Show PAP 7 L bao do SYNOPSIS on her way to a teaching position in loftland Lost land academy janet mercer laermer meets prof arthur Ii fleming leming also on his way to tho the academy gordon II askell proprietor welcomes them wilton payne teacher of psychology completes the faculty acuity janet witnesses a meeting between dlask ell it and a man of unprepossessing appearance but evidently high in IIa lla confidence in a school room she finds a group which she had supposed were scholars are wax figures lI askell IIa explains unusual circumstances connected with the conduct of the academy among the pupils Is berenice daughter of the late owner of the Aci academy demy the tragedy traced drowning y of f loftland Lostia Lost land nd academy Is the of four of 0 the children w who he lost their lives at the same moment years ago aeo the wax figures were modeled in the likenesses liKeness cs of the hildren children and doctor Brace bridges will will ordered them preserved berenice tells payne some facts of 0 the tragedy and he ha learns that the uncouth giant whom janet had 0 seen eon Is n named amed balder and Is a valuable servant payne visits jerry moore only Avit witness ness of the drowning of 0 the children reading diaries kept by dr jethro bracebridge payne senses something sinister in the drowning ot of the children CHAPTER V continued S descending to the church again lie ho 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 tile the lock with difficulty it served the purpose lie ile found himself in a room with four windows facing to the four points of the com compass P ass and a absolutely nothing in tire the place but an old christmas tree still 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 c fracter ar acter with the aid of a few bits of tinsel of festive silver and gold A christmas tag was still dangling from one of the branches with a name written on it lie ile examined it wore more closely the name was althea Alt liea bracebridge Crace bridge lie ile mused over this poor little memorial some moments a pathetic signpost pointing back to some long ago christmas celebration in this church but why by had the tree been carried up tip arid and stored away in the belfry room instead of thrown out of doors perhaps the boys got hold of it arid and carried it up here to form a part of their endless ingenuities I 1 think ill take the card berenice alg might be glad to have it lie he untied it carefully lie ile was about to put it la in ills his pocket when he saw that on tile the back of it was the date of the celebration of which I 1 1 this was perhaps the old memorial calculating back lie he made it pre easely the christmas before the accident but tills this church must have been deser deserted terl theu then he thought maybe they reopened it for a christmas celebration to what had this little card been attached A book A bottle of perfume A box of candy and had allben liked lier her present lie he tried to picture the scene the old church with the pale winter sunshine streaming in and some one in the choir singing hark the herald an angels els and tile the youngsters excited over their gifts and impatient for the exercises to end and had berenice been there As usual when lie thought of her horizons began to open and the sky to clear mrs denver bless her told her to marry but what of poor me ma with so little laid up tor for a wife ile he re locked the door and replaced the key in the vestry janet was strolling in the grounds of the academy when he reentered entered re them and waved to him in her usual friendly way making no comment when lie he joined her on tits his early excursions 1 I think we did very well last night she observed we really took mind from the anniversary niver alver sary the trouble Is theres a perpetual anniversary in that old academy as long as those wax figures are there haunting queer uncanny things thing s like something living on long after its time sometimes this place seems like a dream to me yet it has an odd charm too those in the quiet morning li light lit that solemn liall hall with the pictures of the old presidents a principal so fond of lowers flowers that lie he keeps ills his hyacinth bulbs always blooming yes youre right it has charm how glowing red the old bricks are I 1 everything glitters today see hair in the sun its like flame 1 they both looked towards her as slie she came lightly down the I 1 path th calling to them pulling her f fluffy luff 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 ile he did not think it the time to show her the card particularly as lie he saw haskell and balder emerging from the greenish shadows of f the basement both looked towards the group then exchanging some words separated haskell approached berenice with self con selous always in his manner as if lie he must be perpetually on on guard warding away even friendliness and pleasant words you are