Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-27


and pleasant, like barriers against
the stunted growth. Bobby stopped
the car in front OF one OF a group of
houses at a crossroads. He climbed
the steps and rang. Doctor Groom
opened the door himself. His 81
gantic, hairy figure was siihouetted
against the light from within.
whats the matter nowT he de-
handed in his gruff voice. Forum
ately / hadn't gone TO bed. i was
reading some books on psychic man
fiesta tons. Who's sick? Or
Bobbys face must have told him
q good deal, for he broke off.
Get your things on" Bobby said,
and will tell you as we drive back,
for you must come. Howells has
been killed precisely as my grand
father was"
! For q moment Doctor Groom's
bulky frame remained motionless in
| the doorway. Instead of the surprise
and horror Bobby had foreseen, the
old man expressed only mute won
der. He got his hat and coat ana
| entered the runabout Paroles made
room for him, sitting on the floor,
his feet on the running board.
Bobby had told all he knew before
they had reached the forest. The
! doctor grunted then:
| THE wound at the back of the
head was the same as in your
| grandfather's case?'
| Exactly"
Then what good am /? Why am
| | routed out?"
"A formality," Bobby answered.
katherine thought if we got you
| quickly you might do something.
! Anyway, she wanted your advice"
The woods closed about them.
Again the lights seemed TO push back
a palpable barrier.
IL can't work miracles" the doctor
was murmuring. 81 can't bring men
back to life. Such a wound leaves
no ground for hope. You'd better
| have sent for the police at once.
Hello!"
He strained forward, peering
around the windshield.
Funny" Paroles called.
Bobbys eyes We're on the road.
What do you see?'
! 1.-The house. Bobby" Paroles cried.
NO one, to my certain knowledge
! the doctor said, has lived in that
i house Tor ten years. You say ii was
| empty and falling to pieces when
you woke up there this morning.
Bobby knew what they meant
then. and he reduced the speed OF
| the car and looked ahead TO the
right 4 pallid glow sifted thru the
trees from the direction of the de-
serted house.
Bobby guided the car to the side
of the road, stopped it, aad shut OFF
| the engine. AT first no one moved
! The three men stared as if in the
| presence of an unaccountable phe-
| nomenon- Even when Bobby had eX-
| tinguished the headlights the glow
| failed to brighten. Its pallid quality
| persisted. 1t seemed to radlate from
point close to the ground
1T comes from the front of the
house." Bobby murmured.
He stepped from the automobile.
| What are you going TO do"" Pa
| redeS wanted to know.
| Find out who is in that house
For Bobby had experienced quick
| hope If there was a man or WON
an secreted in the building the truth
as to his own remarkable presence
there last night might not be so fal
to seek after all. There was, more.
over, something lawless about this
light escaping from the place at sucf
an hour. A little while ago, wher
Paroles and he had driven past the
house had been black. They had re-
marked it's lonely, abandoned ap-
pearance. 1t had led Paroles tt
speak of the neighborhood as the do.
main Of death. Yet the strange
paIlid quality of the light itself made
him pause by the broken fence. i
did come from the lower part of the
front of the house. yet, so faint was
it, 1t failed to outline the aperture
thru which it escaped. The doctor
and Paroles joined him.
| when ! was here he said. "al
the shutters were closed. This glow
is too white, too diffused. We mus
see"
AS he started forward Parede!
grasped his arm.
There are too many of us. W.
would make noise. Suppose
creep UP and investigate"
There is one way in-at the back,
Bobby told the doctor. LET us 81
there. Well have whoever's inside
trapped. Meantime. Carlos, if HI
wishes, will steal up to the front
he'll find gut where the light comes
from. He'll look in If he can"
"That's the best PLAN" Paredei
lagreed.
But they had scarcely turned tn,
corner of the house, beyond reach o
the glow, when Paroles rejoinet
them His feet were no longer care