tired, by the night light. reading
Science and Health"
docs that book say anything about
I suggested. when had got my bearings.
She put it down Immediately and came
over to me. II there Is one time when
Mrs. Klopton is chastened-and 1t Is the
only time-it is when she reads Science
| and HEALTH II don't like to open the
shutters. Mr.. Lawrence" she explained.
| MOT since the night you went away"
But. pressed further. she refused to ex-
| plain. ''The doctor said you were not
to be excited she persisted. Here's
your beef tea
Not drop until you tell me-" said.
| firmly. Besides. you know very well
| there's nothing the matter with me. This
arm OF mine is only false belief" !
sat up gingerly. .'Now-why don't you
Mrs. Klopton succumbed. Because
there are queer goings-on in that house
next door," she said. eff you will take
the beef tea. Mr.. Lawrence. will. tell
you n
Inc queer SOluSS-Ou, however. proven
to be slightly disappointing. It seemed
that after I left on Friday night, a light
was seen fitting fitfully through the
empty house next door. Euphemia had
seen it first and called Mrs. Klopton. To-
gether they had watched it, breathless1y.
until 1t disappeared on the lower floor.
You should have been a writer of
ghost stories." I said, giving my pillows
a thump. And SO 1t was fitting nit
fully"
That's what it was DOING she re-
iterated. Fitting fiitfully-I mean fit
ting fitfully-how you do throw one out,
Mr.. Lawrence! And what's more, 1t
came again.
"Oh, come now. Mrs. Klopton." 1 OBJ
jected. ghosts are like lightning; they
never strike twice In the same night.
That is only worth half cup OF beef
tea
''You may ask Euphemia." she retorted.
with dignity. mot more than an hour
after there was light there again. We
saw it through the chinks of the shut
tiers. Oniy-this time it began at the
lower floor and climbed
You oughtn't to tell ghost stories at
night" came Meningitis voice from the
doorway. Really. Mrs. Klopton, I'm
amazed at you. You old duffer! I've got
you to thank for the worst day Of my
life
Mrs. Klopton guiped. Then realizing