The Washington times., 1915-05-02
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and his brother never tagged. There
were tenants and neighbors to he asked
after matters concerning the estate on
which he deman nded INFORMATION. Even
the very servants names he remember
ed. ,,
1T was a queer turn of fate. George.
he declared, as he held out before him
wonderfully chased glass filled with
amber wine, (which sent you int" the
world few seconds before me ana
! made you lord of Asheigh anu me a
struggling scientific man.
THE world has benefited by IT, Lord
Ashleigh remarked with more than IRA.
have been on the point of proving most
unpleasant things with regard TO our
| origin.
professor observed. Where we came
| from and where we are going TO are
| questions which no longer afford room
| for the slightest doubt to the really
| scientific mind. What sometimes does
elude us Is the nature of our tendencies
while we are here on earth.
Mine, fancy. are obvious enough
Lord Ashleigh interposed.
acknowledged. "As matter of scien.
tific fact, / recognize the probability OF
your actually being person utterly DIFF
ferent from what you appear. Man be-
comes what he Is according to the cir
| cumstances by which he is assailed.
Now. your life here. George, must be
| singularly uneyentful one.
| Not during the last six months Lord
| Ashleigh marked, with a sigh. Even
these last few days have been exciting
| enough l must confess that they have
left me with queer sort OF nervousness
] find myself listening intently some
| times-conscious, as 1t were, OF the
influence or presence of some indefinite
danger"
Very inteEeeting," the professor
murmured. 'Spiritualism. as an exact
| .rienc. has elways interested me very
much" w ,
Don't encourage George, she oesgeo
.He is much too superstitious, as it is.
There was brief silence. The port
had been placed upon the table ana
coffee served. The servants, according
to the custom of the house, had depart
ed. The great apartment was empty
Even Quest was impressed by some pc
cuIiar significance in the long-drawn-out
silence. He looked around his uneasily.
The browning regard of that long line
Of painted warriors seemed somehow TO
be full of menace. There was something
grim, too, In the sight of those empty
suits Of armor.
II may be superstitious." Lord Ash
leigh said, rbut there ere times, espe-
cially just lately, when seem to hnd
new and hateful quality in silence: What
Is It, wonder? l ask you. but | think
/ know. 1t is the conviction that there
is some alien presence. something dis
, turbing. lurking close at hand.
He suddenly rose to his feet. pushed
; his chair back and walked to the Win
dow. which opened level with the
ground. He threw 1t up and listened:
Then the others came over and joined
but the distant hooting of an owl and
farther away the barking Of some farm
, house dog. Lord Ashleigh stood there
! with straining eyes. gazing out across
r the park.
, There was something here he NUT
r tered: something which has gone
what's that? Quest. your eyes are
a younger than mine. Can you see any
4 thing underneath that tree?
e Il fancied saw something moving n
e the shadow of that oak" he muttered
q Wait"
a He crossed the terrace. swung down
e on TO the patch. across lawn, over a
0 wire fence. and into the park itself. All
e the time he kept his eyes fixed on n GER
I. tain spot. When at last he reached the
= | tree there was nothing there He looked
,, all around him. He stood and listened
= for several moments. A more utterly
peaceful night Of more utter peace II
would he hard to imagine Slowly he
: made his way back to the house.
" II imagine we are all A little nervy
IS tonight" he remarked. There's nothing
/ doing out there"
They strolled about for an hour or
more. looking into different rooms,
o showing their guest the finest pictures
It even taking him down into the wonder
l. ful cellars. They parted carly. but
II Quest stood. for a few moments hefo"e
a retiring. gazing about him with an air
u almost of awe. His great room. as large
- as an apartment in an Italian palaC-
n was lit by dozen wax cndles in silver
,e candlesticks. His four-poster was sup
I: ported by pillars of black oak. carved
N into strange forms. and surmounted ly
IF the Ashleigh coronet and coat-oc-arMs
l. lie threw his windows wide and stood
y for moment looking out across ths
es park. moro clearly Visivble now hv the
g. light of the slowly rising moon. There
% was scarcely a breeze stirring. scarce.
J. ly sound oven from the animal world
Nevertheless. Quest. too. as reluctantiN
!. he made his preparations for retiring
"a for the night. was conscious Of tha
"a queer sensation of unimagined and i'm
ct palpahle danger.
Is Go he continued next Sunday
q