Whispering Walls Page 6

  CHAPTER 6 _MATCHES AND STRING_

  After Celeste had gone, Lorinda went quickly to the library. Speakingsoothingly to her mother, she urged her to go upstairs and lie down.

  "That dreadful thing on the steps!" Mrs. Rhett exclaimed with a shudder."Celeste jerked me back to keep me from walking past it, didn't she? Thecharm has an evil significance--perhaps that I shall have a longlingering illness or die."

  "You know better than that, Mother. It's all superstitious rot! What evergave you such an idea?"

  "Why, I don't really know, Lorinda. I suppose Hamilton told me about thecharm long ago. When I saw it on the step it gave me a deep shock and Iseemed to realize that it had been put there for me alone to find.Lorinda, what if it should be a native death charm?"

  "Mother, I won't allow you to even think of such foolishness! You're justupset because Father isn't here."

  "Yes, that must be it," Mrs. Rhett declared with a heavy sigh. "I havesuch a headache. I'll go to my room now and try to sleep."

  Lorinda took her arm and helped her up the stairway. As they came to thestep where the burnt matches had been, Mrs. Rhett glanced down andshivered. Then she laughed apologetically.

  "It really is silly of me to let a little thing upset me so," shedeclared. "I'll be myself again as soon as I have slept."

  After helping her mother into bed, Lorinda returned to the living roomwhere Penny had waited.

  "I do hope you won't put any of this in the paper," she began earnestly."People wouldn't understand."

  "I'm afraid I don't myself," said Penny. "For instance, what did Celestemean when she spoke of the Zudi drum? And who is she anyhow?"

  "Oh, I forgot to tell you! Celeste and her husband Anton, are a couple mystepfather brought to this country after spending a year studying ancientcult practices. Celeste befriended him, I believe, and helped him gaininformation about the tribesmen. Anyway, Father took a fancy to her, andpersuaded the couple to come with him."

  "That was before he married your mother?"

  "Oh, yes. After the wedding, my stepfather was unwilling to let Celesteand Anton go, so Mother agreed that they might work here. Anton is aworthless servant. He allows the grounds to run down shamefully, and theonly time he ever really works is when someone stands over him!"

  "And Celeste?"

  "Oh, she is a hard worker, but I confess I don't understand her," Lorindareplied. "We disliked each other on sight. In a way, I'm a little afraidof her."

  "Why?"

  "I can't explain." Lorinda stirred restlessly. "She makes me feel uneasywhenever I am near her--almost as if I were in the presence of BlackMagic."

  At Penny's expression of astonishment, she amended hastily: "Oh, I don'tmean that exactly. Celeste is devoted to my stepfather and I'm sure onlymeans to be helpful. But the truth is, she's steeped in a mysterious andnot too wholesome past. Superstition is the breath of life to her."

  "How did the match ends get on the stairway?"

  "I wish I knew." Lorinda's forehead wrinkled with anxiety. "Celeste mayhave told the truth when she said neither she nor Anton had anything todo with it."

  "Then how was the charm brought into the house?"

  "My stepfather had enemies. Something tells me all this may have aconnection with the Zudi drum."

  "Didn't Celeste suggest that idea to you? She hinted that thedrum--whatever it is--should be removed from the house."

  "I can see myself getting rid of the Zudi drum! Why, it is mystepfather's most prized trophy! He took it from a native tribe, and asyou might imagine, there was plenty of trouble!"

  "Your stepfather didn't steal the drum?"

  "Not exactly, though tribesmen may have regarded it that way. The drumwas used in ceremonials and was highly treasured by natives. Father triedto buy it. When he couldn't, he left money and trinkets and carried offthe drum. Natives pursued him for more than a hundred miles, but he gotaway."

  "And your stepfather has the drum now?"

  "Yes, we keep it in the library wall safe. Want to see it?"

  "I'd love to, if it's not too much trouble."

  "The truth is I want to check to be certain the drum is still here,"Lorinda replied, leading the way into the adjoining room. "What Celestesaid made me uneasy."

  "You think your stepfather may have removed the drum from the wall safe?"

  "I can't imagine him doing that. However, his long absence is puzzling,and finding the burnt match charm gives the whole situation a sinisterslant. It's barely possible some of those tribesmen followed him here,hoping to recover the Zudi drum."

  "Why, that seems fantastic!"

  "Not if you understand tribal customs. From all my stepfather told me ofhis experiences, I am sure members of the Zudi cult would stop at nothingin trying to recover their ceremonial drum."

  Penny inquired if Mr. Rhett ever had received threats against his life.

  "Oh, dozens of them, but that was years ago. Since he married Mother,I've not heard of any. But then, my stepfather was self-contained andrather strange in many ways. If he had received threats, he might nothave told her."

  Becoming more interested in the story minute by minute, Penny longed toask if Mr. and Mrs. Rhett ever had had serious disagreements. However,the question was a difficult one, and she knew of no way to phrase itwithout risking offense to Lorinda.

  "I'd never admit it to Celeste," the Rhett girl went on, carefullydrawing heavy draperies across the arched doorway of the library andclosing another door which opened toward the stairs. "But seeing thatmatch and string _ouange_ gave me an unpleasant moment. I'm afraid mystepfather's enemies may have picked up his trail. In that case--well,the charm really could become an omen of evil."

  "You're becoming morbid," laughed Penny. "What is there to fear in twoburnt matches tied with a string?"

  "Nothing perhaps," replied Lorinda, though without firm conviction."Let's hope the Zudi drum is still here. I wish it had never been broughtinto the house."

  A large painting of a Dutch windmill hung low on the north library wall.To Penny's surprise, Lorinda gave one of its long gold cords a jerk. Thepicture swung back to disclose a cleverly hidden safe.

  "Now I hope I haven't forgotten the combination," Lorinda murmured.

  Thinking a moment, she whirled the dials with an expert touch. The safefailed to open. With an exclamation of annoyance, she tried again. Thistime there was a sharp little click and as she turned the handle, thecircular door swung back.

  Lorinda thrust her arm deep into the opening. "It's here all right!" sheexclaimed.

  From the safe she drew forth a bowl-shaped drum, perhaps eight inches indiameter at the opening. An animal skin was stretched over the frameworkand the sides were decorated with symbols.

  "This probably is my stepfather's most valuable trophy," Lorindadeclared. "He treasures it above all else, because there is no otherexactly like it. But the drum never should have been taken from thenative tribe."

  With her fingers, the girl tapped out a rhythm on the drum. The firstthree notes were slow and heavy, with a series of triplets coming as alight splutter at the end.

  . . . ... . . . ... . . . ... . . . ...

  Penny, who had a keen sense of the ludicrous, began to sway to the junglerhythm. Lorinda drummed with more energy, and they both burst intolaughter.

  But suddenly for no apparent reason, the mirth died from Lorinda's lipsand abruptly she ended the tapping.

  Tossing the Zudi drum into the wall safe, she closed the heavy door andspun the dials. With another swift movement, she swung the picture intoplace.

  Penny started to speak, but a significant glance from her companionserved as a warning to remain silent.

  Lorinda darted across the room, and jerked aside the heavy brocadecurtains which framed the arching doorway. Crouching behind theprotective folds was the same dark-skinned servant who had talked toPenny from the upstairs window!
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