Show STORY THE START deflin all efforts to capture him after long berles of murder and robberies a super crook known to the police only as the bat hue brought about a of terror at his wits end and at the men s own request the chief of police bis beat operative anderson to acet on the trail of the bat with her niece dale osden allee cornelia van gorder Is living in the country horn of the late fleming who until his recent death had been president of the union bank wrecked because of the theft of a large urn of currency miss van gorder receives a note warning her to bacate the place at once on pain of death CHAPTER II 11 continued it was true the room in which the stood while comfortable and charming deemed unusually to the night prowler A row of french windows at the rear gave upon a little terrace below the ter race the drive curved about and be beath the billiard room windows in loop drawing up again at the main entrance on the other side of the house at the left of the french windows it one faced the terrace as miss cornelia was doing was the alcove door she spoke of when open it disclosed a little alcove almost entirely devoted to the foot of a flight of stairs that gave direct access to the upper regions of the house the alcove itself opened on one side upon the terrace and upon the other into a large butlers pantry the arrangement was bobyl bously so that if necessary one could pass directly from the terrace to the downstairs service quarters or the second floor of the house without going through the living room and so that trays could be carried up from the pantry by the side stairs without using the main staircase the middle pair of french windows were open forming a double door miss cornelia went over to them chut them tried the locks Ilum phi flimsy enough 1 she thought then acho turned toward the billiard room the billiard room as has been said was the last room to the right in the addin wing of the house A single door led to it from the living room miss cornelia passed through this door glanced about the billiard room noting that most of its windows were too high from the ground to greatly encourage a marauder and locked the only one that seemed to her particularly ticul arly tempting the billiard room window on the terrace side of the house then she returned to the alv ing room and again considered her defenses three points of access from the terrace to the house the door that led into the alcove the french win dows of the living room the billiard room window on the other side of the bouse there was the main en trance the porch the library and din ing room windows the main entrance led into a hall living room and main door of living room on the right as one entered dining room and library on the left main staircase in front she sat down once more and taking a pencil and a piece of paper drew a plan of the lower floor of the house and now re studied it she Y thought after a while im no further than if I 1 As far as I 1 jy can figure out theres many ways tor a cleer man to get into this house hat id have to be a couple of sia mese twins to watch it properly but of course she was not entirely off from the world even it the worst developed she considered the telephone instruments on a table near the wall one the general phone the other connecting a house line which also connected with the garage and the greenhouses the garage would not be helpful since slocum her chauffeur for many years had gone back to england for a visit dale had been driving the car but with an able bodied man in the gardener s bouse slie pulled herself together with a jerk cornelia van gorder going to go crazy before nightfall it you dont tahe hold of yourself what you need Is lunch and a nap in the afternoon if you can make yourself take it better look up that re loher of yours too that you bought when you were going to take a trip to china youve never fired it off yet but youve got to sometime today there s no other way of telling it it will work you can shut your eyes when you do it no you can t either eally call you a spirited old lady do they nell you never hod a better time to show your spirit than now I 1 dalp ogden taxiing up from the two o aock train some time later dis coveted the front door locked to ner and rang for some time be fore she could get an answer at last billy appeared white coated with an inscrutable on his face will you thee my bag billy thanks anre Is miss van gorder taking no eald billy succinctly she take no nap she out in sh otting g dale stared ht him incredulously yea maam at least abbe not v A W A novel rom the play by mary roberts rinehart and avery hopwood service the bat copyright by mary robert Blae bart nd hopwood shoot yet but she say she going to soon but good heavens billy shooting what Sh otting pistol said billy his yellow mask of a face preserving its impish repose he waved his hand you go you see the scene that met dales eyes when she finally found the was indeed a singular one miss van gorder her back firmly planted against the trunk of a large elm tree and an expression of ineffable distaste on her features was holding out a blunt deadly looking revolver at arms length its muzzle wavered now pointing at the ground now at the sky behind the tree lizzie eit in a heap moaning quietly to herself and now and then appealing to the