Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-16
Continued From Yesterdays stal :,
TWENTIETH INSTRUMENT.

TWENTIETH INSTALLMENT.
~ RoUGHT to their feet by Abby
Il cry of terror Alva Cropsey an
Willie Prentice did the S
4 L. yards that lay between tn
rockbound pool and Bride
House in less time than Nurmi coul,
have done it at his best. But, wing
footed though they were. the gian
David was before them. They saw hin
standing In the doorway as they tor
aaround the corner Of the house
Whether he had just come in or wa
just going out was not quite clear
Cropsey would have said the latter
But in either case, he turned when h
caught sight of them and ran up TIL
short flight of stairs that led to tn,
fioor above, calling over his shouldeI
for them to follow.
The first two of the three bed room:
disclosed nothing out Of the ordinary
Miss Vests bed room, an unusually
large and spacious apartment running
at right angles to the other two, took
up the entire south end of the upper
floor. It was here they found Abigail
Barth. The Scotchwoman lay inside
the threshold, so close to the sill that
David stumbled over her, a crumpleo
heap of starched white apron and pa
thetically ShapeleSS flesh. Willie Prem
tice thought she was dead and began
to whimper like a sick puppy. The
editor of the Free Press. too, when
the candles had been lighted, thought
1t was death at which they looked. But
the other man, pushing them both aside
stopped, and with the ease born OF
superStrength, lifted the inert body III
and onto the bed.
only faint" he growled. Gee
some water
The water acted like a magic potion
A few drops of it Sprinkled on the UP.
turned face and, without any prelim-
mary moaning or groaning, Miss Bartt
opened her eyes to full consciousness
When she saw who it was who minis
tered to her, however, she promptly shut
them Sgain, squeezing down the lids un-
til the flesh at the corners puckered
into long, Internationally humorous
Where's Miss Vests necklace?" she
demanded, still with her eyes tight shut
What have We done vie it?" In the
presence of three men, and with dark
ness baniShed from the room, it was
going to be extremely awkward for a
strict Presbyterian to explain why she
had yielded to believing in the ghost.
The giant to whom the question was
addressed scowled ferociously.
\
talking about
The sapphire necklace was in that
box" snapped Miss Barth, her strength
sufficiently restored to permit of rising
on one elbow. rs it there now? ask
you. is it?"
NO, it isn't. But I'm not to blame,
90 don't pick on me-"
To CropSey, this talk of stolen jew
els was an unwarrantable DEPRESSION.
Fair ,Nf CT ant
afoot. He put the dread question:
Some one cried out the Ghosti the
GhostP Was it you?"
Miss Barth flushed to the roots of
her iron-gray hair. "Mayhap it was
me-" she admitted unwillingly. Il was
that outcome scarce know what
said" without further prompting, she
gave her version of the happenings at
Brides House that evening: Miss Vests
invitation to dine with Mr.. Diamond;
her own and David's supper of chicken
and chocolate cake on the kitchen ta-
bic. He" she stabbed an accusing f1n-
ger in Davids direction. said he was
going out to look after the horses. And
all unbeknownSt TO fear l came up
here" The rest of the story was less
self assured. more Sketchy as to detail;
but the editor of the Free Press lis
tened attentively, especially to the part
about the woman's sigh and the hand
which had appeared from between the
bed curtains When it was concluded,
he turned sharply to the tall young
man. who seemed in some strange and
inexplainable manner to dominate the
scene
Just what is your particular role in
this l1ousehold?" he asked.
David 1esitsted. Then. I'm here to
help with the outside work. I'm the
new stable boy"
Miss Barth rose abruptly from the
bed and smoothed down her disordered
apparel.
stable boy!' she shifted. more like
q hen-roostin' tramp, If you ask me-"
The giant eyed the speaker with a
strange mixture OF arrogance and con-
tempt.
ne didn't ask you. So take my adj
vice and don't do so much talking"
In the silence which followed. Willie
. Prentice snuff1ed apprehensivelY, The
sound drew attention to himself.
who are you?" asked David. "And
what are you doing here?"
Cropsey answered for his companion,
and incidentally for himself, that they
we're both known to Miss Wet and had
business Of Importance with her.
The tall young man looked down from
the tower OF his height and said, miss
west won't De Dack before IL. 1ou can I
see her tonight"
There was vibrant pause. Then
CropSey took off his spectacles and
methodically wiped the tense with his
handkerchief. Miss Barth," he OBJ
served, holding the spectacles to the
light to see If they were clean enough,
"has accused you of stealing a neck
lace of some sort. would suggest that
you save that hight-handed talk until
you've done more than deny it."
For a perilous moment it seemed
as though the self proclaimed stable
boy was about to take the managing
editor of the Daily Free Press by the
neck and wiring his head from his
body; but suddenly he thrust his pow
erful hands into the the pockets of his
overalls. where they would be out OF
temptations way, and sat down on the
edge of the bed.
stay if you want to-" he said, gloom
ily II might have known l couldn't
have five minutes to myself on this
place"
IT can't stay" piped up Willie Prem
tice, who, unlike Cropssy, had not been
struck by the significance Of that five
minutes to myself" i've got my wife