Evening star., 1925-09-13

would not have been man
Il with red blood in his veins If
he had not kept a certain
tenderness for the strong, hard. brave
girl who loved him. He had reproach-
ed Eve once for saying Miss Gillett
had a cruel face, but now, suddenly,
he thought the same.
Il hope the history of this house
isn't going to repeat itselfr' she said.
wave of anger swept over Haste.
He felt that he hated the woman. He
knew she would be glad if Eve were
dead
In rage, he pulled the old.fashion
ed bell rope again and again. Miss
Gtllett rushed from the room, and
when a maid came running, he was
alone.
The servant stared at him, fright
ened.
Call Mrs. Haste's maid, he said
Il must speak to her. Quick, please"
He felt that he could not bear the
suspense; for suddenly it had become
actual suspense. He was afraid-icily
afraid of something--he could not
have told what
Ken stood still, waiting, in the
room where Ewes pretty things We're
already scattered about; her mono
grammed gold toilet things on the
dressing table, a film of white lace and
a soft fluff of pink chiffon and silk
on the bed, which must be fairy
like mighty" and a robe de cham
bre.
my God, if anything has happened
TO her in this hateful placer he NUT
tered. half aloud Then footsteps
came hurrying along outside the door;
and somewhere in the distance a wom-
an screamed.
The sound of the scream released
some force within Haste which his
will had kept pent up. 1t was as
If the power of a cataract had broken
thorough vast thickness of ice.
Ken had not let himself acknowledge
that he was actually afraid. Then,
suddenly he was overwhelmed with
fear, sickened by it.
Something horrible had happened
to Eve! That scream said SO. What
ever 1t was had been discovered, and
some woman had cried out He
dreaded to know the truth. yet he
felt that he must learn it at once,
lest his heart burst. Ffinging open
the door. he met Ewes maid. 1t
must have been her footsteps which
had come running along the hall.
"Oh Josephine" he heard himself
say, wondering vaguely that he had
r voice left. Then it wasn't you who
screamed?"
mo, Monsieu lie Capitaine." the
French woman painted. II do not
know who screamed. | came quickly
from below. We were dining. Made
moiselle-I mean Madame-she is not
iH?''
My God Is there nobody who can
tell me anything" groaned Haste,
and flung away without answering
the question.
He thought-so far. as he was ca
pable of thinking-that the sound of
the scream had come from the floor
below, and he dashed downstairs two
steps at a time. Yes. he was right.
a woman was in Mysteries. jabbering
between sobs and Easping for breath
A mans voice and a girls mingled
in trying to soothe her. The girls
voice was Pans. The mans he did
not recognize, nor trouble his mind
with the effort to do SO.
Like a sleepwalker beginning to
wake, he wandered on past the dining
room. where he and Eve had talked
together so happily A little while
only little whfle-ago. and went into
the music room adjoining 1t was
empty, but d door that he had not
seen in the paneling was open. There
was a light beyond-and the voices.
"Oh, l knew-T knew something
would happen. | didn't want them to
come here" the wailing woman
moaned.
DO be silent. You're making fool
OF yourself,' Pandora said sharply
1T may not be-
Kennedy Haste felt as if hand
gripped his throat as he walked
through that deep doorway in the
thick. old wall.
The room on the other side was
small, octagonal in shape. and hung
with tapestry. He had never seen it
before; but he hardly thought of this
His eyes went straight to a group
huddled together close to the opposite
wall. Above their heads classic tap
cstry faces smirlled against a dim
background of old green's and blues.
Pandora was there with the magnifi-
cent Italian butler and woman of
middle age whom Haste had never
seen.
What are you talking about?" he
heard himself demand roughly
All three turned with q start of
surprise. They had been too deeply
absorbed to hear him coming and
evidently their nerves had suffered
severe shock.
1t was Pan who answered but 1t
was at the woman Haste looked He
hardly saw the girl or the dignified
old man with the dark Italian brows
and silver hair. The panic fear on
the woman's pale face fascinated him.
She stared with wide open black eyes
into his. as if stricken by the sound
of his voice.
who are your" he asked sharply.
The woman's lips parted. but she
appeared unable to answer. Pan
spoke for her. This is Mrs. Gillett,"
she explained. "Don's housekeeper-
Fanny Gillett's mother. The butler,
NTarianti, found this panel in the wall
pushed back. between the music room
and this one-the tapestry boudoir /
think it's called. That surprised him
because-because it isn't a door any
one knew about. Then--he saw some
thing here on the floor. And-and he
thought he ought to call Mrs. Gillett.
He's new to the house and
What did he see?" Ken broke in
on the halting explanation.
He took a step nearer, but Pandora
almost flung herself upon him, push
breast. Don't come, Keni' she cried.
Not now-not suddenly, like thisr'
Haste swung the girl off her feet
and set her behind him. Instantly
and respectfully the butler made way
for his masters guest.
On the polished floor, close to the
wall, was a mans footprint. clearly
marked In liquid red. There were
also a few crimson drops sprinkled
near, as If they had dripped from a
wound; for the red fluid was certainly
blood
"Oh, wishl hadn't seen it, sobbed
the woman. "It was cruel to bring
me here to look at such horrorsn'
Haste gave her one glance. Strange,
If she were Rawdon Wells house
keeper. he had never before had a
glimpse of her Before the war he
oft for