Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-08-29

die of web, now and then jerkin
( And surely you didn't mis-
the fact that DR.. Crane knew yer
; we'll we were interested, somehow
in Miss Adeline's death? He coul
not tell us much about it, withou
destroying the fiction that sh
died naturally; but, certificate d
no certificate, he still thinks some
thing went on there"
"But, speaking of senses o
the past" said Georgine, jus
above a whisper, ri have strong
feeling about the present, too
Someone's been following u.s."
IT heard that STEP" Todd said
unperturbed. "On the other side Of
the street, and just the same rate
we're walking. Only for the last
few minutes, though. Person could
hardly have heard what we've been
saying"
Maybe not. But it seems to me
now that it's been there all the
time, like an echo of our steps.
You're sure that's not prelude to
being chased with guns?"
"Quite sure. We might cross
over no, here's the house."
The footsteps died away. Maybe
it had really been an echo? She
glanced over her shoulder, as they
went up the Tillsit walk, and tried
not to imagine a shadowy figure
melting away into the lilac bushes
of that yard across the street.
The moon had not reached Geor-
gine's window when she went up
to prepare for bed. 1t rose an hour
later every night; that meant it
would reach the western sky about
two or three in the morning.
The night before, she had been
too sleepy to listen for long to the
sounds of the old house. Tonight
she lay awake for while, hearing
Barby's untroubled breathing in
the cot across the room, and Moth
ing else. How odd that there was
else.
Why did the rats perform one
night and not the next? Had it
something to do with the position
of the moon on the skylight, and
were they waiting until it's light
fell in a barred rectangle across
that dusty bare floor above her?
And then would they come out to
dance up and down, making that
slow, regular tapping, shaking lit
lie showers of plaster down the
spaces between walls?
The moon walked her again, very
ate; or was it the subdued scram-
'lings from the cot? "You all right,
3arby?" Georgine said drowsily.
"I half to go to the bathroom"
3arby informed her, and proudly
mapped on her new fashlight.
Seorgine wouldn't have put it past
Ter to have walked up on purpose.
"Shan't 60 with your"
mo, Mamma! You said when 1
vas eight I was grown up"
"Shush, darling, don't wake
veryone. All right, go by your
elf. I suppose it does seem like
treat"
Georgine nearly drowsed off,
Waiting for her. After long time,
here was the sound of a door, cau-
iously opening; then another
A muff1ed clatter woke the night,
nd loud thud followed. Georgine
hot out of bed, barely stopping to
ut on the bedside lamp, and was
ut in the hall in a split second.
he could see across it's dimness,
nto the entry of the back stairs.
sarby was on her hands and knees,
across the handle of a
allen mop. Probably from sur
rise, she seemed unable to get up.
Her mother flew across the hall.
Darling, did you hurt yourself?"
'he turned her child into a sitting
'osition, and found nothing worse
han dust on her knees. "You are a
lily" she commented in a sharp
Whisper. did you think this was
he door of our room? What goods
our / a S h Ii G h t, for heavens
ake?"
II guess 1 was kind of asleep"
'arby muttered. II got turned
Mamma. That thing fell
own on me, and l sort of fell over
t, an l couldn't think where 1
1as."
cts all right, Todd" Georgine
7hispered to the figure that had
behind her. She
1oved modestly out of the shaft
+ light that streamed from the
DOR of her room. Nothing SIMS
ar at ALL"
Todd picked up Barby, took her
cross the hall and put her in bed,
nd was back with Georgine's robe
thin forty seconds. "What is it?"
e said quietly. did you really
ear something that frightened
ou?"
NO" she said after a moment.
lose the door to those stairs, will
ou, Todd? Twelve outdone even
yself, this time. What scared me
as that | didn't hear anything"
Say that again!" Todd re-
Tested.
There's nothing up there to-
ght, nothing at all, and last
ght there was" She cast a eau
ous glance around the hall; it
as cloudily dark. "Last night
ere WoS TopiCb+ c,,Loa.