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Show What the Gray House Hid . Sit Hattnted THE STORY Hilton Hanby hns purctinsed a oountry place the Gray house, near Pine r'lnins. Misa Seleno. a former temuit, warns him that the house la under a curse. Further alarming iletalla are Impressed Im-pressed upon Adolf Smucker H.mhy'a secretary, hy a man who claims to have been chauffeur for Sir Stanford Seymour, former oc-oupant oc-oupant of the place. The Han bys laugh off the warnings. But ,, they are shocked when they hear that the caretaker of the Gray house, a man named Kerr, has been mysteriously murdered Hanby consults his friend Pel-ham. Pel-ham. The family starts for the new home. Appleton, a clerk of Douelas and Smith, the agents from whom Hanby bought the Gray house, urges Pelham to dissuade dis-suade Hanby from occupying the Gray house. Hanby considers asking ask-ing Leslie Barron, long an admirer ad-mirer of Celia, to loin the house party. Mrs. Hanby declares she I likes the house. Pelham becomes ! a member of the household Lea- lie Barron arrives making four able-bodied members of the Hanby Han-by household. A phone call from a man who declares he Is an old acquaintance of Hanby'e and Interested in ornithology, but whom Hanby cannot Identify urges him to preserve a part of the grounds as a bird sanctuary. The idea appeals to Hanby and ha makes the promise. The Hap-bys Hap-bys take possession of the Gray house. A stranger Introducing himself as Frederick Appleton, calls at the Gray house and Is welcomed because of his Interest In bird life. fk CHAPTER VI Continued 10 , After luncheon Hanby admitted T that the workmen were not aecorrj- pllshins what the contractor had promised. "Since yon bring np the subject." said Mr. Appleton. "may I point out the probable cnnses?" He spoke with much assurance on work and workmen, on the cost of material, and on the manner in which grafting foren.eD conld deceive even the Intelligent but amateur scrutiny of a man like Mr. Hanby. "1 wish yon were out of a post tion," Mr. Hanby said, when Apple ton finished. "May I ask why?" . "I'd ask yon to be my agent here. Besides these improvements, I hav" , three tenant farmers who want re pairs for barns and houses, and Fm bound to say they seem most nnrea sonahle. I came here to play, not to work." ' Appleton smiled. He had the look of one who delights to bring good news. "Things generally turL out for the best," he observed. "1 left the employ em-ploy of Douglas & Smith Inst week Strictly speaking, 1 could not afford to do so; but, after almost thirty-five thirty-five years, to bave to take orders from one with not one-third of that service was too bitter. I am not a proud man. Mr. Hanby. but I resigned. re-signed. This Is a business trip. Mr Clarke, of Amenia. Is considering al terations, and I hoped he might select me to supervise them." "It's Clarke's loss." said Hanby "1 need you more than he does." Mra Hanby was verj glad at the news. "Where will yon stay?" she asked "There is no accommodation near." "Perhaps yon have a room over the garages." he suggested timidly "I am accustomed to look after myselt." "All the rooms are occupied. Whj not stay with ns until something suitable turns up? This Is an enormous enor-mous bouse, as you know." Appleton was made specially welcome wel-come because his coming exempted each member of the household from some unaccustomed and unwelcome task. Junior had been deputed to see that the workmen finished the swimming pool on time. Celia's arithmetic arith-metic was strained at estimating the cost of lumber. These labors Mr Appleton took" over. The Hanbys liked him for his simplicity. sim-plicity. He told them about his wife whom he adored an Invalid lady un able to leave New York because of some special treatment for rheuma tlsm that she was taking. r-- The foreman of masons resigned directly he found a man over him whom he could not fool. Appleton's mild appearance deceived him II was one of his grounds of grievance when he sought an Interview with Mr. Hanby. "You say Mr. Appleton swore at you 'something terrible'?" Hanb.v scoffed. "Don't lie about it 1 Mr. Ap plptorj couldn't do a thing like that but I'm liable to turn rough any time an lneliicient loafer tries to put up a fool story like that. Get out I' "Had the audacity,' Hanby told v his wife, "to say that old Appleton called him foul names." Thej laughed together at the ab Burdltj of lb "1 lust my temper, 1 admit," con fessed Appleton, at lunch. "I ex plained that lubor owed something to the capital without which It could not exist" "You talked over his head," Hanby said. "I thought that must be It." The old man bothered them very little. He did not Intrude. It was his nightly habit to walk about the grounds, pulling at the single cigar he allowed himself, and then to retire. re-tire. He Insisted on making his own bed and keeping his room In order. The servants, after the untidy ways of Junior and Les, found him no trouble trou-ble at all. "He saves me twice his salary every ev-ery week," Hnnby declared, "and he allows me to be a gentleman of lels ure again." "Appleton Is ail right," said Junior thinking of the overseer's Job that had been his. "We all love him ei eept Les." "What have you against him?" Bill Pelham demanded. "Report all suspicious sus-picious things to the house detective." Les did not welcome the looks that were cast upon him. "Nothing," be admitted. "I can't like every one, can I?" "Les," demanded Celia, "tell me at once what Is It 7" "He reminds me of my Dncle Rus sell, If you must know. He has the same highly polished face. 1 don't like my uncle, and It's the assocla lion of Ideas, 1 suppose." "Les," Celia said severely, "1 dont believe that's the real reason." There was no doubt about Leslie'-smile. Leslie'-smile. He was a singularly good looking lad when he smiled with small, white, even teeth, and a mouth cut almost too well for a man, "That's all you are going to get from me," be said. "Leave It to the house detective," Pelham interrupted. "I'll give Les the third degree and report to you tomorrow." "Les Is full of prejudices," Celia answered. "Don't worry, BI1L He has a young and uninteresting soul. I like men of your age." She turned to her mother. "1 confessed to Bill my hopeless passion for him at Al lenhurst, but he wasn't even flattered." flat-tered." "You were only fourteen. Try him now." "Darling Bill," said Celia seductively, seductive-ly, "I love you, and 1 shall have a hundred thousand dollars on my wedding wed-ding day. Will you marry me Just to spite Les?" 