walking again today yes will you join us why should I 1 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 however it must be beautiful up there now with ta alie ie scarlet maples yes blood red wilton said ive never seen such intensity of red haskell put ills his hands over his eyes this sun fills ray my eyes eves with red that afternoon the four were stepping together oner oe the hills their happiness singularly like that ea I 1 1 but why had the tree been carried up and stored away in the belfry room of creatures let out of cag cages witton wilton told berenice of reading the diary how long iong did your stepmother live after the deaths of your brothers and sisters fully eight years I 1 think im not sure she was a blessed woman always kind to me even my brothers and sisters liked tier her though they like she broke oft off oh well its ILs all past and gone may hay I 1 ask you if you can remember when tire the old church down there was last used long before I 1 was horn born about isso I 1 think and was it ever opened for christmas celebrations after that oil oh no I 1 are jou sure quite sure cut but father used to liae hae celebrations for the neighbors children in the old academy and they all received presents from the tree I 1 only faintly remember the last one ever held heh the christmas Christu ins before the accident it was very gay we had a beautiful tree tice that tree Is still in existence she looked at him incredulously tier her eyes half fearful how do you know that 1 I went to the belfry room this morning found a key bey that fitted the door tile the room mag as absolutely bare except for an ancient itri clent tree trea on its wooden base painted green as usual bits of tinsel still clung clum to tile the dry branches and tills this little card was nas tied to one of them with will a red ribbon can you read the writing the ink Is ery pale 11 Alt althen bea how strange why I 1 have a 1 card just like it saved all these years how on earth did that tree get gel up there slie she turned inkling b idan out the card see what mr payne fot found irid and slie she told them the story tier her eyes brilliant her cli cheeks eclis flushed as if the incident had excited tier not everything is lost in Lost loftland land arid and some things beyond price are found wilton reflected nero here we rest ho he called nt at t length from an eminence where he and berenice stood tall and straight azal against nt the honey colored sky the elevation commanded all the rugged country about them they could not see the academy and wilon wilton ton was glad of this berenice seemed more than content seated on a fallen tree trunk her hands clasped about her knees they were rather old fashioned the fum ur ot of them berenice because of 0 her seclusion the ilie 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 lie he had bad brought road read aloud the 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 it would be a rare privilege to have an eye eve of st agnes these days janet remarked and lee flee away only theres nothing as a rule to flee from I 1 arthur was reflecting that one could not be too sure this was true and payne too wondered it if the old academy would not prove some day a good place to flee from would that he might take berenice not into storm but out of it arthur was looking intensely at janet and wondering how ion long lie he could go on without telling her he loved her now it seemed by those strange anachronisms of love that he had known her long iong before he ever met her how automatically haskell was left out of all their plans and pleasures I 1 lie ile wondered it if tile the man had ever been in love their way home took them past the deserted village at that hour the lie long straggling row of 0 crumbling houses sunk slink in their ancient orchards presented a ghostly unearthly air the empty windows seemed watching the road tor for inhabitants who were never to return A ruddy glow not of the sunset was traced to a burning pile of rubbish at the back of the church looming above it was balder like a basalt image for ills his face and clothes clot lies were dark with soot ile he sa them with more courtesy than was his wont dont you want to warm you balder berenice said as they gathered around the fire do you remember the last christmas tree we had in the academy balder rolled ills his black eyes do I 1 sure I 1 do and I 1 know where it Is too I 1 saw it only yesterday the remains of it its up jn the belfry of the church there how on earth did it get there ue ile had a pitchfork in his left hand and on this he rested meditatively tat ively matching the fire cre 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 lays lay there for months with some bits of tinsel sticking to it then norman lie he found it ant and lie 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 fres liets ets and bobbed up in the lake again I 1 fished