The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-12-20

strange about the infection that set in and spread in spite of what the best specialists in the country could do; you heard them say that them selves!'' Gene retorted. And I sup razor slipped while he was shaving it should just nick the jugular vein: Well, Pm going in and start upon those beastly letters. Aunt Fife has got them sorted for nle!''
 "Im going to pack!' C5ssie jumped up as he departed. .Of course, you won't go while Tad lives right next door and can run in and out any l hour of the day, but I-
 "But you!'' Nan interrupted hotly. l ''You want to go because the sorrow full atmosphere of this house won't be conducive to the comfort and pleas ure of Farley Drew!' But Cissie had trai1ed from the room, and her younger sister was left to her own thoughts In the smoking room back of the library, Richard Lorne was closeted l with Samuel Titheredge, of Tither edge, Gore and Wells, attorneys and counselors at law. Samuel was long and lean and 1 lanern-jawed as Lorne was short and stout and round faced; and the two 1 had been friends since their univer-
 with the freedom, then, of absolute 1 camaraderie that the lawyer advised l his client
 Dick. don't be an ass! Go to the
 authorities with what, I should like
 to know? Sad as the affair is, l 1 can't see that there is anything strange about it. It isn't at all un-
 usual for two members of one family l to die of different causes within a
 month of each other. Buck up; and if there is anything left in your | private cellar take a swig of it be-
 fore you go to bed. Why, man, | there isn't even a coincidence in the | affair! If you take such a cock-and-
 bull story to headquarters, do you
 know what will happen? You'll get a lot of derisive notoriety that you're not looking for, and afterward when somebody proposes coming to you
 with a nice tidy investment, somebody
 else will tap his forehead significant 1y and suggest another broker
 But I say that there is a coinci-
 dence, Sam,' Lorne retorted, dog
 gedly. T may be ass; but I've 1 ever since the poor boy was discov-
 cred lying there dead in the bath l room; and I've had time to think it
 over. The deaths were both on the s face of them, the result of accidents; g but they might have been deliberate , ly designed to appear accidents. I Do you get me? That needle which s pierced my poor wifes hand might
 any one knowing the state of Ju1ian's . mind might have made a sudden
 noise behind him at critical mo- t ment when the razor was near the
 
 e lhsh clever mind-''
 l. Or an insane one" The attorney = uncrossed his long legs and added e casually. tasu ty,+ Your Y theory presupposes Q He paused as Lorne held up ,. warning hand. Steps were approach = ing over the bare library floor, ane # the inevitable knock upon the con r neoting door was followed by a cougl Q of deprecation.
 Come in, Gene,' Lorne called = tresigned1y.
 Q t.Its about one of these con-on, s Of these letters of condolence. sir. nl Gene hastened to correct himself ant st With a far greater respect than h 3. exhibited toward his stepfather il l private. He meant to appear alway l. at his best before the attorney wh
 neid the family fortunes, if not il n ms grasp, at least under his super l. vision. It's from woman-er-th d stat1onery IS not quite like a woman is I-ef-the stationery Is not quite lik
 that used by any. of our acquaint e ances; and I can't make out the sig nature-tMabel1e' something', .s Let me see it!" Lorne demanded " with an almost unprecedented iras I clblllty in his tones. Gene passe, ,r oyer the table a famboyant lavende n envelope, and did not betray by V futter of his downcast yellow Iasbe
 that he had observed not only hi i stepfather's sudden agitation but tn +oo attorneys start of surprise
 I'll reply to this one; I see it
 l addressed to me- Lorne was be ,f ginning when a terrific crash in tn st library made him start from hi e Why, it's the. portrait. The DOT n tfalt of grandfather that hangs di is rectly over the desk where I've bee, of G aI work! Tt must weigh tons. - Gene had wheeled about and hi a ii squea1 of terror died in his throa 'e e as he turned again to face the othe F 1 two, ms own countenance convulse ,s "lth horror at the thought he coul ,al If Gene had not come to us wit d tn5t letter just when he did-' sam i'd i'd The third coincidence would b ,e1 e complete Lorne finished for hin is He would have been crushed [
 atoms. Beginning to believe in m
 crazy idea little bit, Sam? Begin
 for it a1l?'' N'''o is I'm unwilling now to admit tn 1e coincidence, Dick" the attorney saie
 eaulousy. But the legal mind g. not adapted to ghost hunting: an as I'd like to address your attention T f m the strands Pf wire cable which hel ss the picture to the wall. They hay In been hacked almost through. le Richard Lorne bent forward hi
 stout knees shaking beneath hin 1r ana examined the cab1e-ends wber ne eaey protruded from just under tn of su5derad ua ane afa1 Iranae. aa The tips of tn m DurnIshed, and some had been turne H. inward from the force of the blow
 Which had parted them. r. He glanced up at the 1nscr,,Ha h Sc face of his companion. ''>'0i 'f''' U ys What devils work has been eoin ny on Tn thls house?" He spoke in a a aWestruck whisper " 2
 For answer the attorney merei ': touched his finger suggestivelv to n n ot biosed t, Hps with a. scarcely percent CT pIe snake of his head as Gene has
 ened toward them. Has to IT
 e- Synopsis
 d' Geath; like malignant power. :,
 saues the home of Richard Iorn l claiming the lives of his wife ar i. he s1epson, Julian Chambers. within IT. snort time The aunt, Miss Eff an Meade. a mouse-Iie s,ins4 i1ii IT, charge The a1n,ost S.. ee.f>
 children = Eugene, Christine. u