Whispering Walls

by Mildred A. Wirt

  CHAPTER 13 _MISSING FROM THE CHEST_

  "Mother, how did you learn about the wooden doll?" Lorinda gasped. "Andwhere did you get such a crazy idea that you will weaken and die?"

  "I have known it ever since my husband went away."

  "But that's impossible!" cried Lorinda, fairly beside herself withanxiety. "I'm sure the doll wasn't in the house until today. Someone isputting these notions in your head! Is it Celeste?"

  "Celeste is doing her best to help, but there is nothing she can do,"Mrs. Rhett said sadly.

  "Mother, snap out of this! You're worried about Father and it has madeyou morbid. Nothing will happen to you. The doll has been destroyed, andin any case, we know it's only a stupid effigy."

  Dropping her head wearily on the chair back, Mrs. Rhett smiled and saidnothing. Closing her eyes, she relaxed for a moment. Penny and Lorindathought she might be dropping off to sleep, so they moved quietly away.

  Mrs. Rhett's eyes opened then and she said: "Oh, Lorinda!"

  "Yes, Mother."

  "There's something I wish to mention--about my will."

  "Your will?" the girl repeated with distaste. "Why talk about that--nowof all times!"

  "There may be no better time," Mrs. Rhett said. "As you know, my will iskept in the safe. It leaves this house and nearly all of my property toHamilton."

  "Let's not talk about it," Lorinda pleaded nervously. "At the time youmade the will, we decided it was very fair."

  "I thought so then, because you have substantial income in your own name.Hamilton, on the other hand, has nothing--scarcely a penny except hissalary at the bank."

  "You were right in leaving money to him, Mother. I never objected."

  "The situation has changed now," Mrs. Rhett continued. "My husband maynever return. If I should die suddenly, the estate would be left to him,but he might not appear to claim it. To my knowledge, he has norelatives. It could all become an awkward legal muddle."

  "You certainly are borrowing trouble, Mother! Father will be found, andeverything will be the same as before."

  "I wish I could think so, Lorinda."

  "Forget about the will."

  Mrs. Rhett shook her head. "I think I shall change it. And soon. However,at this moment, I don't know how I wish to dispose of some of myproperty. Nearly everything I own is tied up in real estate."

  The woman arose, and remarking that she had a severe headache, startedinto the house.

  "I'll lie down for a little while," she murmured. "I feel so weak andtired."

  Lorinda waited until her mother was well beyond hearing. Then she turnedto Penny with stricken eyes.

  "You heard what she said! She must have learned about that hideous dollfrom Celeste!"

  "But how did Celeste know of it? You told her?"

  "Oh, no! But Celeste has a way of knowing everything that goes on in thishousehold. What ought I to do?"

  "If I were in your place I would get rid of Celeste and Anton. Send thempacking!"

  The suggestion seemed almost shocking to Lorinda.

  "Oh, I couldn't do that," she answered. "In the first place, mystepfather would be furious if he returned and found them gone. Secondly,I doubt that they would go on my orders. They're very independent."

  "Then I don't see what you can do."

  "If only my stepfather were here! Unless he returns soon I'm afraidsomething dreadful will happen to Mother. Did she look well to you?"

  "Well--" Penny hesitated, and then said truthfully: "She seemed pale andlistless. But one can understand that, considering what she has beenthrough."

  "I heard her give orders about her food this morning. She told Celesteshe would have trays served in her room, and _no food is to be cookedwith salt_."

  "Is that especially significant?"

  "My stepfather once told me natives who believe a hex or _ouange_ havebeen put on them are afraid to eat salted food. The salt is supposed toturn to poison in their bodies!"

  Penny would have laughed had the matter not been so serious.

  "Lorinda, you're as superstitious as a little savage!"

  "I don't believe such a thing myself," the girl denied. "But Motherapparently does. She always was afraid of everything remotely connectedwith cult practices. She never wanted my stepfather to have books on thesubject in the library, yet recently I saw her reading them."

  "You said they disagreed about his interest in ancient cult practices?"

