Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-02
Phone Main 1909

had made her wider awake than ever.
Hester moved softly about the room
searching in every corner flashing her
light into closet and bathroom. thea she
came out softly into the hall The golf
Gag was not there.
Wen. this finished her effort for the
night. She had had no luck and-tho
best thing she could do was to get OUT
OF the house What could that woman
De doing down in the conservatory?
Again Hester listened at the stairs, but
her straining ears caught no sound nor
could her eyes perceive the faintest glow
from Mrs. BaXter's candle Absolute
darkness! Absolute silence.
Ana now. with infinite precautions the
girl descended the stairs. feeling her way.
Tor she dared not use her light. She was
taking risk, but she might be taking a
greater risk by staying upstairs She
mad a vague feeling that something was
ABOUT to happen i'm this vast. gloomy
house, or that something already had
happened. She felt herself Sitting AT
any cost she must escape from these con-
inning walls; she must get out under the
open stars. where she could breathe. And
she remembered. with clutch OF fear.
that old Mrs. Pottle had spoken of a
haunted room in tipping House, whence a
gray lady came forth at night and wan
dered through the halls-a gray lady
whose coming was attended by clankng
chains and sounds as OF a heavy body
dragging.
Even as these gruesome thoughts chill
ed her heart the girls foot touched the
lowest STAIR and a moment later. as she
stepped out groingiy into the black hall
she felt herself held from behind, as by
hand. whereupon. in a burst of terror
she tore herself violently free At the
same instant there resounded through the
house a great clanking of metal and the
crash of heavy body falling Then ST.
lence again, while Hester stood stil,
frozen with fear. And now. from the
direction of the conservatory, there came
piercing. agonized Shrek.
1t was an emergency to daunt the
stoutest heart but Hester rose to it, con-
quering her panic. because she realized
that she must conquer IL. Everything de-
pended upon what she did in the next
few minutes-her happiness, her freedom.
her whole existence depended upon her
getting out of this house Immediately.
Some frightful thing had happened that
would presently throw the whole estab-
liShment into tumult.
Another shrek rang through the house
a pitiful cry of distress and call for help
What could be happening? Hester her
self was moved to bring succor to this
poor lady but she checked the impulse
the sense of her own danger came to
her with the quick opening of a door
overhead and the sound of heavy foot
steps on the stairs. Ii was Robert Bax-
ter. hurrying down from the second floor
and calling as he came.
Mother: Where are YOU What is it,"
he cried. and Hester heard him turn
down the corridor on the first floor. He
was going to his mothers room. There.
He had found IT empty. He was rushing
back TO the stairs.
Mother" he shouted again. Where
are you?''
Huddled in the hail below. Hester
thought of the front door but she knew
it was chained and bolted. There was no
time to escape that way. Already Rob-
ert was on the stairs. descending SLOWLY
in the darkness. II was lucky he had
not stopped to get candle.
Swiftly the Storm girl retreated into
the library. Her case was desperate.
Mrs. Baxter was in the conservatory. so
her escape that way was blocked. To
hide in the house now would be mad
when the whole household would be
aroused. when lights would be blazing in
every room and
Then came the inspiration. II was a
wild last chance, but she must take IL.
few moments before she had noticed
motor veil left by some one on the
davenport. She snatched this up. and.
moving silently toward the conservatory.
draped il over her face and figure. The
veil was OF elastic. filmy material. long
and wide. 1t covered the girl from head
to foot shrouding her in silver gray.
At the open door leading into the con-
her ghostly draperies about her. stood
still Through the crack of the door
she could see Mrs. Baxter in the con-
servatory. rigid with fright. still holding
her candle and staring wide-eyed before
her.
Mother called the young man for
the third time Speak to me, Where
are you?" He was stumbling about In
the dark hail.
This time Eleanor heard the comfort
ing voice of her son and tried TO answer.
Bob she cried. family. and staggered
toward the library door. Bob" she
called. louder. and took a step into the
shadowy room. Then. as the candle
light famed forward, she came sud-
denly, face TO face with a still figure. q
shrouded, sinister woman in gray. 1t
was too much. 1t was more than
Eleanor Baxter could bear. With q sti-
fed moan she sank down on the library
floor and was conscious of nothing more
until she opened her eyes weakly aud
found Bob bending over her.
CTo be continued tomorrow