“You are not fooling with boys now!” sullenly said the towering white form. “Give me your answer, you d———d old sneaking coward! Will you go or do you prefer to die?”
Butler, trembling now with mingled terror and rage, cried angrily:
“Gentlemen, your joke is going too far!”
“It’ll go farther,” was the quick reply, as the white figures closed in threateningly and the foremost man moved as if to raise his hand.
“Enough of this! Get out of my house!” Butler suddenly shouted, snatching the mask from the leader’s head by a quick unexpected display of courage. A cry of horror and surprise leaped from his lips. The knife flashed, and was buried in his heart. He reeled, staggered, clutched a chair and sank with a groan to a sitting posture. His long awkward arms drooped and his head sank slowly on his breast.
The leader, who had quickly replaced his helmet, bent over him a moment, sheathed his knife and said:
“A good stroke—all right—quick now—open the doors and follow me.”
The guard at the door leading into the ballroom opened it gently and the sweet strains of the music rang through the hall with startling distinctness, as the white-masked figures slowly disappeared through the panel under the stairs.
Aunt Julie Ann who had heard the Judge’s cry and the sudden noise entered trembling.
“Name er God what’s dis!” she cried. “De light gone out! De ghost done dat!”