Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-06-15
CHAPTER XXI.
a Bar Of SOAP

a Bar Of Soap.
Late that evening Betty Mercer and
Dallas were writing verses of condo
lence to be signed by all of us and
put under the door into Jim's room
when Bella came running down the
stairs.
Dial was reading the first verse
when she came Listen to this,
Bella" he said triumphantly:
There was fat artist named Jas,
Who cruelty called his friends mas.
When, aItho' shut up tight
He broke out over night
With a rash that is maddening. he elias
Then he caught sight Of BeIla's
face as she stood in the doorway and
stopped
Jim is delirious!" she announced
tragically you shut him in there
all alone and now he's delirious. I'll
never forgive any of you"
"DeIiriOust" everybody exclaimed.
He was sane enough when I took
him his chicken broth, Mr. HARRISON
said He was almost fluent"
He is stark, staring crazy" Bella
insisted Historically. Il locked the
door carefully when I went down to
my dinner, and when l came up
tit was unlocked, and Jim was
babbling on the bed, with a sheet
over his face. He-he says the house
is haunted and he wants all the men
to come up and sit in the room with
him"
Not on your life, Max said 81 am
young, and my career has only begun
I don't intend to be cut off in the
flower Of my youth. But I'll tell you
what I'll do; I'll take him a drink
can tie it to a pole or something"
But Mr.. HARRISON did not smile He
was thoughtful for a minute Then:
II don't believe he is delirious," he
said quietly, and I wouldn't be sur
prised if he has happened on some
thing that-wilI be of general inter
est. | think I will stay with him to-
night
After that, of course. none of the
others would confess that he was
afraid, so with the South American
leading, they all went upstairs. The
women Of the party sat on the lower
steps and listened, but everything was
quiet Now and then we could hear
the sound of voices, and after a while
there was a rapid sIamming Of doors
and the sound Of some one running
down to the second floor. Then quiet
again.
In an hour or so they sent for Elan
nigan, and ne went upstairs. He
came down again soon, however. and
returned with something over his arm
that looked like a rope 1t seemed to
be made of all kinds of things tied
together. trunk straps, clothesline, bed
sheets. and something that Flanagan
pointed to with rage and said he
hadn't been able to keep his clothes
on all day. He refused to explain fur
Their, however, and traiIed the monde
script article up the stairs. We could
only gaze after him and wonder what
it all meant
The conclave lasted far into the
night The feminine contingent went
to bed, but not to sleep. Some time
after midnight Mr.. HARRISON and Max
went downstairs and I could hear
them rattIing around testing win
dows and burglar alarms. But nm
ally every one settled down and the
rest of the night was quiet.
Betty Mercer came into my room
the next morning, Sunday, and said
Anne Brown wanted me. | went over
at once, and Anne was sitting up in
bed, crying. Dal had slipped out of
the room at daylight. she said. and
hadn't come back. He had thought
she was asleep. but she wasn't, and
she knew he was dead, for nothing
ever made Dal get up on Sunday be
fore noon.
There was no one moving in the
house. and I hardly knew what to do
Tt was Betty who said she would 90
up and rouse Mr., HARRISON and Max
who had taken Jims place in the
studio She started out bravely
enough. but in a minute we heard he1
flying back. Anne grew perfectly
white
He's lying on the upper stairs!
Betty cried, and we all ran out.
was quite true. Dial was lying on the