The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-12-09
CHAPTER III-Continued

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It was too much Miss Cornelia
found vent for her feelings in crisp
evaporation.
whats the matter with you any
how, Lizzie Allen?"
The nervousness in her own tones
infected Lizzie's. She shivered, frankly.
"Oh, Miss Neily-Miss Neilyl" she
pleaded. 81 don't like it! I want to
go back to the city!'
Miss Cornelia braced herself. II
have rented this house for four
months and am going to stay" she
said, firmly. Her eyes sought Lizzie's,
striving to pour some of her own in
flexible courage into the latter's
quaking form. But Lizzie would not
look at her. Suddenly she started
and gave a low scream.
There's somebody on the terracel"
she breathed in a CHASTITY whisper,
clutching at Miss Cornelia's arm.
For a second Miss Cornelia sat
frozen. Then, Don't do thatl" she
said sharply. "What nonsensel" but
said it, and Lizzie saw the look. Both
waited, in pulsing stillness-one sec
ond-two. H
81 guess 1t was the wind" said
Lizzie, at last, relieved, her grip on
Miss COrnelia relaxing. She began to
look a trifie ashamed Of herself and
Miss Cornelia seized the opportunity.
you were born on a brick pave
ment," she said crushingly. "You get
nervous out here at night whenever a
cricket begins to singer scrape his
legs-or whatever it is they dol"
Lizzie bowed before the blast of
her mistress scorn and began to
move gingerly toward the alcove
door. But obviously she was not en-
tirely convinced. oil.
"Oh, it's more than that, Miss
Nelly" she mumbled, 81"
Miss Cornelia turned to her fierce
ly. If Lizzie was going to behave
like this, they might as well have it
out now between them-before Dale
came home.
what did you really see, last
night?' she said in minatory voice.
The instant relief on Lizzie's face
was ludicrous so obviously pre-
ferred discussing any subject at any
length to Drawing the dangers of the
other part Of the house unaccom-
panied.
81 was standing right there at the
top of that there staircase" she be-
gan, gesticulating toward the alcove
stairs, in the manner of one who en-
barks upon the narration of an epic.
standing there with your switch in
py hand, Miss Neily-and then 1
looked down and" her voice dropped,
Il saw cleaning eyel 1t locked at
me and winked! tell you this house
is haunted!'
"A flirtatious ghost?" queried Miss
Cornelia skeptically. She snorted.
"Humph! Why didn't you yell?"
81 was too scared to Yell And I'm
not the only one" She started TO
back away from the alcove-her ewes
still fixed upon its haunted stairs.
"Why do you think the servants left
so suddenly this morning?" she went
on. do you really believe the house
maid had appendicitis? Or the cooks
sister had twins?'
She turned and gestured at her mis-
tress with long, pointed forefinger.
Her voice had a note Of doom.
81 bet q cent the cook never had
any sister-and the sister never had
any twins,' she said, impressively.
mo, Miss Nelly, they couldn't put it
over on me like thatI They were
scared away. They saw-Itw
She concluded her epic and stood
nodding her head-an Irish Cassan-
dra who had prOphesied the evil to
come.
"Fiddlesticks !" said Miss Cornelia,
briskly-more shaken by the recital
than she would have admitted. She
tried to think of another topic of con-
versation. "What time is it?" she
asked.
Lizzie glanced at the mantel clock.
sHalf-past ten, Miss Nelly"
Miss Cornelia yawned, little dis
mally. She felt as if the last two
hours had not been hours but years.
Miss Dale won't be home for half
an hour" she said reflectively. "And
If l have to spend another thirty min
utes listening to Lizzie shiver," she
thought, Dale will find me a nervous
wreck when she does come home"
She rolled up her knitting and put it
back in her, sewing bag-it was no
use going on, doing work that would
have to be ripped out again-and yet
she must do something to occupy her
thoughts. She raised her head and
discovered Lizzie returning toward
the aicsye stairs, with the stealthy