saints to avert a calamity As dale approached unseen the climax came the revolver steadied pointed ferociously at an inoffensive grass blade some ten yards from miss van gorder and went off lizzie promptly gave vent to a shrill irish scream hiss van gorder dropped the revolver like a hot potato and opened her mouth to tell lizzie not to be such a fool then she saw dale her mouth went into a round 0 of horror and her hand clutched weakly at her heart good heavens child 1 she gasped dian didn t billy tell yon what I 1 was doing I 1 might have shot you like a rabbit 1 and overcome with emotion she sat down on the ground and started to fan herself mechanically with a cartridge dale help laughing and the longer she looked at her aunt the more she laughed until that dignified lady joined in the mirth herself aunt cornelia aunt cornelia 1 said dale when she could get her breath that ive lived to see the day and they call us the wild genera alon 1 hy on earth were you having pistol practice darling has billy turned into a japanese spy or what miss van gorder rose from the ground with as much stateliness as she could muster under the circum stances no my dear but theres no fool like an old fool all she stat ed ive wanted to fire that infernal revolver off ever since I 1 bought it two years ago and now I 1 have and im satisfied still she went on thoughtfully picking up the weapon it seems a very good revolver and shooting people must be much easier that I 1 supposed all you have to do Is to point the the front of it like this and oh miss dale dear miss dale came in woebegone accents from the other side of the tree fw the love of heaven miss dale say no more but take it away from her shell have herself all riddled through with bul lets like a kitchen sieve and me too it ashes let to have it again lizzie im ashamed of youl said tizzies Liz mistress briskly come out from behind that tree and stop walling like an automobile siren this weapon Is perfectly safe in competent hands and she seemed on the verge of another demonstration of its powers miss dale for the dear love 0 god will you maice her put it away dale added her protestations to tizzies Liz please darling if you want to practice billy can ns up some sort of target range but I 1 donl want favorite aunt assassinated by a ricocheted bullet before my eyes 1 V ell perhaps it would be best to try again another time admitted miss van gorder but there was a wistful look in her eyes as she gave the revolver to dale and the three started back to the house 1 I should never have allowed lizzie to know what I 1 was dolnic she con elded ao 10 a whimper on the way A woman Is perfectly capable of man aging firearms but lizzie Is really too nervous to live sometimes I 1 know just how you feel darling dale agreed suppressed mirth shak ing her as the little procession reached the terrace but oh she could keep it no longer oh ou did look funny darling sitting under that tree with lizzle on the other side of it making banshee noises and miss van gorder laughed too a little shamefacedly I 1 must have she said but oh you shake jour head lizzie alien I 1 am going to practice with it theres no reason I 1 t and you never can tell when things like that might be useful she ened rather vaguely she did not wish to alarm dale with her suspicions et there dale yes put it in the drawer of the table that will reassure lizzie lizzie you might make us some lemonade I 1 think miss dale must 0 o thirsty after her long hot ride yes miss cornelia said fizzle recovering her normal calm as the revolver was shut away in the drawer of the large table in the living room but ehe could not resist one part ing shot and thank god its lemonade ill be malting and not bandages for bullet wounds I 1 he muttered daguy as she went toward the service quarters van gorder glared after her departing bacic lizzie la really am possible sometimes 1 she said with stately ire then her voice softened though of course I 1 coulden couldn t do without her she added dale stretched out on the settee opposite her aunts chair 1 I know yon darling thanks for thinking of the lemonade she passed her hand over her forehead in a gesture of fatigue 1 I am hot and tired mies van gorder looked at her keenly the joung face seemed curiously worn and haggard in the clear afternoon light you you don t really feel very well do yon dale the girl turned her face a little away from her aunts scrutiny oh it s nothing I 1 feel all right really 1 I could send for doctor if oh heavens no aunt cornelia she managed a wan smile it isn t as had as all that I 1 m just tired and the city wa terribly hot and noisy and she stole a glance at her aunt from between lowered lids 1 I got your gardener by the way she said casually did you dear splendid though but tell you about that later where did you get him that good agency I 1 cant remember its name dales hand moved restlessly oer her eyes as if kemem bering details were too great an ef fort but im sure hell be satisfactory hell be out here this evening he he get away before I 1 believe what have you been doing all day darling we have had a domestic upheaval the cook and the housemaid have left if only waited till the next train you could have bad the pleasure of their company into town aunt cornelia how exciting im so sorry 1 why did they leave why