| Show E 1 E E ERONY WATERS by ANNA W copyright by W G chapman if service J SYNOPSIS on her way to a faculty position in loftland Lost ostland land academy janet mercer meets prof 1 arthur fleming also on his way to the academy at the school they are struck by an air of mystery pervading the place gordon haskell proprietor etor welcomes them wilton payne completes the academy faculty in a schoolroom janet finds a group which the teachers had supposed were scholars are wax figures haskell explains unusual circumstances connected with the conduct of the academy among tile the pupils Is berenice bracebridge daughter of the late owner of the school 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 the tour four children and doctor Drace bridges 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 old farmer jerry moore the only witness of the drowning of the children payne learns particulars of the tragedy he begins to take an increasing interest in berenice as aa fleming does in janet reading diaries kept by the late dr jethro bracebridge payne senses something sinister in the drowning of the children in the belfry of the old church he finds a long discarded christmas tree its presence puzzles him CHAPTER V continued 16 she turned holding out the card see what mr payne found and she told them the story her eyes brilliant her cheeks hushed flushed as it if the incident had excited her not everything Is lost in loftland Lost land 1 and some things beyond price are found wilton reflected here we rest he called at len lenth length th from an eminence where he and berenice stood tall and straight a against alast the honey colored sky the elevation commanded all the rugged country about them they could no see the academy and wilton was glad of tills this berenice seemed more than content seated on a fallen tree trunk her hands clasped about her knees they were rather old fashioned the four of them berenice because of her seclusion the other three for the reason that life had presented serious problems to them problems of livelihood and education it was natural they should think it quite wonderful to have such a view spread at their feet while payne from an anthology he had brought read aloud the eye eve of st agnes these lovers fled away into the storm seemed a thrilling climax while clouds raced across the intensely blue sky and the silence of the lonely world about them was broken only by distant gunshots gunshows gun shots the farmer boys after partridges ti it would be a rare privilege to have an eve of st agnes these days janet remarked and nee flee away only theres nothing as a rule to flee from arthur was reflecting that one could not be too sure this was true and payne too wondered if the old academy would not prove some day a good place to flee dee from would that he might take berenice not into storm but out of it seated on the tree trunk her nobly modeled head and her bright sweater shone out as clearly against the indigo folds of the hills as it if she were in a painting by a modern spanish master arthur was looking intently at janet find and wondering how boio long he could go on oil without telling her he loved her now it seemed by those strange anachronisms of love that he bad known her long before he ever met her how automatically haskell was left out of all their plans and pleasures lie he wondered it if the man had bad ever eve r been in love their way home took them past the deserted village at that hour the long straggling row of crumbling houses sunk in their ancient orchards orchard sg presented a ghostly unearthly air the empty windows seemed watching the road for inhabitants who were never bever to return A ruddy glow not dot of the sunset suns et was traced to a burning pile of rubbish at the back 0 of f the church looming above it was balder baider like a basa basalt it image imae tor for his bis face and clothes were dark with soot he saluted t them hem with more courtesy than was his wont 11 dont you want to warm you balder alder berenice said as they gathered around the fire do you gemeril remember th the e lat l at christmas tree we had in tile academy balder rolled his black eyes ID do 0 I 1 sure I 1 dol do I 1 and I 1 know where it Is too I 1 saw it only yester lay the remains of it it its ts up in the belfry of the church there how on earth did it get therel there he had bad a pitchfork in his left hand and on this oils he rested meditatively watching the fire which lit up all their faces and made janeas sweater glow like a coat of gold ill tell you what I 1 know of its history after that christmas it was thrown out on one of the sheds base and all and lay there for months with some bits of tinsel sticking to it then norman he found it and lie he and jethro took it up the ravine to be a flagpole in front of their tent near the whirl they had a tiny tent there that summer nt safe shale crumbly under their very beds but there the pole was on its stand it got