Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-04
Ask No Questions
By Beldon Duff
coD'rEh' 1880 By North American Alliance ne

AnnaSSa West mad not lived Tor al
most 20 years under the same roof with
the stubborn Scotchwoman for nothing.
She accepted the ultimatum without
argument. Then suppose we both 60.
Do you think you could ride the bay
mare If l put a blanket on her? She
couldn't possibly run away with you in
her present condition"
But Miss Barth was taking no chances
with quadruped. and said so.
The girl gritted her teeth That
settles il. We must both walk. Come
on" Taking a lantern from a peg over
the sink. she pushed her companion out
the door ahead OF her, turned the KEY
in the lock, and set of doggedly around
the house to the brick wall. At the
gate, however, she paused.
ITS almost miles to the Crossing.
The way your feet always hurt you,
unless a car picks us up we can never
do it before daylight. Suppose we make
a try for that veterinary's home. He
told me he lived on the other side of
the south pasture, somewhere in the
woods"
Abby, to whom miles sounded like
500 was graciously pleased 70 offer no
objections to trying for DR.. Cransons
house.
1t can't be far" encouraged Miss
West as they retraced their stems. "He
spoke OF 1t as being right over Wonder"
Always after dark, the rock-bound
pool Smelled of the sea. Miss West
was moved to comment on this phe-
homenon as they hurried past. II can
actually taste salt on my lipe." she said
ano paused to mend the wick OF the
! mp' winch had begun to smoke.
Brine, and we're miles from the Ocean
Even the sound isn't very close.
Hath earth no graves that W TIM,
must spread N9
The boundless sea for the thronVinu
dead?" "S
the words seem to say themselves. 1t
was uncanny, the way in which the
idea OF death intruded itself hers -
every TURN A sort OF self-induced hvp-
hoSlS what the psychiatrists would
Look" Abby had caught her by the
wrist: What's that?"
What's WHAT"
Miss Barth said in a sepulchral whis-
on the water"
The girl swung the lantern back and
iorth I'LL its rays had illumined the en-
TIRE surface of the pool, but it brought
out only patches of green slime and an
abortive lily. She said in a tone OF hor-
ror: ABBY, can't you see now vhv
that woman was found drowned. Fear
grove her to 1t. Let's don't talk TIL We
set away from here. Let's don't even
They went on
Lucky they did not have to pass the
req barn. That would have been worse
IMAM the pool. Something suggestiyelv
sinister in its stark outlines sent them
away from even the shadow 1t cast in
a wide detour.
1t was a relief when they came to the
south pasture. Here no skulking form
couio lie In wait, no escaping murderer
ma place In which to hide. A sweet
smell OF clover filled the air. CricketS
chirped their homely song under their
ieet. Miss West saw traces of the til
tanlc struggle with Dracula-patches of
turf torn up, the earth underneath still
moist and black. Could it be that only
an hour had passed since she knelt At
her window to watch the battle between
the mysterious stranger and her stall
nom HOW had 1t ended, she wondered,
and where were the two now?
Within sight of the family burying
ground the girl remembered about the
quagmire and Mr.. Runnels' span OF
pillow horses. Conscience smote her. II
would not be fair to take Abby into the
woods without warning her. Yet, II
Abby were warned there would be no
going into the woods. OF this she was
We'll aware.
A scheme at last suggested itself.
ABBY" she said as they reached the
fringe of willow trees, you stay here
where you can watch the house. Some
thing tells me the murderer will come
back to the scene of this crime If a
light appears in any of the rooms, you
yell 'O-ooh-o!' That way. Like q
screech owl. I'll hear you"
The Scotchwoman did not seem alto
gether pleased with the role that had
been assigned her. You're sure it's safe
for you to go into those woods aloneP"
Absolutely. There's nothing to be
afraid OF. And anyway, don't mean
to go in so deep can't get out" Which
in a manner of speaking was the truth
Miss Barth resigned herself to the
thought of separating, but only, as she
took pains to declare, for five minutes.
If at the expiration Of that time Miss
West had not returned, she would fol-
low and do something, the whole Of
which was not audible to her young
mistress, but which sounded like up
root every tree till I md We"
Continued in Tomorrow's starr