The Mena weekly star., 1909-04-29


 wart Leg.
 a big bunch of mail at Santa Barbara waiting for him, forwarded from Los Angeles, but he hasn't shown himself. 1"
 Birdsall shot 8 glance of cordial ad- miration at the colonel You're all there, general" he cried with un- quenchable familiarity. I've been try. ing to call up the Keatcham outfit, and couldn't get a line. either. They haven't used the tickets they bought their reservations went empty to Los Angeles. Now, what do you make out of that?''
 T make out that Archie Is only part of their game" replied the soldier. Now see, Birdsall, you are not going to get couple of rich young college fellows to do just plain Kidnapping and soaring women out of their money"
 Lord. general" interrupted Bird sail, those college guys don't turn a hair at Kidnapping; they regularly steal the president of the freshman class, and the things they do at their hazing bees and limitations would make an Apache Indian sit up and take notice. I tell you, general. they're the limit for deyiltry."
 Some kinds. Not that kind; it's too dirty. Arnold was one of the clean est football players at Harvard. And I don't know anything about human nature if that other youngster isn't decent But Mercer-es un loco; you can look out for anything from him. Now, see the combination. Arnold was at Harvard! I have traced the motor car they used to him; and then, if you add that his father is away safe in Europe and he has an empty house, off to one side, with quantity of space around 1t and the reputation of being haunted, why"
 Tt looks good to me And I under stand my men have got around 1t on the quiet all right Hows your man Haley got on. hiring out to the Jap in charger"
 Well enough; the Jap took him on to mow. but either MT. Caretaker doesn't know anything or he won t tell. He's bubbllng over with conver- sation about the flowers and the coun- try and the Philippines, where he used to be; but he only knows that the hon. orable family are all away and he is to shun the house. Aren't we almost there?"
 Just around the corner. guess when you see 1t you'll think it's just the patio spook of taste would freeze to-"
 Why is 1t haunted?"
 Now you have me. I ain't on to such dream stuff Gimme five cards Mrs. Arnold died off in Europe, so 'taint her; and the house has only been built two years; but the neigh bors have seen lights and heard groans and pick chopping at the stones. Some folks say the land be- longed to an old miner and he died before he could tell where he'd buried his mazuma so he is taking a little buscar after 1t. There's the house. general"
 The street climbed gentle hill, and on its crest large house. in mission style, looked over pleasant land. It's position on corner and the unusual size of the grounds about 1t gave the mansion an effect of space. Of almost rawly recent erection though IL was, the kindly climate had so fostered the growth of the pines. acacias and live oaks, the eucalypti and the orange trees, which made rich blur of color on the hillside. had so lavishly tended the creeping ivies and Bougainvilleas which masked the rounded lantern arches of the stern gray facade. and so sumptuously blazoned the flower beds in the garden on the one hand. yet, on the other, had so cunningly dulled the greenish gray of the cobblc- stones from California arroyos in chim- ney and foundation. and had so softly streaked the marble of the gardep i,atues and the plaster of walls ana mansion with tiny filaments of lichens VT faint green moss. that the beholder night fancy the house to be the an- ,ient home of some Spanish hidalgo. handed down with hereditary curse. through generations. to the last of his ace. One was tempted to such a utter of fancy because of the impress ion given by the mansion. A suli1n feticence hung about the place. The windows. for the most part, were heavily shuttered. Not rane of glass flashed back at the sunlight; even those easements not shuttered turned blank dark green shades. like band aged eyes. on the court and the beau tiful terraces and the lovely sweep of whero the wonderful shadows swayed and melted
 The bent figure of man raking. distorted by the perspective. was wis lble just beyond the high pillars of the gateway. He paid no attention to the motions of the motor car. nor did he answer hall until it was repeated. Then he approached the car. Birdsall was in the roadway trying to unlock the gate. The man. whose Japanese were quite distinguIshable bowed; he explained that the honor able owners were not at home; his insignificant self was the only keeper of the grounds. He spoke sufficiently I.x<