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


ly, obviously hoping that the seance
was over.
"Oh, Miss Nelly" she burst out.
please let nae sleep In your room
tonight It's only when my jaw
drops that I snore-I can tie it up
with a handkerchief"
II wish you'd tie 1t up with a
handkerchief now," said her mis-
tress, absent-mindedly, still bordering
the message that the pointer had
spelled. "B-A-T-Batl she muir
INJURED. Thought-transferenc
ing-accident? Whatever it was, it
MISUNDERSTANDING. She put the
ouija-board aside-accident or not,
she was done with it for the evening.
But she could not so easily dispose
of the Bat. Sending protesting
Lizzie off for her reading glasses,
Miss Cornelia got the evening paper
and settled down to what by now had
become her obsession. She had not
far to search, for long black stream
er ran across the front page-"Bat
Battles Police Again"
She skinned through the article
with eerie fascination, reading bits of
it aloud for Lizzie's benefit.
Unique criminal-long baff1ed the
police of his crimes shows
him to be endowed with an almost
diabolical ingenuity-so far there is
no clew to his IDENTITY" pheasant
reading for an old woman who's just
received a threatening letter." she
thought ironically-ah, here was some
thing new, black-bordered "box" on
the front page-a statement by the
paper.
She read it aloud. eve must cease
| combing the criminal world for the
Bat and look higher. He may be
| merchants lawyer-a, doctOr-hon
ored in his community by day and at
night bloodthirsty assassin" The
print blurred before her eyes-she
| could read no more for the moment.
She thought of the revolver in the
drawer of the table close at hand and
felt glad that it was there, loaded.
'Tm going to take the butcher knife
to bed with er' Lizzie was saying.
Miss Cornelia touched the ouija-
board. "That thing certainly spelled
Bat" she unused. Il wish I were a
man. I'd like to see any lawyer, doc
tor or merchant of my acquaintance
leading double life without my sus-
pecting it."
Every man leads double life, and
some more than that" Lizzie observed.
II guess it rests them, like it does me
to take off my corsets."
Miss Cornelia opened her mouth to
rebuke her, but just at that moment
there was a clink of ice from the
hall, and Billy, the japanese, entered
carrying tray with pitcher of water
and some glasses on it. Miss Cor
nelia watched his impassive progress,
wondering if the Oriental races ever
felt terror-she could not imagine all
Lizzie's banshees and kelpies produc-
ing single SILVER from Billy.
"Billy, what's all this about the
cooks sister not having twins?" she
said in an offhand voice-she had not
really discussed the departure of the
other servants with Billy before. did
you happen to know that this inter-
esting event was anticipatedY
Billy drew his breath with a polite
little hiss. maybe she have twins"
he admitted. ut happen sometime
Mostly not expected"
do you think there was any other
reason for her leaving?
Maybe" said Billy blandly. He
seemed quite unperturbed.
"Well, what was the reason?"
"All same the same thing-house
haunted" Billys reply was prompt
as it was calm.
Miss Cornelia gave a slight laugh.
''You know better than that, though,
don't your
Billy's oriental placidity remained
unruffied. He neither admitted nor
denied. He shrugged his shoulders.
Funny house." he said laconically.
Find window open-nobody there.
Door slam-nobody there!"
On the heels of his words came
single, startling bang from the kitchen
quarters-the bang of a slammed door!
Miss Cornelia dropped her news
paper. Lizzie, frankly frightened,
gave a little squeal and moved closer
to her mistress. Only Billy remained
impassive-but even he looked sharply
in the direction whence the sound had
come.
Miss Cornelia was the first Of the
others to recover her poise.
"Stop that! 1t was the windw she
said, a little irritably-the "Stop
that !" addressed to Lizzie, who
seemed on the point of squealing
again.
81 think not wind" said Billy. His
very lack Of perturbation added weight
to the statement It made Miss Cor
nelia uneasy. She took out her knit
ting again.
"How long have you lived in this
house, Billy"
"Since Mr.. Fleming built"
"H'm.' Miss Cornelia pondered.
"And this is the first time you have
been disturbedT"
"Last two days only" Billy would
have made an ideal witness in a court
room-he restricted himself so pre-
cisely to answering what was asked
of him in as few words as possible.
Miss Cornelia ripped out a row in
her knitting. She took a long breath.
"What about that face Lizzie said
you saw last night at the Window
she asked, in a steady voice.
Billy grinned, as if slightly embar-
raised.