Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-12-20
CHAPTER III-Continued

Strange. Stranger" Payne NUT
tered ITS q marvel to me that
Bere1iee Brzce5ridge has emerged 80
sane and sweet from such congeries
q circuDstsnces-fhat drezry pfle,
that strange guardian. q tragedy In
her background. II not In her life
On the other side. Arthur left them
rather abruptly. TN not going In
Just Jet I'D see you At dinner" He
strolled around q while. visited the
little graveyard. finally leaned I'D
against q tree and REGARDED the old
academy, from whose eupola high
above the caves Il was probable that
no bell would sound again No sign
OF life vas about it-no light shOne
forth from door or window. Its secret
-whateyer II was-seemed locked in
It's ancient heart
His thought drifted to the figures
He meant TO see where they we're
kept: he wanted TO examine them
closely.
LIZ ADDAEA dDOuL D6E[1E4L
ran under all the house, its windows
facing stone retaining wall which At
one spot was broken to admit Of
steps going down Arthur, examining
them saw that they led to q door
which was half ajar: a door hanging
By one hinge and badly In need OF
paint Green moss blanketed the
steps and mufled Arthurs footsteps,
Squeezing through the narrow aper-
ture the doors sagging position Of
fered, be found himself In a dismal
passage from which opened rooms
Cautiously opening several doors. he
saw rooms Of a depressing aspect
dark. ulOldy. the plaster or paper fall
ing from the wallG- One proved to be
an abandoned kitchen with the great
range Of an antique pattern rusting
away In its frame Of black painted
bricks A marble pastry table had
become 80 yellow and discolored that
1t suggested kind Of diseased stone.
A bucket under 1t, covered with dried
mp red paint, did not seem a cheerful
object An old. rusty frying pan lay
disconsOIately in one corner.
He went on hurriedly-and finally
came to the room which he sought Il
had been used. II was evident, at one
time, as a supplementary schoolroom,
for blackboard covered one of the
walls behind the old-fashioned teach
er's desk. On 1t in freshly-written
letters made by red chalk were four
names.
Jethro 5racebridce, Jr.
| Aithea Bracebridoe.
Norman Bracebridoe.
Isabel 6racebridge.
He saw these names as he entered.
| The next moment he started violently,
/ The four wax figures In the fading
light were so real that be imagined
for a minute that he had blundered
into an actual study hour. Then
their preternatural stiffness told him
that he had found the hiding place Of
the dummies. Janet had been quite
right-they were beautifully done
the flesh tint quite natural, the grave,
sweet, brooding faces Of the little girls
as absorbed as If some lesson Of a
long-ago spring had continued over
the years an eternal problem. Their
soft. abundant golden hair moved a
little In the draught which drew In
from the half-Opened door. He put a
/ finger against one curl, then quickly
raised 1t; as If a thrill of life had
been communicated. Arthur watched
each figure In turn as II a danger
| existed. that to cease to look at one
/ Of them was to incur a harm from the
rest He jumped Had one moved I
But I'm a fool" be commented THE
first time In my life ever had nerves"
/ The golden hair on one Of the flg-
ures stirred softly In the draft. He
bent to look at the eyes, almost ex-
/ pecting to see the lashes culver; then
/ glanced up. and this time q kind Of
/ paralysis kept him from showing the
] emotion he felt. In the doorway
] stood an immensely tall man. Two
| piercing eyes regarded him from a
putty-pale face. The man made no
sound. but after prolonged scrutiny
turned and went down the passage.
Again he heard steps In the pas
sage. but they were light like those
of woman. Berenice appeared In
the doorway.
Bladder told me you were looking
at the figures. ! came to tell you II Is
not the best thing to dol" she said In
her gentle voice, her beautiful eyes re-
gardlng him gravely.
Il am sorry II have done anything
out of the way or anything to hurt
you. Miss Bracebridge. admit
yielded to my curiosity"
at doesn't hurt me-" she answered
But NV guardian becumes very much