Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-04

n rather the upper portion of it.
mad been blown completely away
by the wideSpreading charge in the riot
gun.
Miss West felt a curious lack of emo
tlon as she stood and looked down at
him. No fear. No repulsion Not even
decent sense of pity. Was she so
quickly becoming Injured to the sight of
death? Or had the part of her that
cared about such things ceased to func-
ton?
She seemed to remember that the
nnding of her stable boy, bruised and
battered, in a pool of his own blood.
mao been great shock. For hours she
| mad cringed at the thought of it. But
| even that had lost its poignancv now.
As ior this stranger. it was impossible
10 anguish over him as though his kill
ing h" been depicted for her on the
moving picture screen instead of here
IN real life. Yes, decidedly something
| inside Of her had died-the spiritual
essence-an that made people worth
"Oh, Miss Ann. Miss Ami" walled
Abby. You look perfectly terrible. Do
come away. You can't help the poor
man by staring at him"
rms. said the girl unheeding. and
IN a tone as terrible as her look SIS
murder. There can be no doubt about
it." ''00''
Miss Barth wrung her hands. Listen
TO the child! or course. it's murder
Dlnna tell YOU when we came to this
unhaHowed spot we should all be laid
| cold in our beds?"
Murder" Annassa West repeated in
that same dull, emotionless voice.
Dracula'-she did not add land
Dracula's rider" though that was what
Thn1nhf Ii
away when it happened No one can
lay 1t TO his door this time"
The desperate Abigail passed her
candle before the girls dilated pupils.
whimpering when they failed to re-
spond, "Oh, what shall 1 do? What
shall I do? My BARNS gone craZv.
And no wonder, vie all this bloodshedi"
For the first time Miss West seemed
| aware that she was not alone.
Don't worry" she said. II shall be
all right-in a minute" And when
Abigail had done little more wailing.
Yes, I'm beginning to feel again. I'm
beginning to think straight. Otto
a tear sprang to her eyeS-"waS not
kicked to death DR.. Cranson was
wrong about his having been trapped
IN Dracula's stall" The tears were
| flowing freely by now. "He didn't
know what he was talking about"
! Don't be too sure he didn't" Miss
Barth's relief at seeing her mistress re-
turn to normal had to have an outlet
in some direction. IT wouldna trust
that one behind a ten-cent piece. A
bit touched up here" she tapped her
own forehead, but I'm thinkin' he
misses no tricks"
Annassa declined to discuss the cred
Utility of the absent veterinary and
began fumbling for a handkerchief.
1t was plain that a lack of emotion
need no longer trouble either of the
women. The mere mention OF Otto'S
name had done its work Both Of
them were shaken by Sobs
After they had embraced each other
rather futilely, Abby took the steamer
rug from the end of the couch and
the hearth. Let's go out in the
Kitchen she urged. Nothing ever
happens in q kitchen" Which was
her way OF saying that something was
liable TO happen where they stood at
any micute.
I'VE hlust get help" said Miss West
pushing away the arms that sought
to draw her from the scene Of the
murder. I'VE must get help at once"
And how are you going to get it?"
The way l did last night-Stop .
passing car"
You'll have no such bit of luck
again. That lad was well gone in his
cups or he'd never have been on the
Wood road after dark"
Miss West raised her head sharply.
Strange that l should have forgotten,
but there was some one on the Wood
road tonight 1 distinctly heard a car
start just after the shot was fired"
And who might that have been,
I'd like to know"
1.-THE murderer, Of course" Though
she had told herself a dozen times
during the last half hour that the
mysterious stranger had had nothing
to do with the deputy's death, she was
glad now to be able to provide him
with what looked like a perfect alibi.
THE car proves that the murderer
came from a distance. AT least we
can be thankful he's gone.
Ave. and no way Of stopping him
neether." Miss Barth began. picking
candle grease from her bare arms.
"Nost a pity We woudna listen to rea-
son and have a Telephone put in be-
fore We dragged us all to this God
forsaken hole"
the red-headed girl was stung to make
defense. That's not fair, Abby. You
know tried to get the company to
install a phone the day 1 signed the
lease. They said I'd have to wait.
There were orders ahead Of mine"
"Orders ahead, ali? Mayhap they
were orders nay to let ye have teely-
The girl put her hands to her head.
Don't try to pile mystery on myS-
terv. I've had about all can stand for
one night"
"But you can stand to see us all
butchered. Twa people dead already.
lust to satisfy what your father would
have called the West sense Of fair
Annassa drew herself up. a slim
young fury. That will do, Abigail
Barth. I wish to hear no more"
But Miss Barth had never yet let go
of an argument until she had wrung the
last word from it. "weel, the man yer
doing all this for, be he the great archi-
tect YOU say he is or be he not, is nay
worth the powder it would take to blow
him to Hades. And that's Gods own
truth"
Though she obviously resented the
bluntness of this allusion to her former
fiance, Annassa Vests anger died with
out a second Splutter; and when the in
defatigabe Abigail took up the candle
to leave the room she followed like a
spanked child, her eyes averted from
the form under the steamer rug
Dressed and seated before the kitchen
range. which Miss Barth took noisy
pains to stir up with the shaker, the
two women again discussed the best
method of getting word about the muir
der to Hales Crossing.
"One of us must go, and one of us
must stay" decided Miss West Il can
take Blue Bullet and ride to Seth
Toby's house. Or you can walk as far
as the main road and try to signal A
passing car"