The Washington times., 1931-12-19
CHAPTER 2

Ster swiftly In the moonlBlC.
She had jotted Imogen's in.
structions on a scrap ii paper.
But she remembered them per
fectly, for the clues had been
lucid.
Rather fun, this stunt of
Inns. but more agreeable 10
have had a companio2 with
her!
Her car bounded over the
little bridge that had been
specified by I'm, and a couple
of minutes later there appeared
what seemed to be a field OF
ghosts-no, tombstones! Laurel
didn't know this road so well,
{, and she'd forgotten that here
abouts was a cemetery.
Well, what of that? Why
shiver so? We all had to die
once, hadn't we?
But her small foot stepped
on the gas, SO that this eerle
reminder of the flight of time
might be outstripped. and
she had to ram her brakes on
hard at the first left turn"
in her instructions and proceed
more quietly.
For it was a deep, rather
rocky lane right here, with
woods on both sides, and her
destination was somewhere
farther down this track and to
the left.
She found the second turn,
and bumped along, and pretty,
soon she saw an abandoned
house rise spookily in the
moonlight-a house that used
to bear the name of Runners
Rest"
But, according to owners and
leSseeS and sub-tenants (Wne
had speedily departed there
was no rest here, for the house
had an 'unearthly' tenant! 1t
was haunted, they said!
A ghost stalked through the
rooms by night. So now no
body would live in it!
Could it be possible-good
heavens!-that Imogen had in
stituted a gathering of the clan
in this decayed and isolated
spot?
A SpOOky Spot
laurel slowed her car, albeit
nervously. and glanced up at
the shuttered windows. She
rC l.-cred how venturesolne
village children had smashed
the panes of glass (by day.,
after the last tenant had de-
parted. =.
This was a house which even
those who were not particularly
superstiSious avoided.
So in this haunted house
was the new and intriguing"
night club of which Imogen
had boasted!
"A nice, cheerful spot for a
party!" thought Laurel as she
turned her own car through
the dilapidated entrance and
stopped her engine. Then she
locked the machine and pro-
ceeded gingerly on foot up the
mossy driveway.
Nearing the house, she now
heard sounds of revelry. Then
Roger SartoriS flung side
door open (probably it had
been the servants entrance)
and light streamed out
across her path.
Hi, there, you sweetheart!
Step in and do the old veh-
doh-dee-o-ing" he laughed.
Like a flash Imogen was be-
r him. She called out, sar-
castically: "Ah, here comes
our little blue-eyed playmate!"
Ill at Ease %
And at that moment Laurel
felt a queer kind of revulSion
against Imogen. But she con-
trived to fling back, carelessly:
Maybe blues a whole lot cooler
than the color of your own
eyes. I'm, which are yellowy.
green right now, like a cat's!"
"Whoops!" burbled Freddie
de-Farge, drawing the speaker
rapturously into the haunted
mansion, ito be cool but look
hot is certainly a swell line
with YOU fair maidS!"
The dilapidated room that
gave directly on this side-door
seemed quite full. It was illu-
minated by an old-fashioned
lantern someone had brought,
augmented by half-do
gutterinC wax candles. Some
one was twanging on a ukulele
On a long trestle table which
workmen apparently had left
behind them (scared by the
"ghost," who knows? were set
forth a bevy of bottles.
Around this. table was "the
gang" Introduction to our
cocktail bar! The bright idea
was my own. Original, isn't
1t?" And Freddie pushed her
forward.
"Hotsy-totsy, what?" muir,
INJURED a red-haired girl whose
eyes already had a CLASSY stare
She grinned at Laurel.
FREDDIE, what a Weiro idea!
Don't you know this house is
supposed to be haunted?" -..
Don't YOU think the ideas
eute?"
Modern Motto
BreatheC Laurel: mo. |
think it's awful"
Come OH. Don't be a dead
head. Join il with the local