The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-07-25
The House
of the
Whispering
Pines
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEe
Copyright. 1910. by Anna Katharine
Rohlfs

And there we found him in the same
place where we had seen him before.
but not in the same position. He was
sunken now to the ground, but his face
was pressed against the rails. and In
his stiff. cold hand was clutched let
ter which afterward we read
Let 1t be read by you here. It Will
explain the mystery which came near
destroying the lives OF more than AIDE
laide:
mo more unhappy wretch than
goes to bis account. | killed her who
had shown me only goodness and will
be the death of others If do not con-
fess my dreadful. my unsupported Sc
cret. This is how 1t happened. | can
not give reasons | cannot even ask
for pardon.
THAT night. just as was preparing
to leave the stable to join the other
servants on their ride to T1bbitt's hall,
the telephone rang. and | heard Miss
Cumberiands voice. 'Zadok.' she said,
and at first could hardly understand
her. I am in trouble. l want help,
and you are the only one who can aid
me-
81 had been with her many years,
and | loved her as well as | could love
anybody, though you won't think it
when | tell you my whole story. What
she wanted was this: was to go
to the ball just as If nothing had
happened. but | was not to stay there.
AS soon as / could l was to slip out,
get a carriage from some nearby sta
BILE and hurry back up the road to
meet her and take her where she would
tell me or, If did not meet her, to
wait two houses below hers till she
came along She would not want me
long and very soon l could 60 back
and have as good time as pleased.
But she would like me to be secret, for
her errand was not one for gossip, even
among her own servants. l even tried
to do better and be even more secret
about it than she expected. Instead Of
going to stable, | took one Of the rigs
which | found fastened up in the big
shed alongside the hall, and. being 50
fortunate as not to attract anybody's
attention by this business, 1 was out
on the road and half way to the Whis-
pering Pines before Helen and Maggie
could wonder why had not asked
them to dance.
"A few minutes later l was on the
HILL for the horse had chosen was a
fast one. and was just turning into
our street when l was passed by Mr..
Arthur's gray mare and cutter This
made me pull up for a minute. for I
hadn't expected this. but on looking
ahead and seeing Miss Cumberland
peering from our own gateway I
drove quickly on and took her up.
81 was not so much astOnished as
you would think to be ordered to fol-
low fast after the mare and cutter
and to stop where 1t stopped. That
was all she wanted-to follow that
cutter and to stop where it stopped.
Well. it stopped at the clubhouse, and
when she saw it turn in there l. heard
her give little gasp
"'Wait.' she whispered Wait till
she has had time to get out and go
in Then drive in, too. and help me
to find my way into the building after
her
"And then I knew 1t was Miss Car
mel we had been following. Before l
thought it was Mr.. Arthur.
presently she pulled me by the
sleeve. I heard the door shut said
she. and | was a little frightened at
| her voice. but l was full of my i'm
| portance and went on doing just as
| she babe me. Driving in after the
cutter, | drew up into the shadows,
| where the gray mare was hid. and
| then. reaching out my hand to Miss
Cumberland. l helped her out and
went with her as far as the door.
| You may go back now. said she. II
/ survive the night | shall never for
get this service. my good Zadok.' And
| saw her lift her hand to the door,
| then fall back. white and trembling.
In the moonlight. 4 can't she whis-
| pered over and over I can't can't
| "'Sball l knock?' / asked.
"'No, no. she whispered back. I
want to go i'll quietly. Let's see If
there's no other way. Run about the
house. Zadok. VIII submit to any
humiliation. only find me some en-
trance other than this She was
shaking so and her face looked so
| CHASTITY In the moonlight that l was