"I did have," she said, "but he ran away soon after we moved in here."
"Too bad—too bad," sympathized Forrester, as he made some notes in his book. Then he added, "Now, what can you tell me about the goings-on at this tree?"
"What do you want to know?"
"Well, frankly," said Forrester, "I haven't a very clear idea of what I do want to know. You see, that's just what I came to you about. I thought perhaps you could tell me something regarding what was going on here. Have you ever seen any of the men who make use of that tree?"
"No," she declared, "and no one ever will."
"What do you mean by that?" queried Forrester.
"No men ever come near that tree—just ghosts. It's haunted!"
Forrester stared for a moment. It was curious how all these people agreed on that one point. He could understand how an ignorant colored man could have his superstitions aroused, and he could see how a plain man like Green might be tricked; but it was hard to believe that this apparently educated colored woman, living for two years within the shadow of the tree, could be fooled. This, he concluded, was suspicious circumstance number one, and as he glanced toward the snakes in the aquarium he strongly suspected that if she were willing, the negress could give him some inside facts regarding the manifestations at the tree.
"What do you keep those snakes for?" he asked, suddenly.
"They're part of my religion," she returned.