Sunny Slopes

by Ethel Hueston

  CHAPTER XVI

  DEPARTED SPIRITS

  As the evenings grew colder, the camp chairs on the mesa were deserted,and the chattering "chasers" gathered indoors, sometimes in one oranother of the airy tent cottages, sometimes before the cheerful blazeof the logs in the fireplace of the parlors, but oftenest of all theyflocked into Number Six of McCormick Building, where David was confinedto his cot. Always there was laughter in Number Six, merry jesting,ready repartee. So it became the mecca of those, who, even moreassiduously than they chased the cure, sought after laughter and joy.In the parlors the guests played cards, but in Number Six, deferringsilently to David's calling, they pulled out checkers and parcheesi,and fought desperate battles over the boards. But sometimes theyfingered the dice and the checkers idly, leaning back in their chairs,and talked of temperatures, and hypodermics, and doctors, and war, andghosts.

  "I know this happened," said the big Canadian one night. "It was in myown home and I was there. So I can swear to every word of it. We cameout from Scotland, and took up a big homestead in Saskatchewan. Wethrew up a log house and began living in it before it was half done.Evenings, the men came in from the ranches around, and we sat by thefire in the kitchen and smoked and told stories. Joined on to thekitchen there was a shed, which was intended for a summer kitchen. Butjust then we had half a dozen cots in it, and the hands slept there.One night one of the boys said he had a headache, and to escape thesmoke in the kitchen which was too thick to breathe, he went into theshed and lay down on a cot. It was still unfinished, the shed was, andthere were three or four wide boards laid across the rafters at the topto keep them from warping in the damp. Baldy lay on his back andstared up at the roof. Suddenly he leaped off the bed,--we all sawhim; there was no door between the rooms. He leaped off and dashedthrough the kitchen.

  "'What's the matter?' we asked him.

  "'Let me alone, I want to get out of here,' he said, and shot throughthe door.

  "We caught just one glimpse of his face. It was ashen. We went onsmoking. 'He's a crazy Frenchman,' we said, and let it go. But mybrother was out in the barn and he corralled him going by.

  "'I am going to die, Don,' he said. 'I was lying on the bed, lookingup at the rafters, and I saw the men come in and take the big whiteboard and make it into a coffin for me. I am going home, I want to bewith my folks.'

  "Don came in scared stiff, and told us, and we said 'Pooh, pooh,' andwent on smoking. But about eleven o'clock a couple of fellows fromanother ranch came over and said their boss had died that afternoon andthey could not find the right sized boards for the coffin. They wanteda good straight one about six feet six by fourteen inches. We lookedin the barns and the sheds, and could not find what they wanted. Thenwe went into the lean-to, where there were some loose boards in thecorner, but they wouldn't do.

  "'Say,' said one of them, 'how about that white board up there in therafters? About right, huh?'

  "We pulled it down, and it was just the size. They were tickled to getit, for they hated to drive twelve miles to town through snowdriftsover their heads.

  "'That's the big white board that Baldy saw,' said Don suddenly. Yes,by George! We sent for Baldy that night to make sure, and it was justwhat he had seen, and the very men that came for the board. Baldy wasmighty glad he wasn't the corpse."

  "Mercy," said Carol, twitching her shoulders. "Are you sure it istrue?"

  "Gospel truth. I was right there. I took down the board."

  "I know one that beats that," said the Scotchman promptly. "They havea sayin' over in my country, that if you have a dream, or a vision, ofmen comin' toward you carryin' a coffin, you will be in a coffin insideof three days. One night a neighbor of mine, next farm, was comin'home late, piped as usual, and as he came zigzaggin' down a dark lane,he looked up suddenly and saw four men marchin' solemnly toward him,carryin' a coffin. McDougall clutched his head. 'God help me,' hecried. 'It is the vision.' Then he turned in his tracks and shot overa hedge and up the bank, screamin' like mad. The spirits carryin' thecoffin yelled at him and, droppin' the coffin, started up the hillafter him. But McDougall only yelled louder and ran faster, andfinally they lost him in the hills. So they went back. They were notspirits at all, and it was a real coffin. A woman had died, and theywere takin' her in to town ready for the funeral next day. But thenext day we found McDougall lyin' face down on the grass ten milesaway, stone dead."