it out arid and brought brou glit it down here to burn with ith some other rubbish some children must have lugged it up those belfry stairs I 1 remember it when I 1 came down to set ille file to the stuff I 1 never thought no more about the old dried tree till I 1 see it yesterday arthur all and janet dropped behind berenice and wilton on the way home 1 I dont think payne ought to have told her about abou t that tree he said that poor child Is too morbidly interested in everything connected with her brothers and sis wilton was meanwhile saying to berenice if I 1 were you 1 I would not speak of the old tree to ile Ilas lell after all he has his al memories eill too arid and it may be as well not to revive them true I 1 hope you will all stay here until I 1 ana am twenty one she added impulsively so far as I 1 am concerned nothing could drive me away As they entered the grounds haskell askell II 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 if she ane dont want to come cornel I 1 and ashes afraid they heard no more but another moment MOIl lent haskell came running after thorn them of all the ridiculous nonsense I 1 must say lie he panted as lie he came up to thorn them he heres res obadiah welford over oer to tell tel I 1 me ills his daughter sally has nerves about this place and want to come to school arry any moro more a pity wl wilton ton said for siles quick and bright really e cant allow her ber to drop out do you want me to walk valk over to the welford farm farin and talk to tier her haskell ll askell brightened 1 a little 11 I wish you would go over sunday afternoon Ble berenice renice will show you tile hie way and payne if convenient id like you to go to borndale Birn Birr dale idale next saturday for sonie some sui supplies pills you can drle drive yourself over if you want toiv 0 its about alff fifteen spoils compare 11 compared 1 thousand inhabit a to 1 1 tion picture SS ants e wilton 1 theaters thea terr andt was ait already errand lie he would ay sure 1 ol of dale he arf orm at would bave MI made le of 0 tire the key ke T t 0 the P which the four tool stored st orel berenice we 8 fir ret uld nhen she wished 1 go I 1 I 1 when hen lie he hai bad k a afe feve minutes arthur been in lit a wish we were going eol t this t place tonight tons to al or 0 t b abruptly you know hannout 81 not fa ayne 31 a nervous 1 In divid 1 UP P here here as full fail rial I 1 of ohe he as a man could her bel and dont tell those four iva as e YOU to lifrak figur 1 ww I 1 I 1 ml it as ag well last an y far that I 1 aai but its a sense 80 Is 1 Is i seno of so me dab lurking were we L 6 brought allol serve borve some utility as teachers teas purpose other now ow should i m more than Fl errill efel S you K I 1 coni sctt guess Is that we e cause berenice insisted enss ere sent to I 1 00 of tier her r fathers will III byln eing with that elie be in e ir ell caged certainly lilly she b he h e training no K get 6 did payne told arthur of 0 the expedition to that I 1 can get a duplicate key kei in n 1111 the wax figure room door for en eli ices fees use you 0 alink she I 1 ou allt lit to t one on shell feel fed more at ease I 1 have told her where Ilas Haslie kelli lT key but I 1 am thought it might trouble it if he found she ta kile hiding place it may make mal III anyway 1 I carl can sympathize with he 1 four figures have seemed much anc oppressive to me since th 1 I locked in if they were kept kep ly upstairs as we saw t the beer first night dight for everybody to at and remember or forget X chose wed soon all forget tor ed t you cant remember anything t constantly under your nose nose there was a knock at the th I 1 mrs denier demer stood there loc quite white 1 I hate to trouble mr WIl wilton toll and think me i foolish but mother mart been in the kitchen talking lift four children I 1 listened aa ly as I 1 could because the old oil so few to listen to them but mr haskell II askell came in and uta to go in that to room orn and see everything ever thing was right in aba dust around a bit I 1 confes confesor sr nervous to go alone ill go NN with ith you I 1 I 1 ishlum shoulder r haskell hashell send you in f at fills hour ot of the day E bill gladly go Avith you uns mm dear they were passing hall when gordon haslell haskell them lie ile was wearing his acad abai cloak and looked more than usual well was ever erea right lie he addressed mrs deal den 1 I been jet et sit payne may I 1 see you jm I a 1 I am going down with mal ver why y ashes afraid N haskell gaie ae an cla mation how glad ill be i IF berenice attains her majorino maJor majority ifO well have no do more of the w ures well let the dusting mrs denver really a IVOW your years should bare I 1 be sense you should have figures in your letter sir shi she back unless you were if tan mention them iio he scowled but mide made no DO I 1 11 payne was moving toward I 1 arary no not therel there |