a aoooltr's 7-//wE YouSTOPPED 77t/S R/O/CULOA-A;/rc97-CHA.S;/NG, ANDDlD Solu/E QCaL--'-w6Ek,iDzlt'7 -/

s

*dft-L:i'.

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''h7 SUEE THEPE WAS OUCC ANEEPLY EN6L/5H,9E77LEt'EA/THEeE, ANO |M SEACC/9/N6 ,/FoE PELlcs oF THE!/R L/FE-/

-L

-

---

-

Iffi36

mz CA/v.4ALP YOZ/.',z KNOtil

a&/EE 77tEcure;E /s cdat/N6

' TPUE! 'WHE lt 7HEskto&) l3gwrcH4tFno*r 7HE /J4OYSHaNO.7CE A.vOHaNO.7CE A.vO7EA|PC97.SHa/L

aavaGiE 7H/S

THE OLO MAN PROOUCED A POULTICELO O'< S /T /S3 E /.U/P/EPE/'4EDY 7OKE4L TIfE

wo/./No oF4t+oPo-EVavoF7Ha7 ,7Ha7 /gw&D,

JI

HI5 EYES CT-OUOED AAIO HE SEE,\^ED TO SHRINK INTOHIM!;ELF..,

BUTTHE GIRLS \^/EF'E A6TONISHED?O FIND THAT IT \ /A5 TRUE./

eE7 /7-',

Y PEPHaPS HE \44AOE r14E CAP.i70p HEPE./ OA/,tt'/u, .5CAeEo, ,/l44PY uANe./LETS

r,,./,

l=S.'\> { a/'/T /F sHa|ffiF"o7#1.,4aPZ//ER M7HnaT FOOI/SHTZZE4AoU7acuPSE ON 7-/7E_ 6WOPO.' ^/

IN THE EAtrLY HOUC6 OF 7HE A OPNIN6,JULIE gTIFIREO

Tt/E SWOQO:7HE XINA'S, SwoPo! _-uz/-.zal

oaEv A4E./ zu_a laoy 92'^ \ruE LAKE SHALL KEEP-Y'i/./F/'Q./ ANA WHEN7a/ 6WOPO /S 9MaTCHEOFRO.|, 7H4 L.4AY'9| H4flO )FTPC zNO 7E/"|PE.57 5u4,4

\ PnU4oE rL//' LaND/-/

eE.t ao /Har f7lea2TENlNaaeme/7/o^/ 7Ha7 205eeeme/T'/o^/ 7Ha7 205eFPOoTHe WaTEC-iH-7try29 7H- 4AOY O2 ,\ 7HE ZaKE.' ,/

tryE F4/NO 7HE StWAg; ONCE PA"". 7I/E LEK.

39

A'i 7HE STOFM RA6ED OUTSIDE, THE GrciT HUNTER6C.REPT INTO HENFTY'g ROOM f----------t"f.'_

/F HEH"AwaKEs-vuF'Pq/N TPOUALE -'

--,-.r s?a+' , .-)- -'. ! '':-i --::

40

ailo 7ua7 7PEE,. aLOCK/M 6,ENRv'-a PaTH :/ t aET tYrYaoTToat ootzaP 7r4z_/- !43i1'.ii.'/n

rrre arroanexr PF|a'eO, ANO rHE F_RE -O!ED-FFgM.Lls EYES'ix-e -gFrcri oF aaicux HAo F.lrFllATao A6AIN -. .

41

t/48/ JAUE, OA U6HTFP OF 4/"/ AMEs/e4/.,/ llr/l UOilA/PE,A/Up HEQ aP/r/S// /P/FND, JU,//, WEeE PUil/1//A6 AGIAST-HU

'r/M /Gl/ilCY Fe2tl 4it OF(/CE /N /O4/OON

/.f rnf O/O fHEy K/V1W fH4/ //v FAeOFF Flop.i/c, FlrtWAS ?PEPAR/,UO rO Gea/vr JU/ES WSH

THESE MARRIAGE CHESTS WERE MADEIN RENAISSANCE ITALY FOA, THE TROUSSEAUOFTHE BPIDES,SIGNOR. FEW HAVE

SURVIVED TO THIS DAY, AND NONESO SPLENDID AS'THIg/

,/ !,...'A,-

A BEAUTY_JUST THE THINGFOR MY NIECE,

L///APY SPENCEP WAS filB/llED1S SHf /OV/NG.Y PIACED /rBrpougsE,4u ,/N rHE Auc/tl/lc//Fsr

I WONDER WHAT fAEOIRt WAS LIKE WHOONCE OWNEO THISCHEST. SHE MUSII-IAVE

EELONOEO TO A RICH

38

,., HITARY'5 A SENSITIVE TVPE.SHE REAtLY EELIEVES SI.'1E SEESIHI GHOST. WEIRE DUE 1A 8E

MARRIED AT THE END OF THISWEEK, 8UT IF THIS GOES ON

SHEILL 8EA NERVOU9WRECK BY THEN

YOU'RE SCARED SLIILL HAVEA BPEA}tr HA> >trtr t\ I | .'