  The girls shivered, and Carol shuffled her chair closer to David's bed.

  "Ran himself to death?" suggested David.

  "Well, he died," said the Scotchman.

  "Is it true?" asked Carol, glancing fearfully through the screen of theporch into the black shadows on the mesa.

  "Absolutely true," declared the Scotchman. "I was in the searchin'party that found him."

  "I--I don't believe in spirits,--I mean haunting spirits," said Carol,stiffening her courage and her backbone by a strong effort.

  "How about the ghosts that drove the men out into the graveyards in theBible and made them cut up all kinds of funny capers, and finallyhaunted the pigs and drove 'em into the lake?" said Barrows slyly.

  "They were not ghosts," protested Carol quickly. "Just evil spirits.They got drowned, you know,--ghosts don't drown."

  "It does not say they got drowned," contradicted Barrows. "My Bibledoes not say it. The pigs got drowned. And that is what ghostsare,--evil spirits, very evil. They were too slick to get drownedthemselves; they just chased the pigs in and then went off hauntingsomebody else."

  Carol turned to David for proof, and David smiled a little.

  "Well," he said thoughtfully, "perhaps it does not particularly say theghosts were drowned. It says they went into the pigs, and the pigswere drowned. It does not say anything about the spirits coming out inadvance, though."

  Carol and Barrows mutually triumphed over each other, claiming personalvindication.

  "Do you believe in ghosts, Mr. Duke?" asked Miss Tucker in a softrespectful voice, as if resolved not to antagonize any chance spiritsthat might be prowling near.

  "Call them psychic phenomena, and I may say that I do," said David.

  "How do you explain it, then?" she persisted.

  "I explain it by saying it is a phenomenon which can not be explained,"he evaded cleverly.

  "But that doesn't get us anywhere, does it?" she protested vaguely."Does it--does it explain anything?"

  "It does not get us anywhere," he agreed; "but it gets me out of thedifficulty very nicely."

  "I know a good ghost story myself," said Nevius. "It is a dandy. Itwill make your blood run cold. Once there was a--"

  "I do not believe in telling ghost stories," said Miss Landbury."There may not be any such thing, and I do not believe there is, but ifthere should happen to be any, it must annoy them to be talked about."

  "You shouldn't say you don't believe in them," said Miss Tucker. "Atleast not on such a dark night. Some self-respecting ghost may resentit and try to get even with you."

  Miss Landbury swallowed convulsively, and put her arm around Carol'swaist. The sudden wail of a pack of coyotes wafted in to them, and thegirls crouched close together.

  "Once there was a man--"

  "It is your play, Mr. Barrows," said Miss Landbury. "Let's finish thegame. I am ahead, you remember."

  "Wait till I finish my story," said Nevius, grinning wickedly. "It istoo good to miss, about curdling blood, and clammy hands, and--"

  "Mr. Duke, do you think it is religious to talk about ghosts? Doesn'tit say something in the Bible about avoiding such things, and fightingshy of spirits and soothsayers and things like that?"

  "Yes, it does," agreed Nevius, before David could speak. "That's why Iwant to tell this story. I think it is my Christian duty. You willsure fight shy of ghosts after you hear this. You won't even havenerve enough to dream about 'em. Once there was a man--"

  Carol deliberately removed Miss Landbury's arm from her waist, andclimbed
up on the bed beside David. Miss Landbury shuffled as close tothe bed as propriety would at all admit, and clutched the blanket withdesperate fingers. Miss Tucker got a firm grip on one of Carol'shands, and after a hesitating pause, ensconced her elbow snugly againstDavid's Bible lying on the table. Gooding said he felt a draft, andsat on the foot of the cot.

