Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-30

The misshapen shadows danced
with a multiple vivacity across the
walls. Graham shaded the candle
flame, and the shadows became like
morbid decorations, gargantuan and
motionless.
It's madness" Graham said.
There's no explanation of this that
we can understand"
HowelIs' straight smile Knocked
them. AS if in answer to Graham a
voice sighed thru the room. Its quail
ity was one with the shadows, I'M
substantial and shapeless. Bobby
grasped one of the bed posts and
braced himself. listening. The candle
in Graham's hand commenced to
flicker again, and Bobby knew that
1t hadn't been his fancy, for Graham
listened, too.
1t shook again thru the heavy, OPP
pressive night, merely accumulated
by the candle-a faint ululation bare
ly detaching itself from silence,
straying after a time into the silence
again. At first it was like the grief
of woman heard at a great dis
lance. But the sound, while 1t gain
ed no strength, forced on them more
and more an abhorrent sense of init
macy This crying from an infinite
distance filled the ROOM seemed fin
ally to have its source in the room
itself. After it had sobbed thinly
into nothing, its pulsations continued
| to sigh in Bobby's ears. They SEEM
ed timed to the renewed and &C.
centric dancing Of the amorphous
shadows.
! Graham Strengthened and placed
the candle on the bureau. He SEEM
ed more startled than he had been
! at the unbelievable scretiveness of a
dead man.
"You heard IT." Bobby breathed
| Graham nodded.
What was it? Where did you
think it came from?" Bobby demand
ed. ut was like someone mourning
for this-this poor devil"
Graham couldn't disguise his eff
fort to eIude the somber spell of the
room, to drive from his BARN the il
fusion of that unearthly moaning.
| l lidSS SOlIlc
| the house." he answered. There's
no use giving way to fancies where
there's a possible explanation. 1t
must have come from outside-from
some woman in great agony of
mind"
Bobby recalled his perception of
woman moving with curious alb
sence of sound about the edges Of
the stagnant lake. He spoke of it to
Graham. .
II couldn't be sure it was a wom-
an, but there's no house within two
miles. What would a woman be do
! ing wandering around the Cedars?"
AT any rate, there are three wom-
en- in the house," Graham said,
katherine and the two servants,
Ella and Jane. The maids are badly
frightened. 1t may have come from
the servants quarters. 1t must have
been one of them"
But Bobby saw that Graham didn't
believe either of the maids had re-
leased that poignant suffering.
1T didn't sound like living voice."
he said simply.
"Then how are we to take it?"
Graham persisted angrily. Il shall
question Katherine and the two
maids"
| He took up the candle with q stub
born effort to recapture his old
forcefulness, but as they left the
room the shadows thronged thickly
| after them in ominous pursuit; and
1t wasn't necessary to question Kath-
crime. She stood in the corridor, her
lips parted, her fare white and
shocked.
"What was it7" she said. "That
nearly silent grief"
| She put her hands to her ears.
lowering them helplessly after mo-
ment
'<Where did you think it came
fromT Graham asked.
| From long ways off," she an
swered Then IL thought 1t must
be ia the room with you. and won
dered II you saw
Graham shook his head
1--WE saw nothing. It was prob
ably Ella or Jane. They've been
badly frightened. Perhaps night
mare, or they've heard us moving
around the front part Of the house.
| I nm Going to - f.
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