The Ordway new era., 1922-12-01
By Courtney Ryley Cooper
Copyright BY Little, Brown & Co

| why uiuIl Npu tel YOUR SNStt-
heart about this?"
"I mustn't-you've spoiled 1t now,
Roady"
"No-Honey. can show you the
way. He's nearly gone. What were
you going to do when he VENT"
He'd have dissolved in air, Roady-
1 know. The spirits have told me-"
perhaps So" The voice of the scar
faced. mean-visaged Squint Rodaine
was still honeyed, still cajoling. per
haps so-but not at once. Isn't there
barrel of lime In the basementT
"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 careen-
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 go
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 chink that he might
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-weli. l
thought there was some one in there
you liked, and I got jealous"
"Dld you. Roady2' she cackled.
"Did you?"
"Yes-I didn't know you had him
there. And you were making him Inn
mortal?"
81 found him, Roady. His eyes were
shut. and he was bleeding. 1t was at
dusk. and nobody saw him when l car
ried him in here. Then l started Civ
Ing him the herbs"
THAT you've gathered around at
night7"
'.Yes-where the dead sleep. 1 get
the red berries most. That's the blood |
of the dead come to life again."
The quaking. crazy voice from be-
low caused Falrchlld to shiver with q |
sudden cold that no warmth could |
eradicate. Still, however, he lay there
listening. fearful that every move from
below might bring a cessation of their |
"Of course know. But I've spoiled
that 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.
Understands"
"What for?"
Its the only way now; We'll have |
to do that. It's the other way to i'm
mortality. You've given him the
herbs?"
YES"
"Then this is the end. See? 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!"
"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.
Eoney-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. Well need the rest to
put on top of him. You'll have 1t done
/ in about two hours. There's some
thing else needed-some acid that I've
got to get. It'll make it all the quick
er. I'll be back. Honey. Kiss me-"
Fairchild, seeking to still the hor-
ror-laden quiver of his body, heard
the sound of n kiss and then the clat-
ter of a mans heavy shoes on the
stairs, accompanied by slight clink
from below. BE knew that sound
the scraping of the steel of a spade
against the earth as 1t was dragged
into use. 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, grave
to be lined with quicklime!
Upstairs was some one who hat
been found by this woman in an un
! conscious state and evidently kept II
that condition through the potation
Of the ugly poison-laden drugs sh
2 brewed-some one who now wa
doomed to die and to lie in quick
d lime gravel Carefully Fairchild game
0 his feet: then, as silently as possible
+ he made for the rickety stairs. stoI
z ping now and again to listen for di
d covery from below. But it did nc
come the insane woman was chantin
L. louder than ever now. Fairchild wer
= on.
g He felt his way up the remainin
stairs, a rat scampering before hin