  "Once there was a man, and he was in love with two women--oh, yes, Mrs.Duke, it can be done all right. I have done it myself--yes, two at thesame time. Ask any man; they can all do it. Oh, women can't. Theyaren't broad-minded enough. It takes a man,--his heart can hold themall." The girls sniffed, but Nevius would not be side-tracked from hisstory. "Well, this man loved them both, and they were both worthloving--young, and fair, and wealthy. He loved them distractedly. Heloved one because she was soft and sweet and adorable, and he calledher Precious. He loved the other because she was talented andbrilliant, a queen among women, the center of every throng, and hecalled her Glory. He loved to kiss the one, and he loved to be proudof the other. They did not know about each other, they lived indifferent towns. One night the queenly one was giving a toast at abanquet, and the revelers were leaning toward her, drinking in everyword of her rich musical voice, marveling at her brilliancy, whensuddenly she saw a tiny figure perch on the table in front of herfiance,--yes, he was fianceing them both. The little figure on thetable had a sweet, round, dimply face, and wooing lips, and lovingeyes. The fiance took her in his arms, and stroked the round pinkcheek, and kissed the curls on her forehead. Glory faltered, and triedto brush the mist from before her eyes. She was dreaming,--there wasno tiny figure on the table. There could not be. Lover--they bothcalled him Lover; he had a fancy for the name--Lover was gazing up ather with eyes full of pride and admiration. She finished hurriedly andsat down, wiping the moisture from her white brow. 'Such a strangething, Lover,' she whispered. 'I saw a tiny figure come tripping up toyou, and she caressed and kissed you, and ran her fingers over yourlips so childishly and--so adoringly, and--' Lover looked startled.'What!' he ejaculated. For little Precious had tricks like that.'Yes, and she had one tiny curl over her left ear, and you kissed it.''You saw that?' 'Yes, just now.' She looked at him; he was pale anddisturbed. 'Have you ever been married, Lover?' she asked. 'Never,'he denied quickly. But he was strangely silent the rest of theevening. The next morning Glory was ill. When he called, they tookhim up to her room, and he sat beside her and held her hand. 'Anotherstrange thing happened,' she said. 'The little beauty who kissed youat the banquet came up to my bed, and put her arms around me andcaressed and fondled me and said she loved me because I was sobeautiful, and her little white arms seemed to choke me, and Istruggled for breath and floundered out of bed, and she kissed me andsaid I was a darling and tripped away, and--I fainted.'"

  "Mr. Nevius, that isn't nice," protested Miss Landbury.

  "Lover said urgent business called him out of town. He would go toPrecious. Glory was getting freakish, queer. Precious never hadvisions. She was not notionate. She just loved him and was content.So he went to her. She dimpled at him adoringly, and led him out toher bower of roses, and sat on his knee and stroked his eyes with herpink finger tips, and he kissed the little curl over her left ear andthought she was worth a dozen tempestuous Glories. But suddenly shecaught her breath and leaned forward. He spoke to her, but she did nothear. Her face was colorless and her white lips were parted fearfully.For she saw a lovely, radiant, queenly woman, magnificently gowned, thecenter of a throng of people, and Lover was beside her, his faceflushed with pride, his eyes shining with admiration. Her fine voice,like music, held every one spellbound. Precious clasped her tiny handsover her rose-bud ears and shivered. She shut her eyes hard and openedthem and--what nonsense! There was no queenly lady, there was no loud,clear, ringing voice. But her ears were tingling. She turned toLover, trembling.

  "'How--how--how funny,' she said. 'I saw a radiant woman talking, andshe fascinated all the world, and you were with her, adoring her. Hervoice was like music, but so loud, too loud; it crashed in my ears, itdeafened me.'

  "Lover's brows puckered thoughtfully. 'How did she look?' he asked.

  "'Tall and white, with crimson lips, and black hair massed high on herhead. And her voice was just like music.'

