The Ocala evening star., 1911-06-09
The House
of the
Whispering
Pines
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN
Copyright 1910. by Anna Katharine
Rohlfs
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN
CHAPTER II.

glasses standing on little table over
against the fireplace. When | was
conscious again Of my own fears
crossed to the table and peered into
these glasses. They were not club
glasses. and they both were empty.
However. they had not been so long
In each found traces Of anisette
cordial. and. though no bottle stood .
near, / was very confident that Ii
could readily be found somewhere In .
the room. What had preceded and I
followed the drinking OF this cordial?
Alas, there was but little more TO
see. A pair Of curling irons lay on
the hearth, but | had no sooner lifted
them than | dropped them with
shudder Of unspeakable loathing, only
TO start at the noise they made In
striking the tiles, for II was the
selfsame noise l had heard when
listening from below. These tongs.
set up against the side Of the fire
place. had been Jared down by the
forcible shutting Of the large front
door, and no man other than myself
,9as In the house or had been in the
house-only the two women. A stick
pr two still smoldered on the hearth
stone In the ashes lay some scat
tered fragments Of paper which
crumbed at my touch. On the foor
In front | espied only a stray h1irpin.
Everything else was in place through
out the room except the cushions and
that. horror on the lounge, waiting the
second look l had so far refrafned
from giving It.
That look | could no longer with
hold | must know the depth Of the
gulf over which | hung. | must not
wrong with thought one who had
smiled upon me like an angel Of light
young girl. too. with the dew OF In
nocence on her beauty to every eye but
mine and only not 10 mine within
shall ! say ten awful minutes! |
would look again and perhaps discover
that my own eyes had been at fault:
that there were no marks on Adelaide's
throat. or, If marks, not just the ones
my fancy had painted there.
Turning. let my glance fall first on
the feet had not noted them before.
and l was startled to see that the arc
tics In which they were clad were filled
all around with snow. She had walked
then as the other was walking now
she who detested every effort and
was of such delicate make that exer-
ton Of unusual kind could not readily
be associated with her. Had she come
alone or in Carmel's company. and. II
in Carmers company, on what osten-
sible errand If not that Of DEATH Her
q dress, which was of dark wool. showed
f that she had changed her garments
for this trip. had seen her at dinner.
e and this was not the gown she had
= worn then-the gown in which she
l had confronted me during those few
l fntolerable minutes when . could not
meet her eyes. Nothing spoke OF the
= dinner party or of her having been
. dragged here unaware, but all OF pre-
r vious intent and premeditation. Surely
hope was getting uppermost- II had
t dreamed the marks
d But, no, There they were, unmistak
e able and damning, just where TIT
breath struggles up. / put my owl
thumbs on these two dark spots TO se'
, IL, when What was it-a lightninl
: stroke or call Of fate which on
: must answer while sense remains?
If felt my head pulled around by som
unseen force from behind and me
staring into mine through the glass o
'e the window q pair Of burning eyes
Il Or was 1t fantasy? For In another me
n ment they were gone. But the poss
ID bility of person having seen me
e. this position before the dead wa
> enough to startle me TO my feet, anc
80 though In another instant | becam
convinced that l had been the vict1I
Of hallucinatiOn. / nevertheless mao
haste to cross to the window and TAX
D. a look through its dismal panes.
gale Of binding snow was sweepin
Ill past, making all things indistinguisl
g, able. but the absence Of balcony ou
side was reassuring. and ! stepped ha
- tily back. asking myself for the nr:
time what I should do and where
should now 60 to insure myself frol
he being called as witness TO the awr'
occurrence which had just taken pla'
- in this house. Something l must DO
save myself the anguish and Carm
the danger Of my testimony In tn
matter She must never know, Il
I7 world must never know, that i hs
seen her here.
IOUiO AOl Dc lhC OSoe@ VA wv
en-. The loss Of one weighed heavi
enough upon my conscience. l wou
n fly the place-I would leave tn
II ghasty find to tell its own story. II
! night was stormy. the hour late, Z
spot a remote one and the road TO
but little used. | could easily oscar
and when the morrow came But
was the present / must think or No
III this hour, this moment. How came
n to stay 80 long; In feyerish haste 1
gan to throw the pillows back over {
- quiet limbs. the accusing face Shu
deringly | hid those eyes q understo
their strange protuberance now ar
= recklessly bent on fight, was halfw
vi across the hoor when my feet we
stayed-I wonder my reason was L
unseated-by a sudden and tremendo
&C. attack on the great door below. m
b+ gled with loud cries 70 open which
laundering through the house, CALI
up innumerable echoes from its de
and hidden corners.
INF 1t was the police. The wild niGI
the biting storm, had been or no ava
An alarm had reached headquarte
and al hope Of escape on my ps
was at an end. Yet. because al su
crises instinct rises superior TO r.
son, l blew out the candle and sof