The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-09-19

out before her and Miles saw that
M. object she carried was an electric
torch. is eery CLEAN distorting her
face with the wisps OF gray hair fall
ms about Il. into the scmbiancc %
tho vericst witch.
lie ahrnnk back fearful lest she
discover his presence. but Miss
Jerusha stared straight before her
with the Wild blank gnze Of one who
looks upon the hldcous visions OF
mind distraught and slowly. crop.
insiy she passed from the room.
CHAPTER VII
A SOFT rain was falling when
n Miles awakened tho next morn.
ing and In tho clear. gray light the
scene which he had witnessed in the
drawinE.roOm seemed vague and I'M
real. That creature with dishevcllcd
hair and craEcd eyes could not have
beer the dignifisd. self.contained
Miss Drake. nor could that cryptic
speech have issued from her lips!
fastening out into tho hall he
opened the door OF tho closet under
the stairs. The mail bag was hans.
ing In its accustomed place and the
handy mans first task Of tho morn.
log was TO take Il 20 tho post office.
There was no sign Of life about
tho house and Miles soon had a ket-
tie boiling and expcrtiy steamed
opan two OF tho envelopes.
The first felt so bulky that no was
not surprised 10 take from Il n
folded inner envelope inscribed; Mr..
Richard Kemp" was unaddressed
but tho accompanying letter was OK.
Iplanatory:
"Mliiie. dearest;
Il am going 20 ask most tire.
msndous favor. I am not allowed
I 10 sec or even write 10 pickic any
lmore--it ISN'T that he has don. any
Lining. he IL tho darlinEeat boy
alive. but both our families have de-
cidsd 10 break up our happiness and
Aunt IerunhN watches INC like a
lynx. VIII you put the enclosed let
ter in ono of your own envelopes
and address " 70 Dickie for ms9
/ For heavens sake don't fan mo for
II am simply hsHrtbroksni
Hastily but with fondes, love.
Miles smiled TO himself as lie
rcseaied tho letter with lis enclosure.
but his gravity returned when no
opened the final envelope:
| MY dr. Brother" he read
Il take my pen Ia hand to let you
know that I am we'll and hope you
and all are the same but I can't say
as much for the folks. The house
/ has not been the same since Andrew
came back from foreign parts more
/ noisy and fresh like than when he
was boy only different but up 10
/ his old tricks. He played joke on
the houseman Monday and scnirt
/ him so he left. Hobart has took 10
| liquor and made n holy aaow OF
| himself IN the town. Roger has got
/ himself In n mess too over speech
/ he made In tho schoolhouHe last
week. 1 am commencing to think
they are all getting queer again
/ like they was years ago when they
I first come into the money. Do you
lrecollect what l told you about their
actIons7 Seems like IL was yoster-
day. Miss JeruHha has not been
/ herself lately and no wonder with
the gossip and all and she has put a
lhtop 20 Pat going out with that nice
young man I wrote you about but
/ guess II will come out all right.
Tyr aft sister.
"Y'r arr sister. Hitty."
Slowly Miles replaced the letter
and summed the flap Of tho en-.
yeiope together once more. He had
heretofore regarded the lugubrious
Mehitabel as negligible. but no real
lied now that she might DO wen
worth cultivatlng. She thought
they we're all getting queer again
like they were when their inheri.
tance came. That was the out.
standing phrase in her letter which
struck him with the greatest force.
Miss Jerusha was her calmly re.
served self at breakfast. and Miles
could perceive no trace OF the emo.
ton which had possessed her at mid.
night.
II wonder IL you will go on an err.
rand for me. William" asked Roger
Il know II Is raining, but have an
important letter which must go in
the next mall"
III 90 at once, sir"
Absorbed in his thoughts the de.
tective had pleaded mechanically
along the path and II was with d
start Of surprise that he saw the
raincoat and bedragglcd. broad
brlmmed hat Of Andrew Drake jus,
z ahead. He was walking rapidly be.
side a taller. more distinguished
figure. Miles recognized him as the
visitor on the night Of his arrival.
the next door neighbor, Enslee
! Grayle.
What could these two. 10 widely
disslmilar in character and procllw
ties. have In common Miles has
tened his footsteps and was almost
at their heels when they turned
abruptly off at the head OF "A Ian,
between two tall hedges. He wa
about to continue 20 the vlliag,
when he turned TO find a woman be
side him. She was dressed in a tail
ored suit Of brown which displayed
the buzom lines OF her figure will
rather startling frankness; fac,
that was undenlably pretty altho o
"a course type. and bold hazel eye
gazed into his from beneath firing
Of all.too.yellow hair.
IL sye, 90 is that mun?" she dc
manded with an imperative nod 10