  "The next morning Precious was ill. When Lover went to her she clungto him and cried. 'The lovely lady,' she said,' 'she came when I wasalone, and she said I was a beautiful little doll and she would give memusic, music, a world full of music. And her voice was like a bell,and it grew louder and louder, and I thought the world was crashinginto the stars, and I screamed and fell on the floor, and when I awokethe music was gone, and--I was so weak and sick.'

  "Lover decided to go back to Glory until Precious got over this sillywhim. But he had no peace. Glory was constantly tormented by theloving Precious. And when he returned to Precious, the splendor ofGlory's voice was with her day and night. He lost his appetite. Hecould not sleep. So he went off into the woods alone, to fish and hunta while. But one night as he sat in his tent, he heard a faint,far-off whisper of music,--Glory's voice. It came nearer and nearer,grew louder and louder, until it crashed in his ears like the clamor ofworlds banging into stars, as Precious had said. And then he felt atender caressing finger on his eyes, and soft warm arms encircled hisneck, and soft red lips pressed upon his. Closer drew the encirclingarms, more breathlessly the red lips pressed his. He struggled forbreath, and fought to tear away the dimpled arms. The music of Glory'svoice rose into unspeakable tumult, the warm pressure of Precious' armsrendered him powerless. He fell insensible, and two days later theyfound him,--dead."

  There was a brief eloquent silence when Nevius finished his story. Thegirls shivered.

  "A true story?" queried David, smiling.

  "A true story," said Nevius decidedly.

  "Um-hum. Lover was alone in the woods, wasn't he? How did his friendsfind out about those midnight spirits that came and killed him?"

  The girls brightened. "Yes, of course," chirped Carol. "How didfolks find out?'

  "Say, be reasonable," begged Nevius. "Spoiling another good story. Isay it is a true tale, and I ought to know. I," he shoutedtriumphantly, "I was Lover."

  Hooting laughter greeted him.

  "But just the same," contended Barrows, "regardless of the feeblefabrications of senile minds, there are ghosts none the less. Thenight before we got word of my father's death, my sister woke up in thenight and saw a white shadow in her window,--and a voice,--father'svoice,--said, 'Stay with me, Flossie; I don't want to be alone.' Shetold about it at breakfast, and said it was just five minutes to twoo'clock. And an hour later we got a message that father had died attwo that night, a thousand miles away."

  "Honestly?"

  "Yes, honestly."

  "I knew a woman in Chicago," said Miss Landbury, "and she said thenight before her mother died she lay down on the cot to rest, and awhite shadow came and hovered over the bed, and she saw in it, like adream, all the details of her mother's death just as it happened thevery next day. She swore it was true."

  "Don't talk any more about white shadows," said Carol. "They make menervous."

  "Wouldn't it be ghastly to wake up alone in a little wind-blown canvastent in the dead of night, and find it shut off from the world by awhite shadow, and hear a low voice whisper, 'Come,' and feel yourselfdrawn slowly into the shadow by invisible clammy fingers--"

  "Don't," cried Miss Landbury.

  "That's not nice," said Carol.

  "Don't scare the girls, Barrows. Carol will sleep under the bedto-night."

  "I am with the girls myself," said Gooding. "There isn't any sensegetting yourself all worked up talking about spirits and ghosts andthings that never happened in the world."

  "Oh, they didn't, didn't they? Just the same, when you reach out for acough-drop and get hold of a bunch of clinging fingers that aren'tyours, and are not connected with anybody that belongs there,--well, Ifor
one don't take any chances with ghosts."

  A sudden brisk tap on the door drew a startled movement from the menand a frightened cry from the girls. The door opened and the headnurse stood before them.

  "Ten-fifteen," she said curtly. "Please go to your cottages at once.Mr. Duke, why don't you send your company home at ten o'clock?"

  "Bad manners. Ministers need hospitality more than religion nowadays,they tell us."

  "Oh, Miss David," cried Miss Tucker, "won't you go out to my tent withme? I feel so nervous to-night."

  "What is the matter?" asked the nurse suspiciously, looking from one toanother of the flushed faces and noting the restless hands and thefearful eyes.