'If he'll be my best man. Will you, -Les?" "I'll be d d Brstl" cried Les hotly "You see he's really fond of me," Celia announced. "Look at the tire In his eyes and the passion In his voice. If ever I marry him, he'll beat me." "Sometimes I'd like to," Les admitted. admit-ted. "Mr. Appleton," said Celia, "Is a charming old gentleman with manners that Les would do well to copy." "Charming?" Les cried. "Can any one show me how to gnash my teeth?' "Hush I" warned Hanby. "Here he Is." Luncheon was the only meal at which he appeared. "Afraid you were not coming ' Hanby said cordially. "I have Just paid oft the workmen on the swimming pool." he said. "The Japanese tea house on th tennis lawn will be done tomorrow." "You certainly make them work," said Hanby. "1 wonder how you do It!" "1 reward the efficient and discharge dis-charge those who shirk their duty. It was my system all the years 1 was In the employ of Douglas & Smith." 'Mr. Appleton!" Celia called. Tht old man turned bis smiling face to hor. Tve made a very linporta.nl discovery utmut the bird mi net miry." "What?" be said, bo quickly that they could see the news disturbed him. "I was wandering piiMt It last night after dinner." "Unwise, said Appleton. "Mosquitoes, "Mosqui-toes, lio advlm'd to keep away. 8a you made a discovery?" "Yes I saw a great bluck snake at least seven feet long." "Is that all? My dear Miss Celia, you saw one ot the imiKt valuable o( the ophidians. The black snake If a rat eater, a mouse hunter, worth his weight In gold to your honored parents In the protection of the Bon birds. Hats are the natural enemies of the birds. The black snakes are the natural enemies of nits." Instinct In-stinct guided Mr. Appleton's eyes to Tim, who was at that moment meditating medi-tating a snake hunt. "Tim will be wise not to kill uny but venoniouB snakes, such as the copperhead." "Tim Is not going near the bird sanctuary," his mother declared. After luncheon Appleton sought out Mr. Hanby. "By the end of the week 1 shall have completed all the alterations," he said. "I have seen to the farm repairs, and have reduced your account ac-count keeping to a card Index system well within the comprehension of your son." "That doesn't mean yoo are leaving leav-ing us, 1 hope?" "Alns, yes. My poor wife has had a turn for the worse, and my duty Is at her side. Darby and Joan, you know, Mr. Hanby Darby and Joan I" "I shall have to get some one to take your place." "That should not be necessary," said Mr. Appleton. "Oh, dear me, no! You will have no more trouble with workmen." "I'll see Douglas about It," said Hanby. "I'm going Into town In a few days." "I doubt If Mr. Douglas knows of any one. Everything In that line was left to me. In his desire to be courteous courte-ous to you he might recommend some wholly unsuitable person." Hanby nensed the dislike the former for-mer employee felt for the man who had failed to appreciate him, but this did not sway the new owner in the least. Nor did Appleton's offer to send a man meet with approval. Douglas was one of the biggest men of his calling In New York, and Hanby Han-by maintained that be would not recommend any but an expert. When Appleton had gone. Bill Pelham Pel-ham asked Leslie a question. "What was your grievance against that cheerful rotundity?" 1 didn't like the way he looked at Celia." "My dear Les!" Bill protested. "That s all right," returned Les, "but yoo didn't know my Uncle Russell." Rus-sell." "I've read enough about him In the papers." "About his financial triumphs. I don't mean that. He was as wicked an old beast as ever lived a calculating, calcu-lating, smiling, respect-inspiring old libertine, and he smiled In the fatherly father-ly way that your old Applejack has. Now go and laugh and tell the others. oth-ers. Celia will think It a scream." "I'll keep It to myself," said Bill; "but you won't mind If I don't agree with you?" Poor Jealous boy, he meditated, so unhappy at Celia's exasperating wayt that he seized on the old-world courtesies cour-tesies of Appleton as offensive I "Les," he said presently, "yooTl have to get over those things." "There are some things no decent man ever gets over," Les replied warmly. "Hist !" warned Bill. "Who comes?" A stranger stepped out of a station taxi, walked over the terrace, and rang the bell. "Who's that?" Les demanded. "Except that she Is a professional woman forty-three years of age, height five feet five, weight one hundred hun-dred and fifty, has two gold stoppings In the lower bicuspids, has never been married. Is fond of biking, and devoted de-voted to classical music, I can tell you nothing. But for those details she Is a complete stranger npon whom I have iiever before set eyes." "Bill, you're a marvel," said Les. "I dare not contradict you. I am. t all comes out of a correspondence course on how to be a house detective." "How can I check up on the teeth?" Les asked. "You can't. That wouldn't be playing play-ing the game. It would be rude of you to ask the lady to open her mouth. Take my word for It" 'TO BE CONTINUED.) |