Evening star., 1922-01-15
CONTINUED from Second Page)


Swiftly l turned-to sSe the door
slowly opened; to see, low down upon
the bare foor-for 1 had removed the
carpet from that corner of the room
CHASTITY, contorted face. held side
ways with one ear almost touching
the ground. and with the lower lip
and the chin drawn up as though they
were of rubber almost to the tip of
the nose!
The eyes glared up balefully into
mine, the hair hung disheveled mass
about the face.
The light CLEANED equally upon the
hideous, contorted face and upon the
rounded shoulders and slim, white
arms, on one of which a heavy gold
oriental bangle was clasped.
1t was a woman.
In a flash of inspiration-at sight
of the bangle-I understood. Lean
ing across the table. l extinguished
the lamp in the same instant that
Major Dale. uttering choking cry,
sprang to his feet and toppled for
ward, senseless, upon the floor. The
study was plunged in darkness, but
into the long corridor, beyond the
open door, poured the cold illumina-
ton of the moon. Framed in the
portal, uprose- a slim figure, silhou-
cited upon silvern background.
Elfin, disheveled locks crowned the
head. The pose of the form was as
that of a startled dryad or young
Bacchante poised for a joyous leap
then had fed away down the corridor,
and was gone!
X y X
CLOSE upon a month had elapsed.
" Major Dale and 1 sat in my study
in London.
Young Aubrey Wales has gone
abroad" / said Hes ashamed to
show up again. suppose"
HIN" growled the major. i've
got nothing to crow about myself, by
the Lord Harry, There's courage and
courage, sir! I've led more than one
bayonet attack. but I'd never qualify
for the D. S. o. as a ghost hunter!
Never. by gad!-never!'
He reached out for the decanter,
then withdrew his hand. DOCTORS
orders" he muttered. discipline
must be maintained"
"It was the sudden excitement
which precipitated the seizure" i
said, glancing at the altered face of
my old friend. Il was wrong to ex-
pose you to 1t. but, of course, I did
not know that the doctor had warned
YOU"
"And now," said the major, signing
loudly as he filled his tumbler with
, plain sodawater, what have you to
tell me?'
I'm the first place, have you def
nitely decided to leave Low Fennel
for good?"
Certainly! We're leasing a fiat in
town here while we look around"
Good! Because I very much doubt
tenable."
Then it's really haunted?"
Undoubtedly"
"By what, Addison? Tell me that
by what
"By a gray vapor."
Addison" Major Dale said foarsely.
don't joke about it-don't jokeS 1t
was not a gray vapor that strangled
/.
Seager."
"Seager was strangled by some
person-we shall probably never know
his identity-who had fallen asleep
among the bushes on the mound close
beside the house"
But man alive. I've seen the
beastly thing with my own eyes!
you've seen it! Wales saw it! Mrs.
Ord saw it."
MRS. Ord saw her husband"
"Ah! You're coming round to my
belief about the ords!"
Decidedly I am"
"But what did Wales see. eh? What
did see?"
"you saw the vapor in operation"
The major fell back in his chair.
Words failed him altogether.
81 had come prepared for something
~ the sort" I continued rapidly. for
| 7 have Investigated several cases of
haunting which have proved to be due
to an emanation from the sofia
vanor But the effect Of such vapor
WAS to induce delusions of sight In
nearly every instance (although in
two the delusions were OF hearing).
In other words. the person was