The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-01-06
CHAPTER V-Continued

She had only reached the table and
was preparing to deposit her tray and
beat a shameful retreat, when sound
behind her. made her turn. The key
in the door from the terrace to the
alcove had clicked. Paralyzed with
fright she stared and waited, and the
next moment a formless thing, a
blacker shadow in a world of shad-
ows, passed swiftly In and up the
small staircase
But not only shadow. To Lizzie's
terrified eyes it bore an eye, single
cleaning eye, just above the level of
the stair-rail, and this eye was turned
on her.
1t was too much. She dropped the
tray on the table with crash and
gave vent to a piercing shrek that
would have shamed the siren of fire
engine.
Miss Cornelia and Anderson, rush
ing in from the hall and the billiard
room respectively, each with lighted
candle, found her gasping and clutch
ing at the table for support.
wrong?' cried Miss Cornelia irritated-
ly. The coffee pot she was carrying
in her other hand spilled a portion Of
fits boiling contents on Lizzie's shoe
and Lizzie screamed anew and began
to dance up and DOWN on the unin-
jured foot.
"Oh, my foot-my footr she
squealed, Historically. "My foot!"
Miss Cornelia tried to shake her
back to her senses.
"My patience! Did you yell like
that because you stubbed your toe%
You scalded it," cried Lizzie, wild
~. cit went up the staircasew
Your toe went up the staircase?"
~No, no! An eye-an eye as big as
q saucer! 1t ran right up that stair
case" She indicated the alcove
with a trembling forefnger. Miss
Cornelia put her coffee pot and her
candle down on the table and opened
her mouth to express her frank opin-
ion of her factotum's sanity. But
here the detective took charge.
Now, see here" he said with some
sternness to the quaking Lizzie, "stop
this racket and tell me what you
saw!"
"a ghostw persisted Lizzie, still
hopping around on one leg. cit came
right through that door and ran up
the stairs-oh-" and she seemed pre-
pared to scream again as Dale, white
faced, came In from the hall, followed
by Billy and Brooks, the latter hold
ing still another candle.
-Who screamed?" said DALEY tensely.
Il did," Lizzie walled, 81 saw a
ghosti" She turned to Miss Cornelia,
II begged you not to come here" she
vociferated, II begged you on my
Bonded knees. There's "a graveyard
not quarter of mile away"
Eyes, and one more scare like that,
Lizzie Allen, and you'll have me lying
in it." said her mistress unsympa-
thetically. She moved up to examine
the scene of Lizzie's ghostly misad-
venture, while Anderson began to in
terrogate its heroine.
"Now, Lizzie" he said, forcing him.
self to urbanity, what did you real
ly seeT'
II told you what I saw"
His manner grew somewhat threat
ening.
You're not trying to brighten Miss
Van ,Gorder into leaving this house
and going back to the city2"
''Well, If I am" said Lizzie, with
grim, unconscious humor, I'm giving
myself an awful good scare, too, amt
IT
The two glared at each other, as
Miss Cornelia returned from her sur.
vey of the alcove.
Somebody who had key could
have got in here, Mr.. Anderson" she
said, annoyedly. "That terrace doors
been unbolted from the inside"
The detective recovered his poise
Il think see the answer to your puz.
zle, Miss Van Gorder," he said, with q
scornful glance at Lizzie. "A hysteri.
cal and not very reliable woman, anx
ious to go back to the city and terri.
fed over and over by the shutting of
Of the electric light"
Miss Van Gorder considered his
theory. II WONDER" she said.
The detective rubbed his hands to
gether more cheerfully.
"A good nights sleep and" he be