  "Yes," Lorinda admitted. "Otherwise they got on quite well together.Perhaps I shouldn't tell you this, but two days before he went away, theyhad a violent disagreement. Mother wanted to discharge Anton and Celeste,and he refused. Then on the last day my stepfather was seen, Mother wentto the bank to talk to him. She never told me what happened there."

  "According to Albert Potts, they had another quarrel."

  "I shouldn't wonder," Lorinda sighed. "And now Mother's attitude towardCeleste is so changed--she actually clings to her. Oh dear, it's all soupsetting."

  "You're trying to take too much upon your shoulders," Penny said kindly.

  Conversation lagged. Lorinda could not throw aside the deep mood ofdepression which possessed her. Penny knew she no longer had an excuse tolinger, yet she was unwilling to leave without asking a few questionsabout the thatched roof cottage.

  "Lorinda, why did you try to keep me from visiting it the other day?" sheinquired.

  "Well, I didn't know you then. My stepfather's trophies all are kept inthe cottage, and I didn't want anyone prying about."

  "Then actually it's not a place of evil?"

  Lorinda hesitated and answered indirectly: "I almost never go to thecottage myself. Once I was badly frightened there--it was nothing--butfor a silly reason, I've always dreaded going back."

  "You didn't by chance hear whispering from within the walls?"

  Lorinda gave her companion a quick, startled look. "Why do you ask,Penny?"

  "Because I visited the cottage yesterday with Salt Sommers. We distinctlyheard a voice which seemed to come from the wall itself. When we wentoutside to investigate, the door slammed shut and locked."

  "It has an automatic catch," Lorinda explained. "I never heard voicesthere, but I had a strange feeling when I was in the room--as if thewalls had eyes and I was being watched."

  "The cottage always is kept locked?" Penny inquired.

  "Yes, my stepfather's trophies are valuable, and we can't risk havingthem stolen. How did you get inside?"

  Penny had the grace to blush. "Well, to make a long story short, we wentin through the window," she admitted. "It was a dreadful thing to do, andI'm heartily ashamed."

  "I don't blame you," Lorinda laughed. "Naturally you were curious after Itried so hard to keep you away. Would you like to see the cottage again?"

  "Indeed, yes!"

  "I'll get the key," Lorinda offered.

  She vanished into the house and was gone so long that Penny wondered whatcould be delaying the girl. When she finally appeared on the veranda, herface was as dark as a rain cloud.

  "The key is gone!" she exclaimed. "It's always been kept in the topdrawer of the dresser in my stepfather's room. I couldn't find itanywhere."

  "Perhaps he took it with him that last day he went to the bank,"suggested Penny.

  "Possibly," agreed Lorinda, though without conviction. "I hope nothinghas been stolen from the cottage."

  Alarmed at being unable to find the key, the girls walked hurriedly alongthe wooded path to the trophy house. From afar, Lorinda saw that the doorwas open a tiny crack.

  "Either the place has been ransacked, or someone is there now!" shedeclared excitedly.

  They approached swiftly but with noiseless tread. Lorinda suddenly flungopen the cottage door.

  The room was deserted. Trophies were exactly as Penny had seen them theprevious day.

  "That's funny," Lorinda commented, entering, "I was certain I'd findsomeone here. Perhaps you
and your friend failed to lock the door afteryou left yesterday."

  "It locked itself. We tried it, and couldn't get in. Anyway, even if wehad left the door open, that still leaves the question of what became ofthe missing key."

  Lorinda nodded thoughtfully as her gaze swept the room.

  "Everything seems to be here," she remarked.

  "What does the chest contain?" Penny inquired curiously. "Salt and Iwanted to peek inside yesterday, but didn't have a chance."

  "I'll show you," Lorinda offered.

  Pulling out the chest, she raised the lid. The top compartment tray wasempty. Looking a trifle puzzled, Lorinda jerked it from the woodencontainer. The lower section of the chest also was empty.

  "Why, everything is gone!" she cried. "My stepfather kept an altar cloth,a feathered head dress, two carved knives, several rattles, and I don'tknow what all in this chest! They've been stolen!"