Evening star., 1930-06-27

JIldL curing Une Term OF LIllS IedSeb Hu
matter what occasion may arise, the
tenant is to ask no questions. If this
condition Is violated, the lease is here
with terminated and the tenant must
surrender possession on demand"
The girl with the red hair smiled. A
thoroughly disturbing girl. Cropsey
thought" "A most extraordinary re-
striction," he grumbled.
Isn't it?" agreed the girl in crisp,
animated tone.
"At the risk of appearing ridiculous,
] feel I ought to warn you. The place
has the reputation of being haunted
ghosts. and all that"
You're only adding another srgu-
ment in its favor. Ghosts make for pri-
vacy."
Privacy" What does an attractive
young woman like you want of pri-
vacy?"
IT must want something" she fenced,
cor wouldn't be willing to accept these
absurd conditions"
She had popped into his office-a
stranger unannounced and unexpected
saying: Hello, Mr.. Editor. 1t says
here" waving the front of the real es-
tate section under his nose:
The Free Press stands back OF Its
advertisements If you don't get what
you're after. come to us and we'll get
It for you"
"Do you mean that, Mr.. Editor?" he
could still hear the fresh, young voice
chanting.
The advertisement which had caused
ali the trouble read simply enough.
Only four lines:
Connecticut: To rent furnished. Ten
room house. Running water in kitchen.
Fifty acres, partly under cultivation.
Seen by appointment only"
"Of course" Cropsey made a
desperate attempt to get his thoughts
back to the point from whence they
had strayed. "Of course, as you say,
the conditions imposed in the lease are
absurd. In a court of law I doubt II
they would hold"
The girl had drawn the lease toward
her. Her hand reached for the pen.
where do sign?" she asked.
Here" Cropsey indicated the dotted
hne at the bottom of the page. When
the scratching Of the pen had ceased,
''I hope YOU won't have cause to regret
your bargain"
Thank you"
Defeated, but by no means discour-
aged, the managing editor continued the
debate.
"A farm house with an unsavory
miles away. Not even a telephone to
summon assistance in case Of necessity.
For Q young, unattached female like
yourself, its uneafe-poSitively unsafe" :"
"what-with you and your paper back
Of me7"
Cropssy stirred uncomfortably. TITS
about time We put this thing straight
between us. The Free Press advises
against this thing from the start" he
said stifiy. with the signing Of the
lease, our obligation ends. There can be
no comeback, remember"
It pleased her to be meek. "1n re-
member"
Cropsey made one last appeal.
Young woman, the last tenant died
the night she moved In. A steep flight
Of steps-a broken neck. And the ten
ant before her was equally unlucky.
Found one morning, drowned In the
pool at the back of the house. These
things, grant you, happened years ago.
But recently there was another woman
not q tenant-who spent night ur-
der the roof. Or, rather, part OF
night"
The red-headed girl said sharply:
"Go on. I'm listening"
Claudia Prentice was her name. A
youngster, like yourself. A bride" The
managing editor warmed to his task.
"It seems that some time last December
the little Claudia set out with her boy
husband In his f1ivver coupe, on what
was to have been weeks honeymoon
In Boston. Overtaken at nightfan by
o blizzard, these two babies in the
woods lost their way, had the added bad
luck to stall the engine and were final
ly forced to abandon the car by the
roadside. They plowed straight ahead
until they came to an old farm house.
To be specific-Bride's House-the
place you're so set on taking"
His listener making no comment on
this. CropSey went on.
There was q light In a window on
the ground fioor-the husband after
ward swore to the highland that guided
them to the door. But though they
knocked a dozen times, there was no
response The door was ajar. They
stepped in out Of the cold.
What happened after these two en-
tered Brides House constitutes a pretty
mystery. According to the reiterated
statements Of Willie Prentice, his wife.
whom he had left alone In the living
room for a moment, vanished-melted
into thin air"
Let me get this clearly" said the
red d-headed girl. You say Mrs. Prem
tice was alone. in the living room, at
the time of her disappearance"
"Alone-on the hearth rug-before
IIlC ICp1dCE IL IAl4c Ony l1AC hloJOlA AOJ
Of people are convinced that the hus-
band did away with her. But there's
minority which holds that a ghost
picked the girl up bodily and carried
her of"
The girls attitude was eXaspera tingly
cheerful. IF there've been three TRACE
dies In Brides House, the curse ought
to be lifted by this time. Here's my
check. I've made it payable to cash, as
you directed; and for the full amount.
I'm not leaving my eccentric landlord
any loopholes."
Eccentric! That's a mild way Of
putting it. Why, even the little shyster
who says he's empowered to act for the
owner admits he's never seen his en-
what q lark"
"I'm afraid you'll find 1t anything
but that Don't go. beg Of you"
"I start tomorrow"
Madness"
''I wonderw she said in a small, agi-
tated voice. And before Cropsey could
change of mood had given him she was
The publisher Of the Free Press
stared at the chair where his eXtraor-
dinary visitor had sat. His eyes Travelled
to the check, with its bold, dashing sig
nature, TO the lease where that sig
nature was duplicated. Reaching some
abrupt decision, he crammed both pa
pers into his pocket and proceeded
with more than the customary man.
agerial haste down the corridor to a
door, on the ground-glasS panel of
which was the simple inscription,
John Diamond"
John Diamond was as imposing a
figurehead as any business concern
could desire. Six feet three, of we'll
padded frame, a cutaway affected for
all and every occasion, a silky brown
beard Just beginning to be shot with