Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-15
CONTINUED From Yesterdays Star. }
NINETEENTH INsTALLMENT.
w YHEN Abigail Barth urged h

w YHEN Abigail Barth urged her
n young mistress to accept the
wv invitation to dine at Berk-
shire Towers she did so in
defiance of the fact that If
Che advice were taken she herself must
spend the hours Of dusk and early
evening in Brides House alone-or
worse than alone, with no one but the
giant, David, for company.
After the limousine had rolled away
UP the road she stood for some time
with her hands on the gate, looking
into the stretch of woods opposite. 1t
was not cheerful prospect for per-
son who, for over 40 years, had trod
nothing more disquieting than the pave
mentS of large city. Fortunately Miss
Barth was not highly endowed with
imagination. The fiat-heeled shoes
which presently Stalked back to the
house never faltered.
In the living room she found the new
stable boy He was stretched out before
the open fire in Miss Vests favorite
easy chair his long legs on the fender
in the attitude of one who feels at
home and master of the situation. He
did not rise when she entered, acknowl-
edging her presence by languid wave
Of the hand.
Has she gomez he asked, still with
out looking up.
IF you're referrin' to Miss West"
said the Scotchwoman seve ely, there's
no doot but the limousine is halfway TO
Berkshire Tooer by moo"
The giant smiled lazily into the fire.
Pretty snappy, that blue-and-gold
outfit. The kid looked like million
dollars in it,
Impertinent as she thought him, Miss
Barth could not very well take excep-
ton to his appraisal of her young
mistress. She even unbent so far as to
supplement 1t by saying, You should
se3 Miss Ann when she's really going
somewhere"
"Oh, she wasn't dressed up tonightP"
With another one Of those slow, trri-
Eating smiles. II would have said she
expected to make a killing" He was
knock the ashes out against the stones
of the fireplace. As he did so his eyes
were inevitably drawn to the forbidding
message scrawled across its face. In
stantly the smile faded. His manner
changed. What does it mean?" he
muttered, following the letters to the
last one in every stroke and curve.
"'Ask No Question: I'm thinkin' it's
like BelShazzarS writing on the wall
a warning from God to the people of
this community. Mr.. Toby tells me
that tongues in the Crossing have al
ways wagged about the Runnels family
The good man doesn't favor gossip.
The giant sank back In the wing chair,
scowling at the blackened lettering
through half-closed eyes. Ignoring the
loquacious Scotchwoman. he continued
TO commune with himself. And why
on the f1replace?"
Because it's the first thing you see
when you enter the ROOM" was Miss
Barth's guess.
David rose and tapped the masonry
with one of the fire irons. Solid
enough" he said, still to himself.
Dropping the iron back into place,
Wonder when it was built"
THE house is $50 years DID," volun-
teered Abby. II heard man who was
here this morning tell Miss Ann So"
quick retort There's nothing Colonial
about oak slabs and tinted mortar.
No." In a puzzled voice, II can't recon-
Gle myself to believing that any of the
Pilgrim fathers built this wood waster.
It looks more like the sort of thing one
6nds in the South"
You're from the South then?" asked
Abby, noting the gradual softening In
the deep voice.
Maryland" he admitted. 1.-THE
Eastern Coast Of the Chesapeake"
Lets have a bite to eat" suggested
Abby. There's half a cold chicken and
Cooking for Miss Ann Is a waste OF
time these days. She's scarcely eaten
o mouthful since Otto was killed"
With a beautifully laden table be-
tween them, Miss Barth found oppor-
tunity to study her companion; and
though she hated to acknowledge it, she
was forced to admit to herself before