| Show EBONY waa T E R 0 by ANNA maclure 00 copyright op aright by W G chapman y servias SYNOPSIS on her way to a faculty position in L ostland academy janet mercer meets prof arthur fleming also on his way to the academy at the school deboo I 1 they are struck by an air of mystery pervading the place gordon haskell askell II proprietor etor welcomes welcome them wilton payne completes the academy faculty rn in a 4 schoolroom janet finds a group which the teachers had supposed were scholars eire are wax wak figures haskell explains unusual circumstances connected with tile the conduct of the academy among the lie pupils is berenice bracebridge daughter ot of tha late owner of the school tile the story of the tragedy of loftland Lost land academy is that of two sisters and two brothers of berenice who lost their lives in the water at the same moment some years ago the wax figures were modeled in the likenesses of tile the tour four children and doctor a will provided that they must be preserved payne learns from berenice that the uncouth giant whom janet had seen with haskell Is named balder and is a valuable servant from an all old farmer jerry moore bloore the only witness of the drowning of the children payne learns particulars of the tragedy lie ile begins to take an increasing interest in berenice as fleming does in janet reading diaries kept by the late dr jethro bracebridge payne senses something sinister in the drowning of the children CHAPTER V continued IS 15 it was nearly dawn when he concluded his examinations of thedia the diaries rles which on the whole had yielded little meat for his theories to feed on doctor Bra bracebridge cebrid e evidently had been a gentle affectionate father not too forcible in his management of a quartette of high spirited young people resentful of a newcomer who had doubtless assumed too easily that they were under his authority when he knew berenice better he might some day ask tier her about the will but he shrank from an undue and perhaps to tier her mind an unjustifiable curiosity and he did not wish to fasten in her mind any suspicion of which tier her guardian was the object berenice was as beautiful as an all angel gel lie he thought tired with the approach of dawn too tired to think of rare similes and new terms oh I 1 am too tired to sleep I 1 think ill steal a march on arthur and go down to that old church it was glorious faring down on this last day of september with the red maples coming up like grenadiers grena diers from the valley under vast volleys of sunrise and the academy a black purple cloud on the hill behind him the country roads were firm and cold under his feet tile the red bright sunlight was on the walls of the deserted village as ile he reached it and he noticed white chrysanthemums in what had once been a garden lying fresh and cool along the matted sparkling grass he entered the church and was soon on the belfry stairs which creaked and groaned beneath his weight when he reached the landing landin lie he looked along all the exposed rafters for a key but no key could he find descending the church again he found a key sticking in the keyhole of an old closet in the vestry and went up the belfry stairs again to try it on the locked door it fitted snugly and though it turned the lock with difficulty it served the purpose he found himself in a room with four f our windows facing to the tour four points of the compass and absolutely nothing in the place but tin an old christmas tree astl still 11 nailed to its square base of green painted wood nearly all its branches had been stripped or torn from it but enough were left to indicate its character with the aid of a few bits of tinsel of festive sliver silver and gold A christmas tag was still dangling from one of the branches with a name written on tt it lie examined it more closely the name was althea bracebridge lie ile mused over tills this poor little memorial so some me moments a pathetic signpost pointing back to some long lone a ago 0 christmas celebration in tills this church chu church reh but why had the tree been carried up and stored away in the belfry room roola instead of thrown out of doors P perhaps the boys got hold of it and carried it up here to form a part of their endless ingenuities I 1 think ill take the card berenice might be glad to have it lle lie untied it carefully lie he was about to put it in his bis pocket when lie he saw that on the back of it was the da date t of the celebration of which this was perhaps the old memo memol ilal lal calculating cu lating back he made it precisely the christmas before the accident cut but tills this church must have been be en deserted then he th thought ought maybe they reopened it fol foi a christmas cel celebia ce ebra lebra tion to what had this little card been attached A book A bottle of perfume A box of candy and had althea liked her present ue he tried to picture the scene the old church with the palo pale winter sunshine streaming in and some one in the choir singing hark eark the berald al angels and tile the youn youngsters excited over their gifts and impatient tor for the exercises to end and had berenice been there As usual when he thought of tier her horizons licoan to open and the sky to clear mrs denver bless hert her told tier her to marry but what of poor DOG me with so little yet laid up for a wife lie he re locked the door and replaced the key in the vestry janet was strolling in the grounds of the academy when lie he reentered entered re them ang anc waved to him in tier her usual friendly way making no comment when lie he joined tier her on his early excursions cur 1 I think we did very well last night she observed we really took mind from the anniversary the trouble is theres a perpetual anniversary in that old academy as long as those wax figures are there haunting queer uncanny til bilings ings like something living on long after its time sometimes this place seems like he a dream to me yet it has an odd charm too those in the quiet mornin morning 11 tight ht that solemn IN IN 7 A but why had the tree been carried up and stored away in the belfry room hall with the pictures of the old prest dents a principal so fond of flowers that he keeps his hyacinth bulbs always blooming that a gorgeous purple hyacinth on the breakfast table yesterday yes les youre right it has charm how glowing red the old bricks arel are I 1 everything glitters today see hair in the sun its like flame they both looked bool ed towards tier lier as she came lightly down the path calling to them pulling tier her fluffy white wrap around her A great day for our walk she saluted them you are out early 1 I went to the church what did you find there ill tell you later its quite a story he did not think it the time to show tier her the card particularly as lie he saw baskell and balder emerging from tile the greenish shadow of the basement both looked towards the group then exchanging some words separated haskell approached berenice with self consciousness always in his manner as if he must be perpetually on guard warding away even friendliness and pleasant words you are walking again today yes 1 will you join us why should I 1 wall walk over these hills will you go up the ravine with us you know I 1 never go up the ravine it is too exhausting 0 however howo it must be beautiful up there now with the scarlet maples yes blood red wilton said ive never seen such intensity of red haskell put his hands over his eyes this sun fills my eyes with red that afternoon the four were stepping together over the hills their happiness singularly like that of creatures let out of cages the sun was striking out wonders of blue vapor of dazzling 0 color from rough heights an and d greener lowlands wilton told her of reading the diary how long did your stepmother live after the deaths of your brothers and sisters fully ei eight ht years I 1 think im not sure she was a blessed woman always kind to me even my brothers and sisters liked her though they like she broke off oil oh well its all past and gone may I 1 ask you it you can remember chien the old church down there was last used long before I 1 was born about 1880 1 I think and was it ever opened for christmas celebrations after that oh no are you sure quite sure bu but father used to have celebrations for the neighbors neej ebors children in the old academy and they all received presents from the tree I 1 only faintly remember the last one ever held the christmas before the accident it was very gay we had bad a beautiful tree that tree is still in existence she looked at him incredulously her eyes half fearful how do you know that 1 I went to the belfry room this morning found a key that fitted the door the room was absolutely bare except for an ancient tree on its wooden base painted green as usual bits of tinsel still clung to the dry branches and this little card was tied to one of them with a red ribbon can you read the writing tile the ink Is very pale althea I 1 how strange why I 1 have a card just like it saved all these years how on earth did that tree get up there TO BE CONTINUED I 1 II 11 I 1 I 1 |
