The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-06-28

MacTaviSh?"
"All my life," answered Megan
quickly. "Annie came to work for
my mother when she was fifteen.
She and Amos were married year
or so later, and moved into that little
cabin, and were there when was
born. This is as much their home,
almost, as mine"
Bob nodded. "Then what would
you say about Amos truthfulness?
I mean is he reasonably truthful in
his statements-or is he given to
telling tall tales?" he asked.
Megan managed little laugh she
hoped did not sound too artificial or
forced.
"Well, I'd say that all depended,
Mr.. Reynolds" she confessed gaily.
eff you mean when he is explaining
to Annie how it happened he's lost
all his money in crap game, l
think he shows amazing imagination
and inventiveness. But ordinarily,
I'd say Amos is quite truthful. :"
'In other words, if he says he saw
ghost eight feet high lowering
around in an old burying ground,
then he saw something looking at
least remotely like that?" suggest
ed Bob pleasantly.
II feel quite sure that he did-or
thought he did," answered Megan
promptly and honestly.
Bob nodded. "That's the impress
sion / got from the old fellow" he
admitted. He stood in thought for
a moment before he looked straight
at her and asked quietly, what
would be your explanation for his
story, Miss MacTavish? How could
you account for it?"
Megan set her teeth hard for
moment and there was pure panic
in her eyes, but before she could say
anything, Bob went on quickly, II
mean, of course, that you are quite
familiar with the surrounding ter
ritory-it is all strange to me. Do
you know of anything that could
have alarmed Amos so that he
would have mistaken it for an eight
foot ghost?"
"I've been trying to think" Me-
gan said thoughtfully. '"There are
some old fruit trees around that
place. Pear trees in full bloom look
ghostly in the dark-only it's too
early for them to be blooming. /
can't remember whether the trunks
of any of the trees have been white
washed lately. They are not on my
land, you see, and haven't noticed
them recently"
Bob nodded, his eyes intent. "a
tree trunk whitewashed half way up
is rather spooky looking thing in
the dark. And suppose there would
be Spanish moss on the trees? In
the moonlight, with a slight wind
stirring that" He was obviously
thinking aloud, and his brows drew
together in puzzled frown. "Still,
Amos is so sure that the 'spook' went
inside the gate and bent above one
of the old mounds" He broke off,
grinned and said briskly, "Oh, well,
we'll have to wait for daylight to
make an intensive search of the
place, suppose. From the descrip-
ton Amos and Larry both have CIV
en- me, I don't imagine we could
accomplish much by searching to-
night. I'll be over first thing in the
morning, and we'll give the place
going over"
He was obviously on the verge of
leaving, and Megan said quickly,
won't you stay for supper, Mr..
Reynolds? We'd like having you'll"
Better take her up on that, Bob.
Annie's the best cook in seven
states-at conservative estimated"
said Laurence lightly.
Bob beamed happily. "Well, now,
if you're sure it won't be an impo-
sition, there's nothing I'd like bet
teri" he assured Megan gratefully.
"And I'll give you a lift back to
Meadersville later, Larry"
"Swell!" Laurence agreed hap
PLY.
Just as Annie came to the door to
announce that supper was ready, the
front door opened and Jim came in.
Megan caught a glimpse of him be-
fore Laurence or Bob saw him; he
looked desperately tired and forlorn,
his shoulders dropping. But the
next moment he became aware of
the stranger in the living room. His
shoulders went back and his head
went up, and he came in, bracing
himself, friendly, polite, hospitable,
as Laurence performed the intro
auctions. ~
Annie made her delayed an
nouncement of supper, and they went
in and were seated, before Jim
spoke to Bob. $50 you are investi-
eating our tragedy, Mr.. Rey.
nolds?"
eyes," answered Bob, cycling hun
grily the crisply Drowned stuffed
chicken that Annie had placed be-
fore Jim, who was about to WELD
an expert carving knife. Sand I
don't mind telling you that I con-
slider it an open-and-shut case"
For the bareSt moment Mepan