The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-11

side him as though quite unawares of the sudden silence or of the thoughts that might have been pass ing in his mind. It was Beth who broke the silence.
 ''Is your bag heavy?" she asked. Not at all" said Peter. mopping the precipitation from his forehead. 'sBut aren't we nearly there?"
 "Oh, yes. It's just mile or SOL
 Peter dropped his bag.
 That's what you said it was, back there"
 Did I? We'll, maybe it isn't so far as that now. Let me carry your bag a while"
 Thus taunted. he rose, took the bag in his left hand and followed.
 ''City folks aren't much on doin' for themselves. are they? The tad system is very poor down here yet.'' Her face was expressionless, but he knew that she was laughing at him. He knew also that his bag weighed more than any army pack. It seemed, too, that she was walking much faster | than she had done before-also that there was malicious humor in the smile she now turned on him. Seems a pity to have such a long walk-with nothin' at the end of it."
 +'I don't mind 1t in the least" gasp ed Peter. And if you don't object to my asking you just one more Ques- tion," he went on grin1ly, "Pd like you to tell me what is frightening Mir. Jonathan K- McGuire?"
 "Oh, Mcclure. I don't know. No body does. He's been here a couple of weeks now. cooped up in the big house. Never comes out. They say he sees ghosts aand things "Ghosts!"
 She nodded. He's hired some of the men around here to keep watch for them and they say some detectives are coming. Youn help too. guess"
 That should be easy" Maybe I don't know. My aunt works there. She's housekeeper. It's spooky, she says, but she can't afford to quit"
 "But they haven't seen anythfng?" asked Peter incredulously. NO. Not yet. I guess 1t might relieve 'en some If they did. It's only the things you don't see that scare you."
 Tt sounds like a great deal of non sense about nothing.' muttered Peter. "Al1 right. Wait. until you get there | before you do much taEkin''' "I will. but Pm not afraid of ghosts" And. then, as after thought. "Are you?" Not in daylight. But from what | Aunt Tillie says, it must be some thing more than a ghost that's fright enin' Jonathan K. McGuire." What does she think it is?" She doesn't know. MT. Mcclure won't say He won't allow anybody around the house without a pass Oh, he's scared all right and he's got | most of Black Rock scared, too He was never like this before.' Are you scared ?" asked Peter ''No. ] don't think I am really. But it's spooky and I don't care much | for shootini"
 What makes you think there will | be shooting?"
 tols. Whatever the thing is he's afraid of, he's not goin' to Jet it come near him if he can help it. l Aunt Tillie says that what with | loaded rifles, shotguns and pistols lyin' loose in every room in the house, it's as much as your life Is worth to do a bit of dustin. And the men-Shad Wells, Jesse Brown, they all carry automatics. First thing they know, they'll be ki11in' somebody" she f1n- | ished with conviction. | 'Who is Shad welIs-?'' My cousin Shadrack E. Wells. He was triplets. The other two died" | ''Shad," unused Peter. | Sounds like a fish, doesn't it? But he isn't And then more slowly, 'Shad's all right. He's just a plain woodsman, but he doesn't know any | thing about making the trees grow" she put in with grim irony. "You'u be his boss. guess. He won't care much about that" "Why?''
 Because he's been runnin' things in way. I hope you get along with him.
 50 do I-''
 Because if you don't, shad will eat you at one gobtble.' "Ohr' said Peter with a smile. But perhaps you exaggerate Done you think might take two-er- gobbles"
 Beth looked him over, and then smiled encouragine.y.
 Maybe she said, "but your hands don't look overstrong." Peter looked at his right hand cur iously. It was not as brown as hers, but the fingers were long and sinewy.
 They are, though. When you practice five hours a day on the piano. your hands will do almost any thing you want them to."
 A silence which Peter improved bv shifting his suitcase. The weight of 1t had ceased to be amusing. And he was about to ask her how much l further Black Rock was when there was a commotion down the road ahead of them, as a dark objec, emerged from around the bend and amid whirl of dust an automobile appeared.
 It's the Iizzje.'" exclaimed Beth internationally.
 And in moment the taxi service of Black Rock was at Peters disposal | "Carburetor trotsole.' explained the soiled young man at the wheel brifly without apology. And with a glance at Peters bag
 Are you the man for McGuire's on
 the 6:3O?'
 Peter admitted that he was and the
 boy swung the door of the tonneau
 open.
 Tn here pith ma Beth ', ha aia L.