The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
THE MYSTERY-By CHARLES BELMONT DAVIS

des, rted street she saw the tall figure
walking slowly away from her the
playful puppy, who had thrown in his
lot with the man, following at the heels
of his new master.
Diana, however. had not yet seen the
last of her nights adventure. When
but "A block from her boarding house
she heard for the second time that night
the sharp ring of fast approaching foot
steps. quite sure it was our Johnnie,
who had discovered another excuse to
speak to her she stopped and turned
about.
To her dismay she saw that it was
not the well known tall figure hut that
OF short, thick set man, who had evil
IDENTIFY approached from the street
which ran at right angles to the one
on which she had been walking. But
now he was crossing the roadway ana
by the rapidity Of his gait there was
little doubt that he intended TO accost
her
With refuge less than a block away
Diana hurried on. But before she had
gone half the distance she knew 10y the
hurryng footballs behind her that 1t
would be impossible for her to reach her
destination in time. At the moment 1t
so happened that she was directly in
front Of the old mansion known as the
haunted house.
Opening the gate of the palne fence
that ran along the sidewalk Diana
quickly passed in and slammed the gate
behind her. Then running up the steps
and across the broad veranda she beat
| the knoCker of the door DANGEROUSLY
against its brass plate. II hardly seemed
possible that any one would answer her
| summons at so late an hour. but there
! was a faint hope that her pursuer might
believe that the old house was her home
and thus deceived, continue on his way.
To her great surprise and deignt,
however, the big white door swung back
on its Creaking hinges and in a broad.
| brilliantly lighted hallway an old Colored
servant stood bowling her a genial well
| come. Once within the safety of the
doorway she turned and saw the thick
set man glaring at her from the half
opened gate and then as the patter Of
distant footsteps suddenly echoed once
more through the crisp night air the
man quickly turned and started on a
run in the opposite direction from which
the footsteps CIme.
Diana turned again 10 the old servant,
who continued to bow in a most obse-
'uuious manner and humble what were
evidently intended for words Of welcome.
His hair was very white and his teeth
fairly Elistcned against his ebony skin.
which shone like highly polished ma
hogany The bun and dark blue livery
he Wore was much too large for HIM,
and very faded and frayed, and the steel
buttons that adorned it were quite black
from age and long usage.
Diana was now almost in tears.
I'm very sorry" she apologzed but
had to take refuge somewhere"
while he continued to bow and scrape
before her the old servant put his hand
20 his ear. and Diana, to her great
CONSERVATION discoycrcd that he was
deaf and quite unconscious Of a word
that she was saying.
Miss Anne will sho' be pow'ful glad
TO see you at Mlstah Philips party"
he said, and closed the door behind
her.
As there seemed to he nothing else
To- do under tho circumstances Diana
followed him along the broad hallway.
When they had reached rhe end Of
the hallway the old man opened n door
and bowed Diana into a square. very
bare looking room, which she judged
from its great size to have been the
| ballroom or hdnquctlng hall or the old
mansion. At the far end of the room
there was "A small platform on which
sat three musicians and as she entered
they suddenly began playing The Blue
Danhue" waltz
In much amazcment Diana looked
quickly about her, for at first the three
musicians seemed TO be the only occu-
pants Of the ballroom. But at the second
glance she saw l,tle old lady arise
from high backed chair which stood
not very far from the musicians plat
form At the sight of her guest the
little old lady began to bob up and down
in a series of bows which were evidently
intended as a welcome to Diana.
The girl hurrled,y crossed the room
to where her hostess stood and made
deep courtesy before her. She was a
very, very old lady. very frail, with
snow white hair, a complexion Of ivory
and sweet, kindly eyes that seemed to
he never still, but always looking away
: If in search Of something that she
could not find.
1T was so good of you to come she
aid in her low, sweet voice, you know
rs Philips coming g., age party, You