  "Nothing, nothing at all, but my head aches and I feel lonesome."

  The nurse contracted her lips curiously. "Of course I will go," shesaid.

  "Let me come too," said Miss Landbury, rising with alacrity. "I have aheadache myself."

  Huddled together in an anxious group they set forth, and the nurse,like a good shepherd, led her little flock to shelter. But as shewalked back to her room, her brows were knitted curiously.

  "What in the world were the silly things talking about?" she wondered.

  "David Duke," Carol was informing her husband, as she stood over him,in negligee ready to "hop in," "I shall let the light burn all night,or I shall sleep in the cot with you. I won't run any risk of whiteshadows sitting on me in the dark."

  "Why, Carol--"

  "Take your pick, my boy," she interrupted briskly. "The light burns,or I sleep with you."

  "This cot is hardly big enough for one," he argued. "And neither of uscan sleep with that bright light burning."

  "David," she wailed, "I have looked under the bed three times already,but I know something will get me between the electric switch and thebed."

  David laughed at her, but said obligingly, "Well, jump in and cover upyour head with a pillow, and get yourself settled, and I will turn offthe lights myself."

  "It is a sin and a shame and I am a selfish little coward," Carolcondemned herself, but just the same she was glad to avail herself ofthe privilege.

  A little later the white colony on the mesa was in darkness. But Carolcould not sleep. The blankets over her head lent a semblance ofprotection, but most distracting visions came to her wide and burningeyes.

  "Are you asleep, David?" she would call at frequent intervals, andDavid's "Yes, sound asleep," gave her momentary comfort.

  But finally he was awakened from a light sleep by a soft pressureagainst his foot. Even David started nervously, and "Ghosts" flashedinto his logical and well-ordered brain. But no, it was only the softand shivering form of his wife, curling herself noiselessly into a ballon the foot of his cot. David watched her, shaking with silentlaughter. Surreptitiously she slipped an arm beneath his feet, andcircled them in a deadly grip. If the ghosts got her, they would getDavid's feet, and in her girlish mind ran a half acknowledged beliefthat the Lord wouldn't let the ghosts get as good a man as David.

  Wretchedly uncomfortable as to position, but blissfully assured in hermind, she fell into a doze, from which she was brought violently by alow whisper in the room:

  "Mrs. Duke."

  "Oooooooo," moaned Carol, diving deep beneath the covers.

  David sat up quickly.

  "Who is there?"

  "It is I, Miss Landbury," came a frightened whisper. "Can't I staywith you a while? I can't go to sleep to save me,--and honestly, I amscared to death."

  This brought Carol forth, and with warm and sympathetic hospitality sheturned back the covers at the foot of the bed and said:

  "Yes, come right in."

  David nudged her remindingly with his foot. "Since there are two ofyou to protect each other," he said, laughing, "suppose you go in toCarol's bed, and leave me my cot in peace."

  This Carol flatly refused to do. If Miss Landbury was willing to sharethe foot of David's cot, she was more than welcome. But if she meantto stand on ceremony and go into that awful big black room without aminister, she could go by herself, that was all. Carol lay downdecidedly, and considered the subject closed.

  "I don't want to sleep," said Miss Landbury unhappily. "I am notsleepy. I just want a place to sit, where I--I won't keep seeingthings."

  "Turn on the light, Carol," said David. "You ought to be ashamed ofyourselves, both of you."

  "That's all right," defended Carol. "You are a preacher, and ghostsdon't bother--"

  "Don't say ghosts," chattered Miss Landbury.

  "Well, what is the plan of procedure?" inquired David patiently. "Areyou going to turn my cot into a boarding-house? You girls stay here,and I will go in to Carol's bed. Give me my bath robe, honey, and--"

  "Oh, please," gasped Miss Landbury.

  "And leave us on this porch with nothing but screen around us?"exclaimed Carol. "I am surprised at you, David."

  David turned his face to the wall. "Well, make yourselves comfortable.Good night, girls."

