The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-07-11
HOISE Il SHADOWS

indicated the bookcase there. She
remembered now that another
copy of this same book was on
those shelves. Jewels of Verse.
Could there be some connection
between the poems and the lost
jewel?
Half amused at her own imagl-
nation, she examined the book,
case, moving each volume and
running her hands testingly along
the sides of the case itself. Once
she fancied she heard a faint
click, but could not be sure, and
at last she gave up her search ana
started upstairs to find Hannah.
As she passed small window
halfway up the stairway, she
glanced out, then stopped abrupt
" and looked again. Down the
sloping hillside behind a big push
she could see Nick Baum talking
to Susie. Had the woman watched
and followed him away from the
house. or had ne just happened
10 meet her? Claire was not
aware that Nick knew the house
keeper.
Susie's hand rested Familiarity
on Nicks arm and ne was looking
down at her, )parently absorbed
in what she was saying. AS Clare
watched. Nick glanced at MS
watch. and evidently told SUSIE
the time. Then, to Clalre's untold
amazement. ne took the woman
tenderly into his arms and kissed
her. The girl felt her cheeks red
den at the remembrance OF a SIM
liar kiss given her such short
time ago.
Evidently Susie and Nick Baum
did know each other-very wei!
indeed. There was nothing casual
or new about this meeting, Clare
was sure of that. :
Susie again. At every turn OF
the way the baby-faced house
keeper seemed to appear. Clare
decided it was time to discuss
matters openly with Susie and
find out what she knew about sew
eraI things-Eb, Dan Dallas, her
unexplained appearance from the
apparently empty root cellar, and
now Nick Baum. Where could the
woman possibly have known MN
Nick had said ne had been at the
House of Long Shadows only once
before. Claire had never had oc-
casion to doubt his word on any
thing. Wasn't he almost her &C
cepted sutton? -, -,
Almost, but not quite. Thoughts
of Pat came crowding into her
mind as she went upstairs TO talk
to Hannah.
As though Claire's need of him
penetrated even to the dark t2n-
Fl where he lay sleeping, Pat
reused up, shook himself Ike a
doc, and once more lighted a
wooden flare. His muscles felt IN
creasingly stiff and sore. If ne
ever expected to dig his way out
of this Internal place, he'd better
be at Though, for all ne knew
he might be excavating into the
side of the mountain.
Yet there had been that tap
ping noise which had led hun IN
This direction. He hadn't heard
the sound for some time now.
Fundamentally ne tapped the wall
at regular intervals, as nearly as
possible like the noise he had
heard. At first he could hear
nothing. Then, to his Joy, an an,
swer came back. Someone had
heard him. But who could it be?
Speculations raced through
Pats mind as ne put every ounce
of his strength into the task be-
fore him. Again and again, me-
chemically. his arms swung the
nick. though each time it was with
iessening effort. Strange visions
began to swim before his eyes and
obscure his sight. lmpatiently ne
brushed his hand across his fore
head. He took to counting the
strokes aloud, the very sound OF
his own voice helping a little.
Claire's image swan from the
blackness of the yawning hole
How utterly lovely she was.