The Room with the Tassels

ur o'

re mysterious hours. It was at four in the morning that manifestations were oftenest noticed. At that hour vague moanings and

ny failed to show any secret panel or concealed entrance. Indeed, their measurings and soundi

ad poisoned her husband. They had no difficulty in swallowing whole all

ckery, cleverly done by some of the party, but as this

o would give him the slightest reason to do so. Nobody did, however, and the weird sounds continued at i

and awaited developments with the rest. Vernie was merely an excited child, gay

he had lain awake for a few hours and then fell asleep not to waken until daylight. If the Shawled Woman prowled about, he did not see or hear her. This was disappoint

ed the door as the others had done. This was inexplicab

" Braye reproached him, "as Uncle Giff

ot defend herself. She knew her experience had occurred just as she had told

of days on some business matters. Before leaving, he made Vernie pr

I beg of you not to. You're too young to risk a nerve shock of that sort. If you want to try it with Miss Carnforth or Miss

ily on her conscience, for no sooner had Braye really gone, than she c

y. "Nice people consider a spoken word inviolable. I know you, Vernie

confided in Eve Carnforth her intention of s

rage her, and prom

s were taken, save the usual locking up against outside intruders. And after the great locks and bolts were fastened

he Ouija board, a favourite diversion, had produced no

s. A night lamp in the upper hall gave a faint glimmer below stairs, but

walls and the familiar furnishings she found the bed and lay down upon it. Her heart beat fast with excitement b

t, there was a mitigation of the darkness near the door. A not unpleasant drowsines

the Room with the Tassels, and felt no fear. "I hope something c

-four-boomed

stood a tall gaunt shape, merely a shadow, for it was too dark to discern details. Her calm forsook her; she shivered violent

ried to scream, to shriek,-but her dry th

them. They seemed suddenly to possess an uncanny ability to pier

ight of the face beneath the sheltering shawl. It was the face of a skull! The hollow eye-sockets glared at her, and lifting a deathlike hand, with long white fingers, the spec

come, so it went. From nowhere to nowhere,-it evo

on fire, her flesh crept and quivered, she was bathed in a cold p

d on her brain, and she knew that until

a little. The first move was agony, but by degrees she

n, she dragged herself upstairs and

ged Eve, and V

ld, solemnly. "It means I shall

so bravely, and have such an experience to

n beckoned,-sort of shook its finger, you know, and pointed at me. And-oh, I hardly no

ing. How could it have two glasses,

nd. I remember distinctly. Oh, every bit of it is printed on my

ave way to great racking sobs, as

ur nerves be upset. So brace up and control them. Cry, dear, cry all you can. That's a relief, and will do you a heap of good. Then we'll talk it over, and by breakfast time you'll be ready to tell them all about it, a

ves, and as she looked around the rational, familiar room, bright with sunl

child capable of falsehood or deceit. Her description was too realistic, her straightforward narra

y reproved her for breaking her word to her cousin, but as he was

oundly, while Milly

innocent child was far more convincing than to a grown person of avowed psychic tendencies. Eve Carnforth might have imagined much of the story she told; her 'expe

ot out the Ouija board and

e people don't believe me. Get your uncle or Mr. Trac

to look upon her as entirely disingenuous. She resented this, and was a little morose in consequence. Norma Cameron, hers

rnie persuaded good-natured Mr. Tracy to move Ouija wit

eclared she would throw the old thing out of the window, a startling sentence form

Tracy, "I refuse

at the letters, held it a moment longer. "To-morrow!

dear?" and Eve Carnforth ca

Eve, you know every death in this house has occurred at four o'clock in th

to that rubbish! The Ouija ran off its tr

ver'd push it to say a thing like that! Why, it spelled it all out as plain as day! Uncle Gi

ught never to have brought you," and Gifford Bruce glowered at the other

, just as she said. I tried to steer it off, but she urged against me. I felt her doing so. I don't mean she made up the message to create a sensation, but I think the ghost last night affected her as a warning, and her mind is

y on, I'll go down to New York to-morrow, and take Vernie to stay with me for a while. We'll

urprised, "I thought you were

ng the nervous system of a sweet, innocent ch

r back to town to-morrow or next day. There's something uncanny up here, that's certain. I di

eer to sleep in the haunted room that night, and every one felt a s

ry one secretly shuddered at

orning, and nothing untoward happened, every one drew a long bre

kfast, daylight and good ch

" said Mr. Tracy, shaking his f

ls, anyway," su

want to see Rudolph on his return, but to-morrow, I pack up my Vernie child and take

d sumpum tells me I won't go," she added with a roguish glance at

e in return, and the subject

m the city, and listened, frowning

, Vernie," he sa

I've never kept a promise in my whole lif

n't give you the prese

ersuasive the soft voice, that Vernie, after a short argument, seize

re just about the nicest cousin I p

own! As a punishment for your disobedience I challenge you to a round with old Ouija to-night

ernie danced gaily away to tease

serious shortage in the commissariat department, and Br

ck to Eve to preside at the tea-ta

vociferously announced her intention

turned when old Thorpe

had partially persuaded her uncle to remain longer at Black Aspens. He was just phrasing cert

a out of doors, there was no cheerful terrace, or pleasant porch. The hall, though sombre a

helped pass the cups and plates, for no one li

declared Norma; "I thin

Landon. "This is mighty good tea, though,-didn't know any

lashes swept upward as she g

which we were talking, Hardwi

d four, and, as always, they paus

an again: "I t

his eyes stared, and then, his teacup fell from his h

an to him, while Tracy, with a quick gla

e slipped an arm round her, just as, with a wild look and a r

Eve, "what h

ce shook. "Help me, Miss Carnfo

ar effort, and as they placed her gently on the sofa her ey

isn't-she isn't-oh, it

rnie's side and

ce white, his voice shaking; "and Giffor