Show l TELEGRAM FICTION THE MILL HOUSE MURDER By J. J S. S FLETCHER FLETCHER- In the course of my my professional experience as a partner with I Chaney himself an old Scotland Yard man I had acquired a considerable con- con store of ot what one might call all unholy knowledge of the tricks and nd methods of ot professional crim- crim nals Chaney had once made me a curious urious present This was a burglars burglar's burglars burglar's bur bur- glar's Jars Jar's pocket outfit containing cerain certain tam ain tain cunning and beautifully made steel teel tools which were uncommonly useful when it came to a question of f opening doors forcing window latches and dealing with locks With this useful aid to investigation investigation investigation gation in one pocket and an excellent ex- ex ellent flashlight in another and without saying anything to my host with regard to my intention I made my way to the lower part ot of f the village about past halt seven on n the following evening in time according to my reckoning of oflings things lings to witness the setting out ot of f Mrs and her sons sonso to o the conference of which Eddison had ad told me A Secret Visit isit I had not long to wait walt Suddenly the he light i in the big room or kitchen or r whatever it was that fronted the I river went out A moment later the back door which was set in a adeep adeep deep stone porch was opened and three figures became visible in the gray light I heard the door closed a key turned the sound of steps on the cobbled paving of the courtyard which lay between me and the house Then I heard Mrs Marten- Marten royde's voice as the three figures turned toward the road Got that key safe Ramsden 1 she askedAll askedAll askedAll asked All right replied Ramsden In my pocket I heard their footsteps on the flagged walks in the front garden the click of the garden gate as they passed out on the road Finally they died away in the direction of ot the big bridge over the river and the coast clear I came out of my hiding place and stole across the courtyard to the stone porch Within a coupie couple couple cou cou- pie of minutes and probably before Mrs had set foot on bridge I was safely inside inside- the house which she so jealously jealously jealously jeal jeal- guarded from intrusion Everything was Very quiet utterly silent in the Mill House but I did not enter on the darkness which I had expected to find On opening the door with my master key am and stepping into an Inner porch I found myself in the full glare of a abright abright abright bright fire which shone through the open door of what I took to tobe tobe tobe be the living room evidently Mrs had had that fire made up before going out Its glow illuminated illuminated the living room and the inner porch and a good part of a walled stone-walled passage which le led toward the front part of the houseIn house In front of it was curled up in the middle of the hearthrug a a. large tabby ta by cat I went into that living Jiving room In very gingerly fashion re remaining remaining re- re on its threshold for some minutes and listening for possible footsteps approaching from some other part of the house I noticed notice c cone one one one-no no two signs of recent human presence On a little table lay Jay just where it had been dropped a a. gray stocking In process of knitting the needles sticking straight upright in it and close by also thrown aside a copy of ot the days day's newspaper Realizing that I was doing no good there I went out into the lobby Jobby again In the light of my flashlight flashlight flashlight flash flash- light I saw that directly opposite the living room door an oak balus stair rose roae to the upper re re- re gions Leaving this for the moment moment mo mo- ment I turned along the passage and gave my attention to the front rooms of ot which there were two The room on the left hand side appeared appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap to be a dining room from the character of ot its Ita furnishings but I doubted if it was ever used The furniture was all set In formal order order order or or- der and the sofa and chairs were draped in covers of ot brown holland sort of parlor here again the furniture furniture furniture fur fur- was all set out in formal fashion and showed no sign of use Nothing to reward me roe there bulas but bul butas butas as I looked around I caught sight sigh of an object which lay on a sl side e table and reflected from its heavily gilded sides the flash of my torch It was the most roost conspicuous thing in irs the room and as soon as I saw it itI itI I knew what it was was was-o. a great folio family Bible Out of ot sheer curiosity I lifted the heavy morocco-bound morocco lid There were blank pages at the thel beginning l and as I had expected there was writing on them Throw Throw- Throwing Throwing Throwing ing the ray of the torch on the first of at these written pages I proceeded to read what some previous owner of ot this huge volume had there put putdown putdown putdown down In a 9 formal precise and old- old fashioned script John Stead His Book God give him Grace therein to Look And what he Reads to Understand For Learning is ls s Better than House or Land Underneath this began particulars particulars lars ars of ot John Stead's marital and parental career March 1871 1871 March John Stead of married to Mary Sugden of ot the same parish pariah at Church by the Reverend Mr Simpson Vicar 1872 August 1872 August William son of John and Mary Stead born September William died 1874 Thomas 1874 Thomas son of John and Mary Stead born dead October 1875 Hannah 1875 Hannah and Deborah twin daughters of John and Mary Stead born December Then but in a different handwriting ing came two further entries to fill fm the page September 13 1891 Mary wife of John Stead departed this life Ilfe and was buried in Churchyard September December 4 1893 John Stead died and was burled buried at December So there was the record of John JohnStead JohnStead Stead of and his family up to the time of his death But on the next page of the ponderous folio were more entries in the same handwriting handwriting handwriting hand hand- writing as that which recorded John JohnStead's JohnStead's JohnStead's Stead's death This book was given to me Hannah Stead by my father John JohnStead JohnStead JohnStead Stead during his last illness I had by this time concluded that Hannah Stead was the maiden name of the present Mrs John Marten Marten- royde and I loo looked ed at the succeeding entries with increasing interest May 19 1897 Hannah Stead daughter daugh daugh- ter of John and Mary Stead was married to John MartenS Marten Marten- S royde at Church by the Rever Reverend Revernd nd Mr Low- Low thwaite Vicar June 12 22 1898 Ramsden Thomas son of Mr and Mrs John Mar Mar- born October 5 1901 Sugden Reginald son of Mr and Mrs John Mar Mar- born January 3 1905 Died after a 0 short illness Mr John husband of the above Hannah and was buried burled in on en January same year And finally I read this September 5 1905 died away from home at Chorlton in Lancashire Lancashire Lancashire Lanca Lanca- shire Deborah Stead and was buried at Chorlton The Last Entry But the last entry which had obviously also been made by Mrs had been crossed out not heavily but surely with crisscross criss cross strokes of the pen Interesting no doubt but as I had hadnot hadnot hadnot not made illegal entry Into Mill MillHouse MillHouse MillHouse House to learn the past history of the I presently closed the big Bible and retracing my steps to the stairs cautiously went up them to the higher regions There was a long passage or gallery there very much filled up by old oak presses chests and similar furni furni- ture Making my way through these things and past several closed doors I came by the light of ot my torch to toa toa toa a place where the gallery terminated at a short flight of stairs And as asI asI asI I stood there hesitating there suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly sounded from somewhere close at hand a groan or moan deep startling startling- Continued Monday I Copyright 19 1938 for The e Telegram I |