Barbour County index., 1910-08-24

was there, apparently in charge of the
arrangements for the funeral. Halsey
disappeared shortly after Louise left
and came home about nine that night,
muddy and tired. AS for Thomas, he
went around detected and sad, and 1
saw the detective watching him close
ly at dinner. Even now 1 wonder
what did Thomas know? What did he
suspect?
At ten o'clock the household had
settled down for the night. Liddy,
who was taking Mrs. Watsons place,
had finished examining the tea-towels
and the corners of the shelves in the
cooling room, and had gone to bed.
Alex, the gardener had gone heavily
up the circular staircase to his room,
and Mr.. Jameson was examining the
locks Of the windows. Halsey dropped
into chair in the living room and
stared moodily ahead. Once he reused.
What sort of looking chap is that
Walker, Gertrude?" he asked.
Rather tall, very dark, smooth
shaven. Not bad looking" Gertrude
said, putting down the book she had
been pretending to read. Halsey
kicked a taboret viciously.
Lovely place this village must be
in the winter he said irrelevantly.
"a girl would be buried alive here"
1t was then some one raped at the
l1nocker on the heavy front door. Hal
sey got up leisurely and opened it.,
admitting Warner. He was out of
breath from running, and he looked
half abashed
Il am sorry to disturb you," he said.
"But 1 didn't know what else to do.
It's about Thomas"
What about .Thomas?" I asked.
Mr.. Jameson had come into the hall
and we all stared at Warner.
Hes acting queer" Warner ex-
planned. He's sitting down there on
the edge of the porch, and he says he
has seen ghost. The old man looks
bad, too; he can scarcely speak"
Hes as full of superstition as an
egg is of meat" 1 said "Halsey, bring
some whisky and we will all GO
down"
No one moved to get the whisky
from which judged there were three
pocket TASKS ready for emergency
Gertrude threw a shawl around my
shoulders, and we all started down
over the hill; had made so many
nocturnal excursions around the place
that l knew my way perfectly. But
Thomas was not on the veranda, mol
was he inside the house The mer
exchanged significant glances, anC
Warner got lantern.
He can't have gone far" he said
"He was trembling so that he couldn'
stand when left"
Jameson and Halsey together mad,
> the round OF the lodge, OCCASIONAL,
calling the old man by name. Blu
there was no response. No Thoma
came, bowing and showing his whit,
: teeth through the darkness. 1 begal
to be vaguely uneasy, for the frs
time. Gertrude, who was never nery
Gus in the dark, went alone down tn
| drive to the gate, and stood there
3 looking along the yellowish line of tn
: road, while I waited on the tiny vel
anda.
Warner was puzzled He cam
: around to the edge of the verand
e and stood looking at it as if it ough
\ to know and explain.
"He might have stumbled into th
house." he said. but he could nc
' have climbed the stairs. Anyhow, he
not inside or outside, that can see.
The other members Of the party ha
come back now, and no one ha
found any trace Of the old man. HI
pipe, stin warm, rested on the edg
, Of the rail, and inside on the table hi
/ old gray hat showed that It's owne
e had not gone far.
T He was not far, after all. From th