Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-16
CHAPTER XVI.
Jack-o'-Lantern.

L hurried back to the trunkroom and
had soon gained the roof. The moon was
harassed by flying clouds that obscured
it fitfully, and a keen wind swept the
hills. / crept over the several levels of
roof. thinking that any moment l should
come upon Hezekiah: / searched a second
| time, peering behind chimney pots and
| into dark angles. but to my disappoint-
ment and chagrin my young lady OF the
single slipper was nowhere in sight. l
found. however. lying near the library
chimney. a trunk tray that required no
explanation. With this Hezekiah had
blocked the due, and l smiled as l pic
tured her tiptoeing to reach the chimney
crock and dropping the tray across the
top. How gleefully she must have chuc-
killed. as she waited for the fiue to fill and
send the smoke ebbing back into the IL
brary, to the discontinue Of her aunt and
sister and the suitors gathered about the
hearth! The spirit OF mischief never
whispered into prettier ear a trick bet
ter calculated to cause confusion.
| had thought HeZekiah secure when /
locked the trunkroom door, but / had not
counted upon the versatility and resource
fuiness OF that young person. / dropped
to the second roof level and inspected the
down spouts, but it was incredible that
l swung myself to third level, and after
much cropping for my bearings, decided
that an athletic girl Of Hezekiahs VEN
turesome disposition might, if she set no
great store by her neck, Chamber off the
kitchen roof by means of a tall maple
whose branches now raspingly called at
tention to their slight contact with the
house. 1t was here that the walls of
Hopefield thrust themselves into the
shoulder Of rough. rocky knoll, and it
u0 narfacf1V cham
hers of the earlier house, around which
the mansion had been built, were neatly
EMBODIED by the walls on the east side.
AS the moon cruised into a patch of
clear sky something white fluttered from
maple limb. and | bent and pulled 1t
free. / took counsel of a match behind
the kitchen chimney. and found that ii
was handkerchief that had been knot
ted to the tip of the bough. No one but
Hezekiah would have thought of mark
ing her trail in this fashion. | held IL to
my face. and that faint perfume that had
been a mystifying accompaniment OF the
passing of the mansion ghost became
nothing more unreal than the orris in
Hezekiah's handkerchief case. The wind
whipped the bit of linen spitefuly in my
hands. l reasoned that If Hezekiah the
inexplicable had not meant for me to
know the manner of her exit she need
not have left this plain hint behind: but
the swaying maple bough did not tempt
me. / hurried back across the roof TO Sc
cure the trunk tray, resolved TO dispose
Of It, seek the open and find the Grant
HeZekiah IL she still fingered in the
neighborhood.
I looked off across the windy landscape
before descending. and my eyes ranged
the dark I caught the glimmer of a light.
as of a lantern borne In the hand. in the
meadow beyond the garden. 1t paused
and was swung back and forth by its un-
seen bearer. 1t shed curious yellow
light and not the white flame OF the COM
mon lantern and now II rose trifie
higher and slowly resolved itself into q
weird, fantastic face.
Three minutes later l was out of the
house, using the backstairs to avoid the
company in the library. and had crossed
the garden and crawled through the
hedge. AS I rose to my feet voice
greeted me cheerfully:
"Well done, Chimney Man. You were
a little slow hitting the trail. but you do
pretty WELL considering. How did you
manage with Aunt Octavia about that
slipper? I had a narrow escape in the
second-foor hall. when ! came out OF
Cecilias room. / must have lowered a
record getting upstairs. And one shoe
isn't a bit comfortable. Allow me to re-
lieve you.''
OF yourself
For losing my slipper? / thought Gin
derella had made that respectable
She placed her hand on my shoulder,
lifted her foot and drew the pump on
with q single tug.
We'll, what did Aunt Octavia say"
"Oh. she had thoughts too dark to ex
press. You probably heard what we said. |
1t was she who found the slipper"
Hezekiah laughed. The wind caught up |
that laugh and whisked it away jeal- |
ously.
''She found IT and carried it TO you.
Chimney Man. and ! skipped just as you
began that beautiful story about finding