The Washington herald., 1920-04-15
Lxx.-rHE DARK FIGURE IN THE
RAIN
I drew back, shuddering. i poir

i drew back, shuddering. point
ed breathlessly toward the window
Look! Oh, look!' I cried.
The others wheeled about.
What Is it7 What's the mattery
cried Travis Lloyd For-with mi
raculous speed - the dreadful, dis
torted face had disappeared! The
lower part Of the window remained
q blank.
"A--a woman-a wild woman--at
the window" sasped, choking over
the words. "She-she glared at me
she'll kill me" A wave OF
hysteria threatened to seize me. ]
trembled violently.
There. there, dearie, you're i'm
agining things!" The gamekeeper's
wife patted my hand soothingly.
You're overwroughtr
But Travis Lloyd had gone death
ly pale. He suddenly looked old.
He took q quick step ward the
window, drawing down he blind
Then he touched the gan eeper on
the arm, and the two hen moved
toward the door.
II wouldn't come. IL / were you
sir, begging your pardon,".I heard
the former say in low tones. 1T
may be as much as your life is
worth. Besides"-he flung a glanc.
at me-"the young lady ought not
to be left with only the missus in
charge. 1t isn't safe"
Such words were scarcely reas-
suring. held out an imploring
hand to Travis Lloyd.
Don't leave me-" cried, foolish
ly. weakly.
He flung a quick glance toward
the window. over which the blind
was now fully drawn.
Miss Helene, you need not be
alarmed. But-you're Sitting rather
near the fire. Won't you take this
chair over here?" He indicated a
seat across the room, and complete
ly out of range of the window. A
definite thought was in his mind-a
thought which communicated Itself
to me. He was afraid that a Sec
ond shot might be fired-at me!
didn't argue the point. / rose
with some alacrity-and changed
my chair. / flung an anxious glance
toward the door At any moment
expected to hear a wild knock
The gameKeepcr lifted n heavy
coat from of a peg. took down
loaded stick that was hanging close
to II, and prepared TO go forth and
inspect the premises round which
some spirit of malevolence was
lurking. with intent to harm.
NO, don't come with me-" he said
to Travis Lloyd. I'll call out II
need YOU"
And he departed. shutting tho
door tight behind him.
glanced at the Samekeeper's
wife. expecting to see an anxious
look upon her face.
But l saw nothing of the sort
Evidently she was accustomed tC
these evening quests.
The clock licked away upon the
mantelpiece. Its ticking seemed abb
normally loud. At any moment
expected to hear a shot.
The face of Mr.. Travis Lloyd had
settled into a strange, unnatural
calmness. like a mask. Underneath
that mask I wondered vaguely what
was going on.
That dreadful woman's face
pressed close against the window
The fact that 1 must move my chair
to be out of ranger ; The appart.
tion's glaring eyes-the evident per-
turbation OF Travis hoyd-the
warning of the gamekeeper. who
apparently knew something of the
situation-all these things were
food for thought!
oh, why had set out that nigh,
to urge Alice Anstruther 10 come
home? The whole thing had been d
wild goose chase, and had almost
ended in tragedy. Alice was flirting
with Tony, caring little for her hus-
bands happiness-while l had beer
almost murdered by some enemy o!
Travis Lloyd's.
1t was a tangled situation-not q
happy one.
None OF these people mattercd iT
my life-except the one man
couldn't openly ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
that was Jim, my husband.
But Jim loved me. had at leas
that comfort.
II / could only go to him and tel
him the mysterious happenings il
the neighborhood.
And then a recollection of the be.
ginning of Jim's illness came to me
He, too. had been attacked by some