The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1922-12-14
By Courtney Ryley Cooper
CoayrisAt BY Litds, Broua x &c.

1es. Sauint.
"Why didn, you tell your sweet.
heart about thIs:"
Il mustn't-you've spoiled II now.
Ready"
"No-Honey. can show you the
way. He's nearly gone. What were
you going 10 do when he went-g''
He'd have dissolved IN air. Ready
know. The spirits have told me-
Perhaps So" The voice Of the scar.
faced. menn-visageh Squlnt Rodninc
MAS still honeyed, still cajolin:. "Per.
haps so-bui not ut once. Isn't Their.
burrel Of lime In the basement
"ieS."
Come downstairs with me-"
They started downward then. md
FairchIld watched them pass. Rodaine
In the lead, carrying smoking lamp
with Its half-bfoken chimney careen-
ing on the base, Crazy Laura. mum.
bling her tocthless gums, her hag.iike
hands extended before her. shutting
along In the rear. lie heard them 90
far to the rear Of the house, then de-
scend more stairs. And he went fiat
to his stomach on the floor, with his
ear against tiny chlnk that he might
hear the better. Squirt still was talk
Ing In his loving tones.
"See. Honey" he was saying. ave
I've broken the spell by going In up
stairs. You should have told me. I
didn't know just tl,ought-weli,
thought there was seine one In there
you liked. and | got Jealous"
"Dld you. Roady?' she cackled
Did you;'
"fes-I didn't know you had him
there. And you were making him I'm.
mortal;r
81 found him. Ready. His eyes were
shut, and he was bleeding. 1t was at
dusk, and nobody saw him when I car.
ried him In here. Then started Civ.
ing him the herbs
That you've gathered around at
nlght?"
"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 he
low caused Fairchild to SILVER with a
sudden cold that no warmth could
eradicate. Stlll, however, he lay there
listening fearful that every move from
below might bring cessation Of their
conversation. But R0daine talked on.
"Of course | know. But I've spoiled
TINT now. There's another way, Laura.
Get that spade. See. the dirt's soft
here. Dig hole about four feet deep
and six or seven feet long. Then put
half that lime from the barrel In there.
Understand"
"What for?"
''lt's the onlyf way now; we'll have
to do that. It's the other way to I'm.
mortality. Yon've given him the
herbs?"
Eyes"
"Then this II the end. Sect Now
do that. won't you, Honey?"
You'll kiss me, Roadyi"
"Therel" The faint sound Of a kiss
came from below. "And there's an.
other one. And anpther!"
Just like the night our boy was
born. Don't you remember how you
bent over and kissed me then and held
me In your arms!'
I'm holding you that way now,
PoneS-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 It all. Wen need the rest to
put on top Of him. You'll have It done
int 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 kiss and then the clat.
ter Of mans heavy shoes on the
stairs, accompanied by a slight clnk
from below. He knew that sound
the scraping Of the steel of q spade
against the earth as 1t was dragged
into use. A moment more and Ro-
dame. mumbling to himself, passed the
door. But the woman did not come
upstairs. FalrchId knew why; her
crazed mind was following the In.
structions Of the man who knew how
to lead the lunauc Intellect Into the
channels he desired: she was digging,
digging grave for some one, q grave
to be lined with quicklime!
Upstairs was some one who had
been found by this woman In nm un-
conscious state and evidently kept In
that condition through the rotations
Of the ugly poison-laden drugs she
brewed-some one who now was
doomed to die and to lie IN a quick.
lime grave! Carefully Fairchild gained
his feet; then. as silently as possible,
he made for the rickety stairs, stop.
ping now and again tullsten for dis.
covery from below. But It did not
come; the insane woman was chanting
louder than ever now, Falrchlld went
on. ia
He felt his way up the remaining
stairs, a rat scamperlhg before him;
he sneaked along the wall. hands ex.
tended. cropping for TINT broken door.
finally to find Il. Cautiously he peered
within. striving In vain tn nierca thu