  The girls stared at each other in the darkness, helplessly, resignedly.Wasn't that just like a man?

  "I tell you what," said Carol hopefully, "let's bring the mattress andthe blankets from my bed and put them on the floor here beside David,and we can all sleep nicely right together."

  "Oh, that's lovely," cried Miss Landbury. "You are the dearest thing,Mrs. Duke."

  Hurriedly, and with bated breath, they raided Carol's bed, tugging theheavy mattress between them, quietly ignoring the shaking of David'scot which spoke so loudly of amusement.

  "I'll crawl right in then," said Miss Landbury comfortably.

  "I sleep next to David, if you please," said Carol with quiet dignity.

  Miss Landbury obediently rolled over, and Carol scrambled in beside her.

  "Turn off the light," suggested David.

  "Oh, yes, Miss Landbury, turn it off, will you?" said Carol pleasantly.

  "Who, me?" came the startled voice. "Indeed I won't."

  "David, dearest," pleaded Carol weakly.

  "Go on parade in my pajamas, dear?" he questioned promptly.

  "Let's both go then," compromised Carol, and she and Miss Landbury,hand in hand, marched like Trojans to the switch in the other room,Carol clicked the button, and then came a wild and inglorious rush backto the mattress on the floor.

  "Good night, girls."

  "Good night, David."

  "Good night, Mr. Duke."

  "Good night, Miss Landbury."

  "Good night, Mrs. Duke."

  Then sweet and blessed silence, which lasted for at least five minutesbefore there sounded a distinct, persistent rapping on their door.

  Carol and Miss Landbury rushed to the protection of each other's arms,and before David had time to call, the door opened, the switch clickedonce more, and Gooding, his hair sticking out in every possibledirection, his bath robe flapping ungracefully about his knees,confronted them.

  "This is a shame," he began ingratiatingly. "I know it. But I've gotto have some one to talk to. I can't go to sleep and-- Heavens,what's that on the floor?"

  "It is I and my friend, Miss Landbury," said Carol quietly. "We arehaving a slumber party."

  "Yes, all party and no slumber," muttered David.

  "Well, I am glad I happened in. I was lonesome off there by myself.You know you do get sick of being alone all the time. Shove over, oldman, and I'll join the party."

  David looked at him in astonishment.

  "Nothing doing," he said. "This cot isn't big enough for two. Go inand use Carol's bed if you like."

  "It's too far off," objected Gooding. "Be sociable, Duke."

  "There isn't any mattress there anyhow," said Carol.

  They looked at one another in a quandary.

  "Go on back to bed, Gooding," said David, at last. "This is no timefor conversation."

  Gooding would not hear of it. "Here I am and here I stay," he saidwith finality. "I've been seeing white shadows and feeling clammyfing
ers all night."

  "Well, what are you going to do? We've got a full house, you can seethat."

  "Go and get your own mattress and blankets and use them on my bed,"urged Carol.

  Miss Landbury turned on her side and closed her eyes. She was takencare of, she should worry over Mr. Gooding!

  "I don't want to stay in there by myself," said Gooding again. "Isn'tthere room out here?"

  "Do you see any?"

  "Well, I'll move in the room with you," volunteered David.

  Miss Landbury sat up abruptly.

  "We won't stay here without you, David," said Carol.

  "I tell you what," said Gooding brightly, "we'll get my mattress andput it in the room for me, and we'll move David's mattress on Carol'sbed for David, and then we'll move the girls' mattress in on the floorfor them."

  No one offered objections to this arrangement. "Hurry up, then, andget your mattress," begged Carol. "I am so sleepy."

  "I can't carry them alone through those long dark halls," Goodinginsisted. Miss Landbury would not accompany him without a third party,Carol flatly refused to leave dear sick David alone in that porch, andat last in despair David donned his bath robe and the four of themcrossed the wide parlor, traversed the dark hall to Gooding's room andreturned with mattress, pillows and blankets. After a great deal ofpanting and pulling, the little party was settled for sleep.

