Part 4 (2/2)

”I don't know,” replied Bridge ”I've never been a believer in ghosts and I'm not now; but I'll admit that it takes a whole lot of--”

He did not finish the sentence for a irl, tohom he now turned As they listened for a repetition of the sound there cairl h the darkness, Bridge saw that the victi to sit up He moved closer and leaned above her

”I wouldn't exert myself,” he said ”You've just suffered an accident, and it's better that you reirl, a note of suppressed terror in her voice

”You are not--?”

”I ae ”My friend and I chanced to be near when you fell from the car--” with that innate refinee chose not to e which had befallen her, preferring to leave to her own volition theof any explanation she saw fit, or of none--”and we carried you in here out of the storirl was silent for a moment ”Where is 'here'?” she asked presently ”They drove so fast and it was so dark that I had no idea where ere, though I know that we left the turnpike”

”We are at the old Squibbs place,” replied the erly over her head and face, so that her next question did not surprise him

”A to die?”

The trehtened and wondering child Bridge heard the boy behind him move iirl

”You are not badly hurt,” volunteered The Oskaloosa Kid ”Bridge couldn't find a mark on you--the bullet e of the car when he fired” The girl's voice reflected the physical shudder which ran through her frame at the recollection ”Then he threw ht that he could not ain, sitting stiffly erect Bridge could feel rather than see wide, tense eyes staring out through the darkness upon scenes, horrible perhaps, that were invisible to hiirl turned and threw herself face doard upon the bed

”O, God!” she moaned ”Father! Father! It will kill you--no one will believe me--they will think that I am bad I didn't do it! I didn't do it! I've been a silly little fool; but I have never been a bad girl--and---and--I had nothing to do with that awful thing that happened to-night”

Bridge and the boy realized that she was not talking to theht of their presence--she was talking to that father whose heart would be breaking with the breaking of the new day, trying to convince hiain she sat up, and when she spoke there was no tremor in her voice

”I o on living after last night; but if I do die I wantto do with it and that they tried to kill me because I wouldn't promise to keep still It was the little one who murdered him--the one they called 'Ji one drove the car--his name was 'Terry' After they killed hi in front with Terry--and then they dragged me over into the tonneau and later--the Oskaloosa Kid tried to kill e heard the boy at his side gulp The girl went on

”To-morrow you will know about the murder--everyone will know about it; and I will be missed; and there will be people who saw me in the car with them, for someone must have seen me Oh, I can't face it! I want to die I will die! I coood fao back and stand the disgrace and see him suffer, as he will suffer, for I was all he had--his only child I can't bear to tell you h--but please find some way to let my father know all that I have told you--I swear that it is the truth--by the e laid a hand upon the girl's shoulder ”If you are telling us the truth,” he said, ”you have only a silly escapade with strangenow--your duty is to your father If you take your own life it will be a tacit aduilt and will only serve to double the burden of sorrow and igno becomes public, as it certainly must if a murder has been done The only way in which you can atone for your error is to go back and face the consequences with him--do not throw it all upon hiirl did not reply; but that the man's words had impressed her seehts; which were presently disturbed by the sound of footsteps upon the floor below--theof many feet followed adistinctly through the loose and splintered flooring

”Pipe the stiff,” exclainized immediately as that of Soup Face

”The Kid h followed this evidently witty sally

”The guy probably laested another

Thechain echoed dismally from the cellar Instantly silence fell upon the newcomers upon the first floor, followed by a--”Wotinel's that?” Two of the men had approached the staircase and started to ascend it Slowly the uncanny clanking drew closer to the first floor The girl on the bed turned toward Bridge

”What is it?” she gasped

”We don't know,” replied the man ”It followed us up here, or rather it chased us up; and then went down again just before you regained consciousness I i developments from below”