do servants ever leave a good place said miss cornelia grimly because it they had sense enough to know when they were well off they be servants anyhow gone well have to depend on lizzie and billy the rest of week I 1 telephoned but they promise me any others before monday and I 1 was in town and could have seen people for you if id only known 1 said dale remorsefully only she hesitated 1 I have had time at least I 1 mean there were some other things I 1 had to do besides getting the gardener and she rose 1 I think I 1 will go and e down for a little if you dont mind darling miss van gorder was concerned of course I 1 don t mind but won t you even have your lemonade oh I 1 II 11 get some from azzle in the pantry beford I 1 go op dale managed to laugh 1 I think I 1 must have a headache after all she eald maybe I 1 II 11 tale an aspirin don t worry carting 1 I shant I 1 only wish there were something I 1 could do for you my dear dale stopped in the alcove doorway theres nothing anybody can do for me really she said soberly at least oh I 1 don t know what im saying 1 but dont worry im quite all right I 1 kiy go over to the country club after dinner and dance wont you come with me aunt cornelia depends on your escort said miss cornelia tartly it our landlord mr richard fleming Is you I 1 certainly shall I 1 don t like his looks and neer dial dale laughed oh hes all right she said drinis a goo deal and wastes a lot of money but harmie enough io this Is a very sedate party be home early well in that case said her aunt 1 I shall stay here with lizzie and my fulja board will furnish it ashes ashment for the very cowardly was she behaved this afternoon and the fulja board lizzie deserves some pun scared to death to touch the thing I 1 think she believes it s alire well maybe III send you a mes sage on it from the country club said dale lightly she had paused halt way up the flight of side stairs in the alcove and her aunt noticed bow her shoulders drooped belying the lightness of her voice oh she went on by the way have the afternoon papers come yet I 1 dian didn t have time to get one when I 1 was rushing for the train 1 I dont think 0 o dear but III ask lizzie miss cornelia moved toward a bell push oh don t bother it matter only if they hae would you ask lizzie to bring me one when she brings up the lemonade I 1 want to read about about the bat he fascinates me there was something else in the paper this morning said miss cor nella idly oh yes the union bank the bank mr fleming senior was president of has failed they seem to think the cashier robbed it did you see that dale the shoulders of the girl on the staircase straightened suddenly then they drooped again yes I 1 saw it she said in a queerly colorless voice too bad it must be terrible to to have every one suspect you and hunt you as I 1 suppose they re hunting that poor cashier well said bliss cornelia a man who wrecks a bank deserves very lit tie sympathy to my way of thinking oh hes all ight she said but then im old fashioned well dear I 1 won t keep you run along and if you want an aspirin theres a box in ms top bureau drawer thanks darling mabbe take one and maybe I 1 wont all I 1 really need Is to he den for a while she moved on up the staircase and disappeared from alie range of miss cornelias vision leaving miss cor nella to ponder many things trip to the city had done dale no good of a certainty if not actually she was obviously under some considerable mental strain and why tills sud den interest first in the bat then in the failure of the union bink was it possible that dale too had been receiving threatening letters 1 be glad when that gardener comes she thought to herself hell make a man in the house at any rate ben lizzie at last came in with the lemonade she found her mistress shaking her head cornelia cornelia she was mur to herself you should have taken to pistol practice w ben you were younger it jut shows hon children waste taci opportunities CHAPTER III the storm gathers the long summer afternoon wore away sunset came red and angri a sunset presaging storm A chill crept into the air with the when night fell it was not a night of patterns but a dark ana cloudy cloak where a few stare gilt fitfully miss cornelia nt dinner saw a bat swoop past the window of the dining room in its scurrying flight and narrowly escaped overset ting her glass of water with a start the tension of waiting waiting for some vague menace which might not materialize after all had begun to prey on her nerves she saw dale off to the country club with relief the girl looked 0 little better after her nap but she was still not her normal self the house was queer she would not am e admitted it to lizzie tor her souls salvation but for the first time in her sensible life she listened for ot woodwork rustling of leaves stealthy steps outside beyond the safe bright squares of the windows for anything that was actual tangible not merely formless tear 1 heres too much room in the coun try for things to happen to you she confided to herself with a shiver C en the night fl li enever I 1 look out it seems to me as if the night were ten times bigger and blacker han it ever Is in new york 1 to comfort herself she mentally rehearsed her telephone coners atlon of the morning the 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