  It must have been an hour later when they were startled into sittingposture, their hearts in their throats, by piercing screams which rangout over the mesa, one after another in quick succession.

  "David, David, David," gasped Carol.

  "I'm right here, Carol; we're all right," he assured her quickly.

  Miss Landbury swayed dizzily and fell back, half-conscious, upon thepillows. Gooding, with one bound, landed on David's bed, nearlycrushing the breath out of that feeble hero of the darkness.

  Lights flashed quickly from tent to tent on the mesa, frightened voicescalled for nurses, doors slammed, bells rang, and nurses and portersrushed to the rescue.

  "Who was it?" "Where was it?" "What is it?"

  "Over here, I think," shouted a man. "Miss Tucker. I called to herand she did not answer."

  A low indistinct sound, half groan, half sobbing, came from the openwindows of the little tent. And as they drew near, their feet rattlingthe dry sand, there came a warning call.

  "A light, a light, a light," begged Miss Tucker. The nurses hesitated,half frightened, and as they paused they heard a low drip, drip, insidethe tent, each drop emphasized by Miss Tucker's sobs.

  The porter flashed a pocket-light, and they opened the door. MissTucker lay in a huddled heap on her bed, her hands over her face, hershoulders rising and falling. The nurses shook her sternly.

  "What is the matter with you?" they demanded.

  Finally, she was persuaded to lift her face and mumble an explanation."I was asleep, and I heard my name called, and I looked up. There wasa white shadow on the door. I seized my pillow and threw it with allmy might, and there was a loud crash and a roar, and then began thatdrip, drip, drip,--oh-h-h!"

  "You silly thing," said Miss Alien. "Of course there was a crash. Youknocked the chimney off your lamp,--that made a crash all right. Andthe lamp upset, and it is the kerosene drip, dripping from the table tothe floor. Girls who must have kerosene lamps to heat their curlersmust look for trouble."

  "The white shadow--" protested the girl.

  "Moonshine, of course. Look." Miss Alien pulled the girl to her feet."The whole mesa is in white shadow. Run around to the tents, girls,"she said to her assistants, "and tell them Miss Tucker had a baddream,--nothing wrong. We will have a dozen bed patients from thisnight's foolishness."

  Miss Tucker refused to be left alone and a nurse was detailed to spendthe night with her.

  When the nurses on their rounds reached Miss Landbury's room in theMcCormick Building, they had another fright. The room was empty. Thebed was cold,--had not been occupied for hours, likely. They rushed tothe head nurse, and a wild search was instituted.

  The Dukes' room, Number Six, McCormick, was wrapped in darkness.

  "Don't go near them," Miss Alien said. "Perhaps they did not hear thenoise, and Mr. Duke should not be disturbed."

  So the wild search went on.

  But after a time, a Mexican porter, with a lantern, seeking every nookand corner, plodded stealthily around a corner of the McCormick.

  He heard a gasp beside him, and turning his lantern he looked directlyinto the window, where four white, tense faces peered at him withstaring eyes. He returned their stare, speechlessly. Then he saw MissLandbury.

  "Ain't you lost?" he ejaculated.

  Miss Landbury, frightened out of her senses, and not recognizing theporter in the darkness, shot into her bed on the floor, and Davidanswered the man's questions. A moment later an outraged matron,flanked by two nurses, marched in upon them.

  "What is the meaning of this?" they demanded.

  "Search me," said David pleasantly. "Our friends and neighbors gotlonesome in the night and refused to sleep alone and let us rest incontentment. So they moved in, and here we are."

  Both Gooding and Miss Landbury positively declined to go home alone,and other nurses were appointed to guard them during the briefremaining hours of the night. At four o'clock came sleep and silenceand serenity, with Carol on the floor, clutching David's hand, whicheven in sleep she did not resign.

  The next morning a huge notice was posted on the bulletin board.

  "Any one who tells a ghost story, or discusses departed spirits, inthis institution or on the grounds thereof, shall have all privilegessuspended for a period of six weeks.

  "By order of the Superintendent."