The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-07-07
HOUSE OF SHADOWS , ! !: ,. B :::;: :.:::.

py, holding the rein on her. Han- nah had told her that much, and even Daddy had smiled when she asked him once about the woman.
 "shes all right, daughter. Used to be inclined to be Q little nlghty, 1 guess, but Lyman always said anyone who could make waffles like Susie had Q right to Q fling now and then. She made him very comfortable, 50 he winked ct her little failings."
 Supposlng Susie had found out more about Lyman Fosdick's af- fairs than anyone knew and was using her knowledge now to her own advantage? Claire deter mined to question her later.
 Her thoughts turned to ED. Was he lying, stark and bloody, some- where this very minute? Claire shuddered, even while she reminded herself that she never had liked the man, with his sanctimonious ways, and thin, ugly mouth. When she was little, she would circle around the place where he was working, 50 as not to have to speak to him. His long nose and stern, piercing eyes had reminde dher of the ogre in her fairytale books.
 She turned the leaves of the book in her lap absently. Then her uT1- c1e's neat handwriting met her eye, and she Booked at it with closer at tention. She had never heard that Uncle Lyman wrote poetry himself, but here was evidently an original verse.
 peep in the mountain depths
 lie,
 The arrow broken in my breast.
 Welded pines above me high,
 To mark the end of earthly
 quest"
 She turned several more pages, but there did not seem to be any more stanzas. A sudden peal of thunder crashed through the room. The girl started nervous ly and, running to the window, pulled back the heavy velvet cur. tains. The clouds that had piled up on the horizon early in the morning, now threatened Q deluge. She hurried out of the house to where Pat and Dan were digging near the cupola.
 "Find anything?" she asked.
 "A crick in our backs" Pat Straightened. And that the roots from the tree are all over the place. Seem to run even under the house. It's Q wonder they haven't weakened that foundation"
 Maybe that's what ED thought, and he started this hole to Ind out" suggest Dan Dallas.
 "It's possible" conceded Pat. Though why he'd take time be- fore breakfast for such research is not clear"
 "Eb always did things when he thought of them," remarked Susie, who had come out with Q yellow slicker which she folded about Claire's shoulders. She stood look ing curiously down into the hole. Tt would be like Eb to start Q hole here and then rush off to the village to get something to cut the rots with. That s likely just where he's gone now" She seem- cd to ge an immense satisfaction out of her own explanation. "Yeatl But that don't tell why he left his cap behind srneared with blood spot, Miss Spratt," answered Pat.
 Susie flashed him an angry glance. "Eb might-a whanged his head or something when he was leanin' over."
 He nlght, susie," agreed Dan Dallas. And then again, maybe he didn't"
 "Well, anyway, I aint stayin' out here to get soaked. Claire, you bet- ter come on in, too" Susie turned on her heel. "Say, there's Eb comin' now. No 1t ain't, It's"
 They all turned to sec Q woman running wildly up up the steep path that led to tho house.
 "Why it's Hannah" exclaimed Claire, hurrying forward to meet her.
 "Claire, honeyl" Hannah threw her arms about the girl and stood panting for breath. You're all right then. Down there. Just back of those aspens. I took the short cut. A man-he's lyin' on his face. IT think he's deadl"
 (TO Be COntlnued)