The Washington herald., 1911-09-10
CHAPTER XXI.
The Specter I'm the Hous

| The Specter I'm the House.
The travel-stained figures Of Dr.
Jameson, Judge Clayton, and the Hon
orable William Jones met the Dunwod!
coach just as 1t was leaving at the up
per end of st. Geneveves main street
They also had found fresh horses, anC
in the belief of Dunwody it was quite a!
we'll that they rode horseback, in com
| mon with the followers of Hector, whC
presently came trooping after him. Tht
interior Of the coach seemed to hin
more fittingly reserved for this lady anC
himself. None the less. the Honorable
William had abated none of his native
curiosity. 1t was his head which pres,
entity intruded at the coach window.
"Ah, ha" exclaimed he. What;
Again? This time there is no conceal.
ment, Dunwody! Come, confess
Il will confess now as much as 1 ever
had to confess" retorted Dunwody angri-
ly. IF you do not know yet Of this lady
1 will introduce you once more. She is the
Countess st. Auban, formerly OF
Europe, and now of any place that
suits her. It is no business OF
yours or of mine why she vas once
there, or cares to go there again; but she
| is going along with US out to Tallwoods. -
Judge Clayton made salutation more
| in keeping with good courtesy than had
his inquisitive friend. Il have been
| following the fortunes OF this lady some
| what attentively Of late" he said, al
length. "At least. she has not been
idle
Precisely" veutured Josephine, lean
ing out the window. That is why I
am coming tonight. I understand there
has been trouble down here-that it
came out of the work of our COLOMBIA
ton society-"
Rather" said Clayton grimly.
Il was back of that But. believe me,
as I told Mr.. Dunwody, was not in
the least responsible for the running of
of negroes in this neighborhood
thought, if I should go out there and
tell these other gentlemen, that they
would understand"
That's mighty nice of you," ventured
the Hon. William Jones. But If we
don't git there before midnight. they'll
be so full of whisky and deviment that
I don't think they'll listen even to you.
ma am"
ut is pretty bad. I'm afraid" said
Judge Clayton. What with one thing
and another, this country of ours has
has been in a literal state of anarchy for
the last year or two. What the end
is going to be, I'm sure I don't see.
And the immediate cause of all this
sort of thing, my dear madam" he con-
tinued, as he rode alongside. why, it
seems to be just that girl Lily, that we
had all the trouble about last year. BY
the way, what's become of that girl? Too
bad-she was more than half white"
Yes; II is all about that girl Lily"
said Josephine slowly, restraining in her
ha m he
truth to him.A to tell him why this girl
was almost white, why she had features
like his own. That is the trouble, l am
afraid-that girl Lily, and her problem,
If We could understand all Of that, per-
haps we could see the reason for this
anarchy"
The group broke apart, as the exigen-
cies Of the road travelled required. Now
and again some conversation passed be-
tween the occupants of the carriage and
the horsemen who loosely grouped about
it as they advanced. The great coach
swayed its way on up through the woods
into the hills, over a road never too good
and now worse than usual They had
thirty miles or more to drive. most Of it
after dark. Could they make that dis
tance in time?
Dunwody. moody. silent. yet tense,
keyed to the highest point now made
Ventured upon no intimate theme with
his companion in the coach; nor did she
in turn speak upon any subject which
admitted argument. Once she congrat-
ulated him upon his recovery from what
had seemed so dangerous a hurt
But that is nothing now" he said.
Il got off better than 1 had any
a little, maybe-they say
that even that is mostly a mat
-. IL a =
die string may have slipped a little! And
you?'
"Oh, perfectly WE'LL she answered. II
even think I may be happy-you know,
I must start my French and English
classes before long"
Silent now in part as to matters pres
ent. wholly silent as to matters past,
these two went on into the night, neither
loosing the tight rein on self. Swaying
and jolting its way upward and outward
INTO the wilder country, the coach at last
had so far plunged into the night that
they were almost within touch of the
valley in which lay the Dunwody lands.
Eleazar, the trapper, rode on the box
with the negro driver, who had been i'm
pressed into service. 1t was the old
trapper who at length called for halt.
"ListenT' said he. What is that
Dunwody heard him, and as the coach !
window. The sound was repeated.
Il hear it, cried he. Rifle firing!
IN afraid we're going to be too late
Drive on, there, fast!'
Finally they reached the point in the |
'oad just below the shut-in, where the |
Hills fell back in the approach to the |
title circular valley. Dunwody's gaze !
vas bent eagerly out and ahead. My
9od:" he exclaimed at length. I'VE are
90 late! Lookr
At the same moment there came ex-
tied cries from the horsemen who fol-
owed. Easily visible now against the
lack background of the night, there
howed a flower Of light, rising and fall
ng, strengthening.
''Drive!' cried Dunwody; and now the
ting Of the lash urged on the weary
cam. They swung around the turn of
he shut-in, and came at full speed into
he approach across the valley. Before
hem lay the great Tallvoods mansion
louse. 1t stood before them a pillar of
ire, prophetic, II might be repeated, of
vast and cleansing catastrophe soon to
ONE to that State and this nation:
which alone could lay the
pecter in our nations house.
They were In time to see the last of
he disaster, but too, late to remedy.
~ the time the coach had pulled up at
he head of the gravel way before the
ct more rapid horsemen had flung them
elves from their saddles. the end easily
ras to be guessed. The house had been
red in half score places. At the rear,
ven now, the long streaks Of flame were
eaching up TO the cornice. casting all
he front portion OF the house, and the
avn which lay before II. into deep
hadow. The shrubbery and trees thus
,if1fnaH ahnweA hHork ana orlr,a 4