my hands on it just this minute. I'll pay you in a week or so as soon as
I get some cash--I wouldn't ask you, only my father is so blamed
reluctant about paying my salary ahead of time."

I wrote out a check and handed it to him.

"Rad," I said, "you're perfectly welcome to the money; I'm glad to
accommodate you, but if you'll excuse my mentioning it, I think you
ought to pull up a bit on this poker business. You don't earn so much
that if you're thinking of getting married you can afford to throw any
of it away.--I'm only speaking for your good; it's no affair of mine," I
added as I saw his face flush.

He hesitated a moment with the check in his hand; I know that he wanted
to give it back, but he was evidently too hard pressed.

"Oh, keep the money!" I said. "I don't want to pry into your private
affairs, only," I laughed, "I do want to see you win out ahead of
Mattison, and I'm afraid you're not going about it the right way."

"Thank you, Arnold," he returned, "I want to win a great deal more than
you want me to--and if it's gambling you're afraid of, you can ease your
mind, for I've sworn off. It's not a poker debt I want this money for
tonight; I wouldn't be so secretive about the business, only it concerns
another person more than me."

"Radnor," I said, "I heard an ugly rumor the other day. I heard that the
ghost was a live woman who was living in the deserted cabins under your
connivance. I didn't believe it, but just the same it is not a story
which you can afford to have even whispered."

Radnor raised his head sharply.

"Ah, I see!" His eyes wavered a moment and then fixed themselves
miserably on my face. "Has--has Polly Mathers heard that?"

"Yes," I returned, "I fancy she has."

He struck the table with a quick flash of anger.

"It's a damned lie! And it comes from Jim Mattison."

And now as to the events which followed during the night. I've repeated
them so many times to so many different persons that it is difficult for
me to recall just what were my original sensations. I went to bed but I
didn't go to sleep; this ha'nt business was getting on my nerves almost
as badly as the Patterson-Pratt case. After a time I heard someone let
himself softly out of the house; I knew well that it was Radnor and I
didn't get up to look. I didn't want the appearance even to myself of
spying upon him. After three quarters of an hour or so I was suddenly
startled alert by hearing the squeak-squeak of a wh