Evening star., 1925-10-05

SO. But she had never been hap
nv in thr house. She had seen man.
chosts. Even hve da Wight she saw
them. Among others was the spirit
af the vanished bride of the first Sin
rs wdnn. who had ever lived at Hiddcr
Hall Court. This ghost had appeared
"fter tho invitation had been giver
10 the IIasteS for their honeymoon
IT had come also "a Mrs. Gillett in
drca ms warning her that much the
same fate as her own would hefal
the new bride if she rentursd To visit
Hidden Hall Court.
Mrs. GilIett stated that she had tolt
Sir Eawdon all this. begging him to
repeat the story tn no one. iiN had
promised ia keep the secret. but he
had laughed At the warning. Mrs
Gllett would have liked to write Miss
Carroll even if il We're only an anonN
nous letter. begging her not to come
10 the Conrt. hut this she, had not
dared to do. She had. however. Sug
cested that Fanny should speak to
Can't. Haste--not mentioning Ihe
choStiN wa rninc.. hut limiting that
the drainAc 20 was not in perfect state
This Fanny had refused tn DO. As
ehe hsd herself fra nlIiy confessed Ia
T,acnn. if Kennedy Haste was deter
r1fnel to marry Eve Carroll she
vaIited them In spend their honey
moon at Sir Rawdon's place. There
were those letters OF Eyes she eX
pect ed 10 find in Sir Eawdon's desk
p nd show to Haste
What Fanny said Dagon took with
r1any grains Of salt. The more he 81 W
of Ihe hOuSekeeper'S daughter the
more he felt convinced that she had
had far more serious motive for
wishing Eve carroll to he under that
roof and FOR wishing 10 he under it
Al the same time herself. As for Mrs.
GiiIett. however the detective could
not FeIp believing more or less in her
sincerity He took II that she honest
" ;houCht she had seen ghosts al tho
Court But there was something more
than the spirit brides warning
which had wrecked her nerves. max
Ing her jump AT the slightest sound.
She had perhaps told him no un-
truths. but she had not told ALI the
truth.
The night Of the day when he tele-
Eraphnd Murdoch. AT any price get
into that house. the detective was
restless. He had been excited by the
news from Portree. which had affected
him like draft OF strong wine: and
with his theory" da ancing bright AS
q will % the wisp before his eyes. he
determined To have another look round
the cellar after every one was slowed
away for the night.
{ Having heen given his choice of
hedrnom tSave for those occupied by
Wells. Haste and other members Of
the household Dacon had selected
quarters overlooking the Persia n
garden He made this choice beca use
the room ha asked to have VAS direct
" above the tapestry bolldoir, and
staircase not far from his door would
take him down 10 that region without
DELAY tf need arose. Also. the Persia II
garden fa ascinated him. II formed
court inclosed on three sides and open
only at one end beyond which could
be seer immense Leha non cedars.
These shut ont England. as With
ark screen. and helped the garden 10
give a perfect Illusion of the East.
There We're queer little trees cut in
strange shapes, with red roses looped
over them. The paths were paved with
wonderful tiles brought in the eight
eenrh century from Persia by Johi'
Hidden a great traveller. Also. there
was the pool designed and made by
him. one Of the last l1iddens who had
reigned at the court. 1t was longer
than a square, this pool. ans, 81 q
end was a curious flower bed, ElWaCs
kept precisely as it had been planned
two centuries ago. These beds repre-
sented Persian prayer rugs. the blend
ed ColorS Of the low-growing. dlm-tlnt-
ed blossoms forming the patterns OF
the rugs. Seen from the windows over
looking the garden, the effect was
extremely beautiful. and the marvel
ous tiles which lined the sides Of the
pool could be seen for some distance
down under the clear green water.
Whether the bottom of the pool were
paved in the same gorgeous and eN-
trava CANT WAY was unknown. as II
WAS supposed to he very deep: ana
fresh water flowing in from spring.
II did not need TO he drained. Now and
then CLINT OF silver or gold faSheh
under the surface as fish giided
through the heryl depths: and as Da-
c0n loked ont from his window to-
night the moon lit the pool with
pale mysterious Climmer.
Suddenly, as he gaZed-scarcelY con-
scious OF what he saw, since his
thoughts were elsewhere-a strange
thing happened.
SOS
For moment Dagon thought that
there must he something wrong with
his eyes-or his brain.
n seemed as il light fla shed up
from the pool.
The seurlined glitter of the moon lit
the surface. But this light was diff
ferent The moon Elints we're silver.
The light that pulsed and disa ppeared
was green. II made the pool look like
a mirror.
Say. T. hope I'm not going off my
chump"' Dagou mUmhled. half aloud.
But he did not cease To stare at the
pool He stared very hard. and with
out Winking He was afraid that he
might miss the Gleam-if 1t came
again
1t did come again--a pale. emerald
fash. But il vanished In an instant.
leaving Dagon tn wonder if he had
really seen it, Then. once more there
IA ssed the heeting CLINT: and it was
either an optical illusion or else 1t
was even more astonishing than ii had
seemed AT first. The lights now flashed
at regular intervals and with method.
Almost before he knew what he did,
Dagon found himself res adiug in a
whisper. IS q :, s O s.,
My God, Is it possible" he asked
this happenings"
He did not feel in the least mad.
And. apparently. II was happening.
Very faint as the lights were-so faint
that. unless his eyes had been on the
pool when they hegan. Daeon would
have missed them-they were unmis-
takably not moonlight. When the de
tective had assured himself that some
body was signaling for help by mea MS
Of lights thrown on the pool he sup
posed that q torch was being used
at window or on the ROTOR. pos
sibly. focused from corner OF the
garden behind screening trees. But
he leaned far out to peer in all d1-
rections, and found that every visible
window was dark. No light flashed
from the roof, nor from behind trees.
f-s. at>I-
erings still troubled the pool. dim as
the pale flame of a glow worm. yet