Graham guardian., 1921-03-04

tly, with an expression of awe. III
was n long tumble he took"
"No; he got away! I've hunted the
place over for him. Would you know
him again If you saw himT
"Sure." replied Tony. notdlng, hut
she said no more. ITO tell him who
the man was would mean to break the
solemn oath she had made on the
Christ TO Ter mother.
A timld knock brought the CONVERSE
/ tion TO q close. Mrs. Curtis was at
the threshold when rendlehnven open.
, ed the door.
| "rve been looking the house over
for you. John" she began. Boys rot
A hcadnche! He said for you not to
bother to come to him, hut to give
me something TO make him Sleep" .
as he drunk" demanded Pendlc-
| haven.
Mrs Curtis hegan to cry.
"John, how unkind!" she shifted
from the haven of hor handkerchief.
"The moment the child complains ev-
cryhody accuses him OF drinking, No,
of course, he isn't drunk"
-
For many day, Reginald Curtis
tossed fitfully in he'd. tortured by tho
| thought that he would never cenSe
being haunted by Tony Devon's spirit.
| He dared not get up for he was Gov
| cred with bruises from his fall and
added to his misery, he imagined eT-
cry time the door opened he was go
ing to be arrested But no such thing
happened and one afternoon when
DR.. John was gone and his mother
and Katherine were shopping down.
| town, he crawled out Of he'd and made
his way softly from the house.
Uriah Devon had ventured back to
the HoghOle with his canal boat, so
when Reginald appeared aboard her
Devon met him with growl.
'Whcre in HI you been all this
time, Rege?" he demanded In a sinis-
| ter tone.
Reggie shuddered, as he sank down
on the bench.
"1'm going crazy" he muttered.
"I've been awful sick"
"You mean just drunk, don't YOU?
Didn't you try doin' what told you
| to?p
The hoy nodded and shivered again.
81 sure did, but, but"
"But whatT' cried Devon.
81 put tile stuff in the medicine all
right, but something happened Reg
maids voice was low and waver!ng
as he finished the statement
"What happened?" repeated Devon
hoarsely. Don't sit there like a id
fool and look as II you'd swallowed
live eel"
81 was going to slip back from the
window sill to the tree" falte-cd
Reggie, "and Tony's ghost rose up be-
fore me and showed me clean Off the
ledge and down to the groundw
Uriah's eyes almost protridcd from
his head Then slow smile ran
around his lips.
"Rntsr he calculated huskily.
Rats, you fool There nin't such
things as ghosts"
"Yes. there is, Devon" insisted Reg
gle, in dreary monotone. "I've seen
one! I've seen Tony, say, and many
a time she's come so close to my
eyes could have touched her II she
could have been touched. The fall
made me sick. I've been In bed ever
since"
"And your cousins still alive, chr
Uriah's voice had snarl in II.
"Stil alive" muttered Reggie.
"What you goln' to do about II
nowi" demanded Devon. TRY II
againT
Brown shook his head.
"No, not yet, Riah," he muttered
mot just yet. can't"
"You got to get me a lot Of money
some way" Devon came in with
'Tve got to get out Of this country
or I'll be hooked to Jail II those Syra
cuse folks find me- You'd better bs
getting home and back to bed. Bes
take n stiff swing, too, to settle you
nerves"
He watched the tall thin boy wall
slowly away in deep meditation. Ther
he laughed and went below to thu
cabin.
Almost a week after Reggie's futile
attempt to poison his Cousin Paul
Tony Devon was sitting in her room
reading, when servant appeared ant
told her some one wanted to see hel
downstairs. Her heart bounded witt
delight, for she was sure Philip hat
come again and had sent for her. Sh'
rushed to the glass, caught a glimps,
of her rosy face, pushed back few
stray curls and went downstairs Il
the drawing room.
As she stepped inside, she came t
sudden terrified halt. Her fathe
was seated in large chair and hi
, eyes, red and swollen, were centeret
, upon her. Then he smiled, that wick
, ed smile that always widened hi
, thick lips when he had succeeded II
> some evil thing.
/ "EIello, Tony" he chuckled. "You'v
1 made q fine nest for yourself huhf'
, Tony only stared at him. She fel
suffocated by his sndden appearance
[ ~ came to talk to you, KID" h
Z said, the whesdle coming into hi
5 ones that always nugured bad 70
. he person addressed. "Sit down."
Tonnibcl sat, not because he toll
: ,rr to, but because she couldn't stan
a N her trembling legs