Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21


DIR father should offer to take Troy to his
7llg% room
se1a Her eyes turned piteously to Alastair.
kSasVI Surely he, who understood, would come
to her rescue now! Lord Gorne must
not know that Troy to be in the Black Breton
room. But Alastair did nothing Daura had behaved
badly to him She had 1irted with another man,
undesirable @outsider' Of man, firted before her
cousins eyes, the wish to torture her faithful slave
or still worse because she actually liked the impos
sible fellow from Nome Alasta knew that she wanted
his help and determined for to teach her lesson
by withholding it relentlessly.
It took Daura more than the fraction Of second
to realize that Alastr Furnishing her. and that she
had nothing to hope from him. Without knowing why,
the eyes that begged for help passed Captain Mac
R1nmon and imp1ored, they knew not what of Robert
Troy He had no clue to their secret but he felt that
for some his fascinating witch champion did not
want Lord Gorme go with hin, to his room. With
leap of the pulses caused by the unexpected chance Of
pleasing Lady Daura, Troy accepted service as her
knight.
you're very kind Lord Gorme, he said with gent
inc gratitude the handsome old man. who seemed for
some queer to fancy him, 1but know the way
to nv room all right This house is mighty intricate;
but I've got good bump of locality, and could find
nv quarters with my eyes shut. If you won't think
ne rude reckon I'd like just for the fun of the thing,
to poke along by myself and make haven't been
boasting'
Daura threw him thankful glance which sent fire
through his veins. He wished that he not such
soft IDIOT But he meant fight his foolishness in the
dark hours, and be master Of himself tomorrow.
Lord Gorme looked slightly disappointed, but not
offended "Oh, very well, he said, forgetting his un-
answered question to Daura about the ROOM IF you
have confidence in yourself, joy be with you! Most
strangers-not that we have many here-make as much
fuss about finding their this poor old house as
of it were the labyrinth of the Crean minotaur. Well,
let all go and light candles. Tomorrow night we
shall have recovered from the shock Of today hope.
shall o1< ard To
THEY all babe each other goodnight, and when Lady
Daura and Miss Erskine had disappeared the four
took up their candles and went their several ways
Troy's @bump Of locality served him well, and he
found his own corridor without mishap. 1t was dimly
lighted at end, with lamp held up by figure in
This figure stood against the wall, at the end
by which Troy entered and as he turned the corner
coming into the corridor he saw at the far end another
figure, also holding light 1t was that Of Daura in
white Dress and the effect Of her fitting form in the
dimness and distance was ghostlike.
"Oh, Mr.. Troy she began, hurrying to him. I'm
glad that am in time wanted to tell you She
stopped, as suddenly amateur actress who has
lost the thread of her words"to tell you that-no
don't mean tell, but ask-do you believe in ghosts3'
Il almost thought | did minute ago" said Troy.
They standing close to the door of his now,
and Daura looked down at moth fitting round her
candle he could only the top of her head, and the
beautiful hair smooth and glittering tight-6tting
cap of copper Il guess there's influence about
this house that makes man feel there may be things in
the world he wouldn't have believed in anywhere else;
but there ghosts anyhow I'm not afraid of them"
No." said the girl, "of course not. And Of
believe in them, really Still can't quite know,
can we? didn't tell you that there's ghost
story-a sort of ghost story-about this l
thought it would be silly to tell. But-a long, long
time ago strange things supposed to have happened
here. l don't believe they did happen-no, don't be-
leve bit! And I'm you wouldn't, Of all people.
Only it didn't quite fair, after all-not to give
YOU some warning"