Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-24

parsonage an envelope addressed u
Misses Carol and Lark Starr. The
Methodist Parsonage, Mount Mark
Iowa. and in the lower left hand cor
ner was suggestive drawing Of q
Skull and Crossbones. The eyes OF
the mischievous twins twinkled with
delight when they saw 1t, and they
carried it to the barn for prompt peru
sal. 1t reads as follows:
Miss Constance Starr humbly and
respectfully Graves admittance into
the Ancient and Honorable Organize.
| ton of Skull and Crossbones."
The twins pondered long on fitting
reply and the next afternoon the post
man brought letter for Connie, wait.
| ing impatiently for it. She had ap-
preached the twins about it at. noon
that day. 49,. ,,:~,. .
did you get my application?' she
had whispered nervously
But the twins had stared her out Of
countenance and Connie realized that
she had committed a serious breach
of secret society etiquette.
But here was the letter! Her fin
gers trembled as she opened it. 1t
was decorated lavishly with skulls
and crossbones, splashed with red
ink, supposedly blood, and written in
the same suggestive color.
Skull and Crossbones has heard
the plea of Miss Constance Starr. If
she present herself at the Parsonage
Haymow this evening at s o'clock
she shall learn the will of the Society
regarding her petition"
Connie was jubilant! In a flash she
saw herself admitted to the myster-
ious Barnyard Order and began work
ing out name for her own designa-
ton after entrance. 1t was proud
day for her. ~
BY the time the twins had finished
washing the supper dishes it was dark.
Constance glanced out Of the window
apprehensively. She now remember
ed that o'clock was very, very late,
and that the barn was along way from
the house! And up in the haymow,
too And such mysterious bloody
society! Her heart quaked within her!
So she approached the twins respect.
fully, and said in an offhand way:
II can go any time now. Just let
me know when you're ready and I'll
But the twins stared at her again
in an amazing and overbearing fash
ion, and vouchsafed no reply. Con-
ME, however, determined to keep a
watchful eye upon them and when
they started BARNARD she would trail
closely along In their rear. It was
a quarter to eight, and fearfully dark.
when she suddenly rendered that
they had been upstairs an unnaturally
long time. She rushed up in panic.
They were not there She ran through
the house. They were not to be
found. The dreadful truth over
whelmed her-the twins were already
in the haymow, the hour had come,
and she must go forth.
Breathlessly she slipped out of the
back door and closed it softly behind
her. She could not distinguish the
dark outlines Of the barn in the equal
darkness Of theautumn night She
gave a long sobbing gasp as she
CROPPED her way forward. AS she
neared the barn she was startled to
hear from the haymow over her head,
deep groans as of soul in mortal
agony. Something had happened to
the twins!
Girls! Girls" she cried, forgetting
for the moment her own sorry state
What is the matter? Twins!"
Sepulchral silence. And Connie
knew that this was the dreadful Skull
and Bones. Her teeth chartered as
she stood there. irresolute in the in
tense and throbbing darkness.
"It's only the twins" she assured
herself over and over, and began fun
bling with the latch of the barn door
but her fingers we're stiff and cold
Suddenly from directly above her,
there came the hideous clanking of
iron chains. Connie had read ghost
stories and she knew the significance
of clanking chains, but she stood her
ground in spite of the almost ire.
sistible impulse to fly. After the