Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29

no other emotion save that of relief
Unhappily. this feeling Of tranquility
was the last she was TO enjoy for some
time.
otto to see got '''bv stood in the
doorway of the living loom.
What's his trouble?"
"He's leaving"
Leaving" Miss West sat up. "Why?'
"It's the ghost. II you ask me-he,
had a warningN from it." The Scotch,
woman thrust Her hand into the bosom
of her dress and drew out a crumplec
piece of brown wrapping paper. THE
poor laddie fun this pinned to his pill.
low this morning"
Miss West took the paper anc
smoothed it out on her knee. A warn.
ing, true enough The same warning
as the one on the board across the oper
grave.
The lads in the kitchen. Shall J
fetch him?" asked Abby.
A gesture was answer enough.
moment later the object of theil
discussion appeared, cap in hand.
Whats this I hear" Miss West
asked, about your leaving me?"
Otto fumbled his cap and stared at
his large, thick feet. va" he ad-
mitted, huskily. "I go now. Tonight. y
You can go when your week is up
Not before. I can't be left with all those
ponies to take care of. Besides, there's
Dracula.'
Otto raised his head sharply. Some
one ISIS riding Dracula." he announced
with a perceptible lessening of his Teu-
tonic phlegm. Riding him rights"
Riding Dracula?" Miss West looked
startled. lotto, you're imagining things
No one could ride the Killer; no one
but"
"A ghost" finished the boy, and
straightway fell to babbling of strug-
gle which had taken place in the south
pasture the night before-the pasture
as he kept pointing out where the dead
peoples was put. Much sod had been
torn up by flying hoofs. And as further
proof, the animals TANKS still showed
the marks of spur and whip.
The new mistress of Brides House
rose and st her back TO the open fire
spreading her skirts to get the full
warmth Of the dying blaze. For June
the night was chilly. After a moment
Il think I know who is doing all this. y
She lifted her chin def1antly. "It's-it's
certain persons method of getting
his own way. A mighty poor method
and unsportsmanlike." Conviction, as it
grew and strengthened, lent crispness to
her tone. Yes, Otto. you needn't be
afraid that ghosts riding Dracula. It's
somebody we both know"
For a moment the German boy stared,
uncomprehending. Then his eyes lighted
up. Oh, ya," he said, Joyously. You
mean -"
Mr.. Terhune," his mistress finished
for him.
MY former finance has his own rea-
sons for not wanting to have me stay
here. Nothing would please him better
than to have us close up Brides House
tomorrow and take ourselves and the
horses back to town. In fact, he offered
to wager me a thousand dollars I
couldn't stick the month out"
Otto was not unfamiliar with thou
sand-dollar wagerS. The sporting fra
ternity to which Miss West belonged had
plenty of money. They we're always
betting on something or other.
las you may well guess" the girl went
on, I've no wish to lose out. And with
your help, Otto. won't have to. It isn't
going to hurt the stallion to have a
little exercise. And If we don't paw
any attention to what's going on, Mr..
Terhune will soon get tired of his one
sided game. Go back to your quarters.
! don't believe you'll be bothered again
tonight"
But despite her reassuring words to
the stable boy, Miss West found it i'm
possible to settle down to the pleasant
!ethargy Of her former mood Nor did
book offer any inducement. From the
Redding hills came the roll of an
preaching thunder, while out in the
Kitchen Abby, drying dishes. sang
through her nose an ancient ballad.
We're due for Storm" the girl said,
half aloud. Probably the blossom
storm That always comes in June. Or
Is 1t May? May, 1 guess. No, June"
AT That moment a pair of feet COM
steps that led from the floor above,
The new mistress of Brides House
Sat up with jerk.
Abby" she called. 1t did not need
the distant rattle of teacups to tell her
that she would have no answer. The
ScotchWoman had not left the kitchen.
AS she turned to look, a shadow.
narrow hall, glided swiftly across the
long mirror on the farther wall at the
loot OF the stairs. Snatching her flash
light from the table, Miss West went to
Investigate
The mirror caught the light as she
appeared and swallowed It. There was
something queer about that mirror, She
had noticed 1t from the first. The
quicksilver on the back had cracked
until, az Q rejecting surface, it was
practically useless
Annassa swung her torch about The
hall. which ran straight through from
front to back, was empty. There was
no rear outlet, only door leading into
the cellar. This door, as usual, was
locked. A shallow closet built next to
the walled-in cellar stairs, was also
empty. She retraced her steps.
The front door seemed to be closed.
Otto, she recalled, had pulled it to after
him, with a slam. It was necessary to
do this because the wood had swelled a
little. But she tried 1t again to make
sure. The door yielded, groaning.
On the stoop outside there was Moth
ing alarming to be seen, nor on the
lawn within radius Of her flashlight.
After moment Of indecision Annassa
burned and set on In the direction of
the white barn.
The eight ponies had all been bedded
down for the night. Their STRINGS
and crunchingS gave her comfortable
sense of reality-the consciousness of
life going on in its accustomed way.
Everything about the barn was ship
shape. Otto was a most efficient boy.
She hoped he could be persuaded to
stay. 8
Over In the red barn Dracula was not
80 contented. She could hear him roar
ing in his inimical. all-male way. Then
all at once there was silence. She
paused. The silence was broken by q
high pitched, hysterical whinny, Sc
Ties Of thuds. Fear, wild and unreason@
ing, clutched at her heart. She had
heard the stallion try out q new box
stall E5efore, but this, somehow,-Fas diff