| Show EBONY WATERS by anna mcclure copyright by W G chapman Chap nian service X CHAPTER IX continued 25 well heres here s a man we believe to be a murderer in intention at least and we are leaving three defenseless woman with him wilton looked at his companions searchingly how are we to proceed to get berenice away anay without accusing gordon haskell Is to arouse all the engines of the law to support his guardianship to accuse him Is 1 to bring on ourselves the burden of proof I 1 can cant t even enen prove that balder wanted to take my life you saw him threateningly above me but for all you could hear he might have been talking to me on the waste water power in I 1 loftland lost land ravine or en on apple culture ive W e re in a tight box ourselves ought we to tell the authorities what we suspect we cant can t have him arrested lie ile dant 1 t push the bracebridge children into the whirl and we have absolutely no a proof except the word of balder baider that he was instrumental in the trag ery ry its initiator its capitalist so to t speak it may be a strange sentiment wilton remarked but I 1 have a ads d s aversion to knowing that her brothers and sisters were hilled killed the added dreadfulness of real izing tint that the r murderer was her fa ther a confidant her trusted guar diani dian I 1 we want rant him to give her up yet if we have a weapon strong enough to mil e him relinquish her we have one which reacts on our own conscience we have to accuse him publicly there was no gainsaying this its it s ike 1 ke looking at a murder out of the tall of ones eye isn t it re marked arthur knowing some one has passed a window when you half see him lie glanced through the window looked again with a blank ex pres slon that gradually changed to dis horror wilton jerry he whispered there theres a a man min looks like haskell coming up the lane blow out the lamp CHAPTER X they sat close together in semi darkness only the red hot plates of the stove showing like disks of ver mallon in the gloom you and mr air fleming go into the bedroom jerry whispered lies hes comin lies hes comin right to the door beep him tilling jerry just as long as you can we well 11 slip out and so go down to the academy and see if everything Is all right there keep him talking until we get a start you bet I 1 will I 1 in there with you I 1 behind the door they listened hold ing their very iery breaths in the sus pense of the moment at last came two short raps and haskells IIa voice quite thin and hollow and wear weary y yon you all alone jerry here I 1 am all alone in the old kitchen jerry evaded with his usual hatred of a lie ile the matter haskell you look as if you d seen a ghost I 1 im I 1 in worn outi out I 1 ive I 1 ve been hunting balder do you know where he Is do I 1 know where balder Is how now should I 1 know where he Is I 1 thought he might be up here pass ing the time of day he Is not where did you see him last he told me he was going up the ravine to look tor for an ax ho he left up there and he chasn t come back I 1 and I 1 need himl him I 1 that s a pity jerry said dryly maybe he Is still up in the ravine maybe he thought he d camp there for the night are you mad they heard haskell say don t talk folly other people have camped up there little camps with flagpoles close to the whirl what are you driving at nothing I 1 take tale a seat and warm yourself I 1 im in quite warm the fact Is ive been havid having a bonfire burning up rubbish back of the old church you don t say I 1 boxes and the like several things that ought to have been burned long ago they re gone now thank heaven jerry I 1 ve broken the will I 1 ive ve burned the tour four wax figures f when did you do that this evening I 1 had them carried down back of the church the aid man who drives tor for me helped Ile berenice renice and miss mercer were in their rooms and fleming a went for a long walk so it was a good chance I 1 did right jerry been too long a blight over the old house now they re gone maybe the pupils will come bacle back it will be a relief to walk down that corridor in the dim light and know they re not in that room and wake up la in the morning and know they are not at their eternal study always study ingi ing I 1 now that s over don t be nervous haskell I 1 sup pose you done what your conscience told you to after all they was only wax figures like killan human beings they heard confused sounds then get me water quick its my heart the dipper splashed in the water pall I 1 in better came a murmur but III rest here jerry I 1 am very tired life comes to an end suddenly all y you on worked for Is like a rope rode of sand fall ng from you with every turn you make it its s bleak in the hills jerry and that old academy Is like a prison I 1 rest awhile if you don t mind kest rest all you want the nights long in the next room arthur and wilton looked at each other and knew the moment had come does that window go up easy arthur whispered for answer wilton raised it AT ar thur stepped through and wilton fol lowed re closing the window softly once in the road they breathed more freely sou you heard him say he has burnt the figures yes what do you think that means I 1 believe he couldn coulden t stand them an other moment he ile doean doesn t know what s happened up in the ravine and he s nervous naturally wanders around as people do when they are nervous 4 get me water quick its my heart shall we tell berenice and janet about balder arthur asked 1 bisot ot tonight anyway if we can manage I 1 am for taking the three women up to jerrys tonight they were approaching the old church the remains of the bonfire lay like a great red eye sinking into the earth throwing a light on the stark wall of the building let us warm ourselves a moment not at that fire but they paused by it nevertheless their faces taking on the crimson glow their weary bodies drooping a little ground wind fanned tanned a few twigs into temporary life and th the e whirling wild little sparks spark s went by them went out what s this arthur stooped over A bit of blue sash I 1 here I 1 11 poke pole it into the e em in bers I 1 feel as if I 1 had been witnessing a holocaust of innocence let lets s get away from this horrible place with all my heart I 1 believe there theres s was wax sticking to my shoes they hurried up the hill As usual two lights burned on the gate posts of the great entrance gate this they found securely locked with the aid of a rail from a nearby near by fence they scaled the wall kicking the rail down as chev went some one Is in flit drawing room look in nav wilton liton all three are there mrs denver and berenice and janet tor for dunate arthur came to the window and viewing the picture inside felt its contrast to the wild events of the afternoon and evening the two girls were seated by the fire close together as if for mutual comfort ring and knock both wilton there therel I 1 they ve heard you mrs den ver rises I 1 good I 1 I 1 hope our revered schoolmaster Is still quailing under jerrys jerry s arrows the girls ran into the hall berenice straight to wilton delighted alarmed all concern for him you t be here I 1 ile hell 11 be very angry but I 1 am so glad to see you are you very cold come in by the fire I 1 only got up today we know where mr haskell Is said arthur calling on jerry it its a very fine and cheerful janet but I 1 don t think W N ilton should be so clear ly viewed from the porch out there mr haskell may be back any moment they stood irresolute why don dont t you go down in the kitchen mrs denver suggested keep watch the basement door Is open mr payne could slip out that way will mr haskell come in the front door he usually does you won t be afraid alone on this floor I 1 am only afraid of balder wilton went closer to her and whis do not speak of it balder was drowned in the whirl this after noon mr haskell will be told in the morning when we send men to look tor for the body she gazed at him for the moment speechless how did it happen he lost his footing so the whirl deot ot him she mur aured the whirl got him I 1 why do you say that he ile was alwaes saying in the kitchen thit that the whirl aou would id get him someday some day he 1 ked to talk of it but it U 11 get others first he used to add TO BE CONTINUED |
