Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-16

Copyright, lolG by Harold Macdrathl
CHAPTER ~.
THE SECRET or THE HAUNTED HILLS.
ERIIAPs month elapsed without
n any puzzlng case coming under Has
= sam Airs notice. Zudora aud Storm
had their meetings always previous
~ arranged by the carrier pigeons, about
which lIassam All pretended to know
nothing Besides, he was busy with nu-
morous clients who wanted to know about
their business Investments, their own futures,
and somebody else's past And he continued
to build his pyramids Of phantom gold The
ono mistake he had made was to acluaint
Zudom with the knowledge of her immense
fortune The trustees had always addressed
their letters to him, and it would have been
an easy matter to have kept her in ignorance,
But, oy as he was himself he had pro-
found respect for zuioru's word, She had
,Yen IL, aud there was three years grace.
r ia that period Of time he could not rid
blmsclf of HAT mcdlIing attorney he would
,ca. down the black velvet curtains with his
wn hands aud make bonfire Of them,
storm had urged Zudora dozen times to
Quarry him secretly; but she steadfastly re-
fused to accede to his wishes, OF what use
To marry If they could not have home Of
tbcir owuY or what use to burden them
sclycs with secret which would interfere
with their pursuits and hang threatonngly
aver their hoajs2 More than that, she rea-
boned, her frieula would always look askanca
at her IT, after some months, It became
known that she was married and was not
living openly with her husband. No. she had
given her word aud she would not break It.
So John surrendered gracefully But he was
always feeling that mysterious cloud which
hung lowering over them both.
Many night while alone he tried to figure
ont the basic cause for Hassam Airs attitude
Some day, when work easIcd up bit, he de.
termned to go back over Hassam AIS past
with all the searching Inquiry Of trst class
lawyer. There was something more than
mere physical autagonlsm. He never con.
fosscd this belief to 2udora, however 1t did
not look quite fair to her to put doubts into
her heart when he had nothing back Of these
doubts but instinct But there was no get.
ling around the plain fact that he feared HGs.
SAM Az, fcared him FOR Zudora's sake
One day Storm received letter from his
mother, and tho contents first amused,
then alarmed him His parents were well
TO do country folk In the south Their for.
bears had been soulhorncw Of wealth and
position up to war times Piece by peco the
Gne double Inheritance had vanished, and at
The time OF Johns birth they had sunk from
o1lucucc to the ordinary comforts Of life,
There had been enough money to send the
lad to college to dt him Cor his own battle
In life lie was good son, writing home
once d month and making holiday visits
whenever there was opportunity Often he
had scul checks home, but invariably these
had been returned They di not need The
money they had enough for their simple
wunls and when they died oil they had
would ho his
Ills mother had written that an alarming
mystery had confronted lhcm, one that prom.
lscd to decimolc the negro seryitcrs On the
various farms and estate And ju't now,
when all the crops were ripe, Il meant ruin
Tor great many whose sole Income was de.
lived from their crops The negroes wero
not dying they were aeemg THIS mystery
gas 40 idle fancy no idle rnmor; 1t was a
swing fact visible To the eye She and her
husband had seen the thing themselves aud
thcy were normal minded oeoolc, Something