washed down in the spring freshets fresh ets and bobbed up in the lake again I 1 fished it out and brought it down here to burn with some other rubbish some children must have lugged it up those belfry stairs I 1 remember it when I 1 came down to set fire to the stuff I 1 never thought no more about that old dried tree till I 1 see it yesterday arthur and janet dropped behind berenice and wilton on the way home 1 I dont think payne ought to have told her about that tree lie he said that poor child Is too morbidly interested te in everything connected with her brothers and sisters wilton was meanwhile saying to berenice if I 1 were you I 1 would not speak of the old tree to mr haskell after all he has his memories too and it may be as well not to revive them true I 1 I 1 hope you will all stay here until I 1 am twenty one t she added impulsively so far as I 1 am concerned nothing could drive me away at As they entered the grounds haskell and one of the farmers of the neighborhood came slowly down the walk together As they passed berenice and wilton the farmer was saying 1 I cant make sally come it she dont want to cornel comel and ashes afraid s they heard no more but another moment haskell came running after them of all the ridiculous nonsense I 1 must say P he panted as he came up to them heres obadiah welford over to tell me his daughter sally has nerves about thise place and want to come to school any more a pity wilton said for ashes quick and bright really we cant allow her to drop out do you want me to walk over to the welford farm and talk to her haskell brightened a little 1 I wish you would go over sunday afternoon berenice will show you the way one would think when these people had a chance at education they be deterred by silly stories and payne it if convenient id like you to go to borndale next saturday for some supplies where is it up the line you tou can drive yourself over if you want to its about fifteen miles a metropolis compa compared red to blade almost a thousand inhabitants and a motion picture thea theater terl 1 wilton was already sure of one errand lie he would perform at Birn birkdale dale lie he would have a duplicate made of the key to the room in which the four wax figures were stored berenice should go there when she wished when he had been in his rooms a few minutes arthur appeared 1 I wish we were going to move out of this place tonight I 1 he be announced abruptly dean of the mathematics on your mind you know payne I 1 am not a nervous individual I 1 came up here as full of health and spirits as a man could be dont tell me youre afraid of those four wax figures 1 I might as well say first as last that I 1 am and so Is janet but its a sense of some danger still lurking were we brought up to serve some som e purpose other than our utility as teachers now how should I 1 fleming know more than you it if I 1 conjecture my guess Is that we were sent for because berenice insisted on the terms of her fathers will being complied compiled with that she should be well educated certainly she Is getting gettan intensive training now if she ever did payne told arthur of the proposed expedition to Birn birkdale dale that means I 1 can get a duplicate key made of the wax figure room door for use you lou think she ought to have one shell feel more at ease I 1 could have told her where haskell hid the key but I 1 thought it might make trouble it if he found she knew its hiding biding place it may make trouble anyway 1 I can sympathize with her the four figures have seemed much more oppressive to me since they were locked in if they were kept openly upstairs as we saw them that first night for for everybody to look at and remember or forget as he chose wed soon all forget them you cant remember anything constantly under your nose there was a knock on the door mrs denver stood there looking quite white 1 I hate to trouble you mr wilton and think me very foolish but mother martha has been in the kitchen talking of those four children she even told me what they had on that day jethro and norman in corduroys the little girl isabel a green silk blouse althea aithea in a violet dress wash dress I 1 think she said I 1 listened as patiently as I 1 could because the old have so few to listen to them but when mr haskell came in and asked me to go in that room and see that everything was right in there and to dust around a bit I 1 confess im too tier nervous to go alone did he be give you the key mrs denver yes tes and I 1 am to put it into his own hands again til ill go with youl you I 1 should think haskell send you in thal at tills this hour of the day but IT ill glaia ly go with you mrs denver they were passing through the hall fall when gordon haskell met them he was wearing his academic cloak and looked more scholarly than usual i well was everything right he addressed mrs deriver denver 1 ai I been yet sir rayne payne may I 1 see you a mo moment menty TO BE 1313 CONTINUED |
