The Ordway new era., 1910-08-05

was tnere, apparently IN cnarSe 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
saw the detective watching him close
ly at dinner. Even now | 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. Watson's 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 a 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 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
knocker 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.
II am sorry to disturb you" he said
But I 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"
He's as full of superstition as an
egg is of meat" 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 | knew my way perfectly But
Thomas was not on the veranda. nor
was he inside the house. The men
exchanged significant glances. and
Warner got lantern.
| fn a
''lIe was trembling so that he couldn't
stand when | left
Jameson and Halsey together made
the round of the lodge, occasionally
calling the old man by name. But
there was no response. No Thomas
came, bowling and showing his white
| teeth through the darkness. | began
| to be vaguely uneasy, for the first
| time. Gertrude, who was never nerv.
GUS In the dark, went alone down the
drive to the gate, and stood there
| looking along the yellowish line of the
road, while | waited on the tiny yer.
| anda.
Warner was puzzled. He came
around to the edge of the veranda
and stood looking at it as if it ought
to know and explain.
HE might have stumbled into the
house, he said, but he could not
have climbed the stairs. Anyhow, he's
| not inside or outside, that l can see"
The other members of the party had
come back now, and no one had
found any trace of the old man. His
pipe, still warm, rested on the edge
| of the rail, and inside on the table his
old gray hat showed that its owner
had not gone far.
J He was not far, after all. From the