The Dolores star., 1922-12-15
By Courtney Ryley Cooper
"Laura-Laura. Honey"
ceryrisA, By Little, Bre.n & Cs.

why Didn't you tell your sweet
heart about thls?"
II mustn't-you've spoiled 1t now.
Roady"
"No-Iloney. can show you the
way. He's nearly gone What were
you going to do when he went-T
He'd have dissolved in mir, Roady-
know The spirits have told me-"
perhaps so" The voice Of the scar
faced. mean.visaged Squin; Rodaine
was stIll honeyed, still caJoling. Per
haps so-but not at once Isn't there
barrel of lime In the basement
"Yes."
'.Come downstairs with me"
They started downward then. and
Fairchild watched them pass Rodaine
In the lead. carrying a smoking lamp
with Its half.broken chimney cnreen-
ing on the base, Crazy Laura, num-
bling her toothless gums. her hag-like
hands extended before her, shufflinG
along In the rear He heard them 20
far 10 the rear OF the house, then de-
scend more stairs. And he went fiat
to his stomach on the floor. with his
cut akhilSt tIhs 'Iiiiih Aihht he Hiis"A
hear the better. Squint still was talk
ing In his loving tones.
"See. Honey" he was saying. 1--WE
I've broken the spell by going in up
stairs. You should have told me.
didn't know-I just thought-wei, l
thought there was some one in there
you liked. and got jealous"
4 81. n,lrl ln1
Did you?"
"Yes-T didn't know you had him
there. And you were making him I'M
mortal?"
81 found him, Ready. His eyes were
shut, and he was bleeding. 1t was at
dusk, and nobody saw him when car
ried him in here. Then | started CIV
ing him the herbs"
THAT you've gathered around at
night?"
"Yes-where the dead sleep. I get
the red berries most. That's the blood
of the dead come to life again"
The quaking. crazy voice from be-
low caused Falrchild to shiver with a
sudden cold that no warmth could
eradicate. Still, however, he lay there
listening. fearful that every move from
below might bring cessation OF their
conversation. But Rodaine talked on.
"Of course know. But I've spoiled
that now. There's another way, Laura.
Get that spade. See, the dirt's soft
and six or seven feet long. Then put
half that lime from the barrel In there.
Underestimate"
"What for7"
Its the only way now; well have
to do that. It's the other way to i'm
mortality. You've given him the
herbs?"
"Yes."
"Thcn this is the end see7 Now
do that won't you, Honey?"
you'll kiss me. ROady?"
"There!" The faint sound Of kiss
came from below. "And there's an
other one. And another r.
"Just like the night our boy was
born. Don't you remember how You
me In your arms?'
I'm holding you that way now,
Foney-just the same way that held
you the night our boy was born. And
I'll help you with this. You dig the
hole and put half the lime in there
don't put 1t all. Wen need the rest to
put on top of him. You'll have It done
in about two hours. There's some
thing else needed-some acid that I've
got to get. It'll make 1t all the quick
er. I'll be back. Honey. Kiss me-"
Fairchild, seeking to still the hor-
rorladen culver Of his body. heard
the sound of a kiss and then the clat-
ter of mans heavy shoes on the
stairs, accompanied by slight clink
from below. He knew that sound
the scraplng of the steel of a spade
against the earth as 1t was dragged
into use. A moment more and Ro-
daine, mumbling to himself, passed the
door. But the woman did not come
upstairs. Fairchild knew why; her
craZed mind was following the in
structions of the man who knew how
to lead the lunatic Intellect into the
channels he desired; she was digging,
digging a grave for some one, a grave
to be lined with quicklime!
Upstairs was some one who had
| been found by this woman in an un-
conscious state and evidently kept In
that condition through the potatons
of the ugly poison-laden drugs she
brewed-s0me one who now was
doomed to die and to lie in quick
lime grave! Carefully FalrchIld gained
his feet; then, as silently as possible
he made for the rickety stairs, stop.
ping now and again to listen for dis
covery from below. But 1t did not
come; the insane woman was chanting
louder than ever now. Fairchlld went
on.
He felt his way up the remaining
stairs. rat scampering before him
he sneaked along the wall, hands ex
tended, cropping for that broken door
finally to find 1t. Cautiously he peered
within. striving in vain to pierce the