IIM SO GI-AD YOU'VECOME. THIS IS MYMOIHER , MR .

6PE NCE R./

tfr6r,Tr"$rRPTHIS I5 ALL A DREADFULWASTE OF YOUR TIME,

MY OEARS, BUTGRAHAM WOULD

INSISTON IT/

I'M SURE IT'STO DO WtTH THE MARRIAGECHEST, YOU MUg] COME UPANO SEE IT BEFOREVOU CHANGE FOR

DINNER,./

39

s/./owED /HE 6lRlS 707HE/R ,QOOMI DON'T THINK HILAPYISIMAGINING THAT GHOST,MARY JANE. YOU [

IT'S NOT A COLD NIGHT BUTTHERE I5 GUITE A CHILL INTHIS ROOM. THE MOONTIGHTIS PICKING OUT THE DESIGNSOF TI.{E LID OF NTE CHEST IWONDER IFTHEY HAVEANY

SIGNIFICANT MEANING?

lHEN SHE SAW THE F/6UPE IEAV.NG THE HOUSE

\ wO - Dor'l'rIE7 HEP TOUCH /UE!

I'D BET MY LAST DOLLAR-IHATIS MEREDITH DOWNTHERE GOING TO MEET THE

GUY WHO'S SIGNALLING.-,

MAPY uANE RUS/IEDFRO/|4 7HE FOaM...

!rra#=.=

WHAT THEfHAT'3 HILARY/

DON'T CRV,MV OARLING.IT WAS ONTYA

IT - IT WASHEP AGAIN !fi wAs HEP/

I DASHED IN ASSOON AS I L.{EARD HER

SCREAM - BUT THEAEWAgABSOLUTELY NOTHINGHERE. TI.{ERE WAS NOO1HERWAYOUTOFTHEROOM ANONOTHING PASSEO MEl

/lFS gPENCEE CAI,MED H/IAPY AT/ASr ,4/vO rHE GHOsrHuNrEPs. A GAOST COULD GOTFI ROUOH ANVTH INOJ MARYJANE.OR HILARY COU/D

FIAVE HAO A DREAM. ITCOULO BE A LL IN HER MINQHER MOTHER HAS NEVER

SEEN ANYTT-{ING /

---f/ t v

-OR I COUTD BERIGHT ABOUT THE

MEREDITHS. IIM SUR.EI SAW THE MAN GOING

OUT INTO THEGROUNJUST BEFORE HILARV

S3R9AMEO -COME OtV./

SHE STOPPED USGOING DOWN THESTAIRS TOINVESTIGATE - ITIVASN'T COINCIDENCESHE WAS STOODJUST

THERE 'JULIE/ /

rHEY DO SUSPECTSOMETHINO. WHV A,AElHc/ >lrLLvKc>>Eva

WHV SI]OULD TI.{EYTHINK OF GOINGDOWNSTAI R5 T

I WsH YOU'D TELL ME WHATYOU'RE UP TO.MARYJANE.

WHAT O'VOU WANTWITH THAT SHEETz

MARY JANEDOES THE CRAZI ESTTHIN6S. I HOPE SHE,SALL RIGHT ... ]I.iOUGI.]TI HEARD NOI5E5 IN THATROOM,,. SHE IA/ICULDNITMOVE ABOUT SURELY ITWOULO 6IVETHEGAME

AWAY... MAvee ttoBETTER -IAKE A

LOOk .. iI'M HOPING TO SPRIN6A SURPRISE, HONEY.VOU KEEP WA1CH OUTSIDEHILARYIS DOOR AS

BEFOR.E.OKAY? THEY REAI.LVMADE THINGS INTHOSE

DAVs. ANYWAY. TIIE BTOKE'SBPINGIN6 HIS VAN UP THE

DRIVE NOW... HANGONA FEW SECONDS

IT.IT'S MUCHHEAVIER THAN ITHOUGHT, HARRY./

,t'w

\Y'#"'-.4 g*ffu.F

VEs_ BUTSHE,S ALt RIGHT

464{N NOW/

si*IT W45 A9OUT HERE THATt SAW THE SIGNALLINGLI6HT FLASHING

-ANDLOOK, FOOTPRINTS -SOMEBODY WAg STANDING

HERE ]

MAYBE HITARY /.'IMAGININO ALLTIlISGI{OST BUgINESS, tsUTTHE MEREDITHS AREUP TO SOMETHING VERYFISH\I TONICHT MAYBE

IIL! FINO OUT WHATl

AA

uPFD//H A,vO t//s MFE O/2A'7 SlAy rOhvvsr/6A7E. THE SCREAMS SpOuOHr JUL/E OUr 70