The Washington times., 1919-06-08

What has happenedF' demanded. is
It because Of met"
"No'm," the answer came promptly
You're the best manager we've had here
yet, and you're q kind young lady" This
compliment came from Della, the most
aRabIe Of the three. But the tact is"-
A pause. and the fright they must have
had 70 bring them all pale and gasplng
and inAFtlculate. Ike hsh driven from the
dim world Of their accustomed lives, CON-
mun1cstsd itself in some measure to me.
"Yssf' asked, . little uncertainty.
Then Annie, the stolid. came out with
f. There's something in the house"
At the words All three Of. them drew
together.
We've been suspectin' Of it for q long
time. Them hOusekeepers didn't leave q
good place and . kind mistress 80 quick
for nothin,." Della had taken up the tale
"But we kinder mistTusted like that 1t was
foolishness Of some kind. But. miss, well
1T amt"
was silent q moment, looking at them
and feeling, l confess, rather blank
What is it, them asked sharply.
tits somethin'," Jane Wabbled into Tie
talk.
"Or somebody" contributed Annie.
raped my desk. Something or some
body doing what? Doing it where7"
IAN over the house, miss. But espe-
ciaIly in the old part, where Us servants
live. That's where it happened to them
housekeepers in the daytime, and that's
where it happened to Us last, night"
Well, now, let's have IT," said impa-
tiently. What happened to you last
night?"
Della was In the kitchen maxim bread
late last night" said Annie
"Oh, let Della tell It herself" insisted.
But, ma'am. 1t happened first on to
me. ! was a-goin' down to help her. She
was so late, and her with headache. So
] put on me wrapper and come down the
passage toward the head Of the back stair.
Just IS came to the turn, ma'am, in the
daFk-Pm so well used to the way that
didn't even light candle-somebody went
by me like q draught Of cold air, and my
hair riz right up oE me head"
I'm other words. q draught Of cold air
struck you, eh?" said scoFnfully.
mo. ma'am, there was steps to IL, rather
slow, light steps. that wasn't quite 30 close
to me as the draught Of air."
could make nothing Of this. DeI.sa
now broke In.
'She come into the kitchen, white a.
-four she vas, and we went up to bed, when
in come Jane, a-Shakin' 30 that the candle
grease spattered all over the floor. You
can see It for yourself this day
And what had happened to Janet" ]
asked with q sheer.
II was a-layin' In bed, miss, in the dark
a bit wakeful, and heard, Just back Of me
in the wall, somebody give q great sigh"
/ threw back my head, laughing. you
silly women! Is that all? Now, you don't
mean to tell me that draught Of cold air,
some falling plaster or rat In the wall
are going to drive you away in your old
age from a good homer"
wait CElo0 OCA4as
there's somethin' else"
/ waited. This something else seemed
difficult to tell.
you go ahead" breathed Della at last,
nudging Annie, who gulped and set on
with unusual rapidity.
Robbie was sick last night, toward
mornin'. He had the night terror, Mary
said" MARY was Robbfe's nurse) and she
couldn't get him quiet. He KEEP a talkin'
about q lady with red hair"-they looked
at me out Of the corners Of their eyes and
/ felt my face hot-"a lady that stood over
him-well, there's no tellin' the fancfes Of
a nervous child like him! Anyways, Mary
was after a hot-water bottle, and We, bein'
wakeful and jumpylike, was after helpin-
her. Della and me, we wen. for q cup OF
hot milk, and me and Mary come upstairs
from the kitchen again together and went
TOWARD the nursery
Nov, miss" again they cuddled up to
one another and Armies throat gave
queer sort Of click. lust as we come to
the turn Of the passage, we seen somethin'
come out Of the nursery, quick and quiet,
and Jump away down the hall and out OF
sight. Della and me, bein' scairt already,
run away to our own room, but Mary she
made for the nursery as quick as she
could, and there she found Robbie all but
in fits, so scairt he couldn't scream,
doublin' and tWistin' and rollin' his eyes.
But when she got him Gained down at
last, why, 1t was the same story-a lady
with red hair that come and stood over
him, and stuck her face down closter and
cIoster-just regular nightmare-but we
all three seen the thing come boundin' out
Of his room"
why isn't Mary here to give notice?"