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Show iCHT I N EZ H AYN E 5 ! RWI N W.N.U. SERVICE nection until now. I suppose everybody every-body In the world's been trying to telephone you." "Everybody," I replied. "But un-til un-til an hour ago, I'd spoken with no-body, no-body, and until an hour ago, I'd een nobody but Patrick O'Brien nd Mattie Stow. And now Molly Eames and Walter Treadway are here. Walter and Molly Treadway, I should say. They were married Saturday morning. But peihaps I shouldn't have told you. I'll tell you about that later. I shall love to have you come, dear boy." "Molly married! I'm well you tell her I'm jittering over the phone!" "Where are you?" I asked. "Week-ending at the Abbots. I'll be over there sometime in the next half hour. I haven't said yet how awful we think it is, nor given you any of mother's messages. She's U ' M ' I 1 f t I V. )' . I ,V . , . . Prentiss, did you know that Walter Wal-ter and Molly were going to be married?" "No, Mr. O'Brien not definitely. definite-ly. I suspected it!" "When did they leave your house Saturday morning?" "Somewhere between nine - and ten about half-past nine perhaps." per-haps." "Did they tell you where they were going?" "No." - , "Did you ask where they were going?" "No.w Patrick made a few notes In the notebook, handed the pen back to Walter. "Did you know you were going to elope with Walter when you went to the masquerade, Molly?" "My suitcase was all packed in mv car." prostrated. You know she was very fond of Ace Blaikie." "Everybody was," I put in. "It's a terrible business," Hope-still Hope-still went on, "but I won't ask you any questions now. I'll be there as soon as the speed laws will let me and I'll stay as long as you need me." "I'm glad Hopestill's coming!" Molly commented. "You need somebody here. Aunt Mary. And Hope's such a swell kidl" "Who's that?" Patrick was sit-ting sit-ting with his back to the piazza and he spoke without looking around. Then I heard the sound of a motor. Sarah appeared. "Miss Prentiss would like to see you, Mrs. Avery." I looked at Patrick. He nodded. "Tell her to come in, Sarah!" I said. Caro appeared. "Good morning, Mrs. Avery I" she said to me. "Hello there you SYNOPSIS a widow who lives In the ol Satuit. Mass., with two Sirah Dsrbe and Bessie Wil-. Wil-. manuscript describing the d Head murder, wh.cn oc-w oc-w estate. Next to Mary live . Peter Stow who every year masquerade party. One of fof this Junction it murdered. iDt. and Mrs. Geary and thejr Lhter Edith and her husband f. Doctor Myron Marden and inddiushter. Caro Prentiat, a lung girl who wai born m Sat live nd hort Zime Tughter Molly. Molly was en-& en-& murdered man. Ace BUuk.e. fvioualr been engaged to Walter !,ho had been Blaikie'i secre-ht secre-ht engagement wis suddenly he had left town. Other neigh-L neigh-L Fairweatber filters, Flora, a Mid, and Margaret All but the Ltend the masquerade. Mary s L niece, Sylvia Sard, b visiting S summer. The wooded part of Le is called the Spinney. la it I cabin, called the Little House, i of the masquerade excitement krr decided to take Sylvia, who faly obaervant child. Caro Prea-lolly Prea-lolly Eames drop in during the fsooa a car arrives and BUdkie, idea and Bruce Hexson, a friend Lht. Molly is impatient to leave ill excuse themselves. At the A, identifies each of the masked key arrive. Ace comes garbed Eaesar. Molly Eames appeara as Seen, accompanied by a man in im Sylvia identifies as Walter I They dance together eontmu-o eontmu-o Prentiss and Marden arrive Revolutionary costumes, the doc-Is doc-Is jtweled shoe buckles. When funmask, Ace, Walter and Molly eared. Sarah Darbe confides to I someone apparently had spent the Little House. Sylvia finds file in the Spinney. Sarah walks ithe Little House and returns 1 She has found Ace Blaikie Jfath in the Spinney. Mary sum-Ick sum-Ick O'Brien, chief of police. Her 1 recalls early impressions of Ace Iliad been wealthy, the most pop- town, how he had gone to Paris imcdicine, became an aviator in I war, returning to practice in i he was recklessly generous and III in scores of love affairs. Bruce id come back from the war with as a lawyer, a man of private a had "got" religion, become S ilute. Sarah tells Patrick that lad slept in the Little House the I he murder. Patrick reveals that nne to the Spinney to meet Tony .his bootlegger. He does not be- 1 guilty. He also discloses that eadway had been in the Little eanwhile Walter and Molly come house, unaware of the tragedy, adily admits he bad spent the jthe Little House, since be had dws secretly. He and Molly are tuck by the news of the murder. "No. She was awake. She had just got in herself." "Didn't she ask you where you'd been?" "She didn't ask me, but I told her that I had been riding all night with Walter." "Now" Patrick's air became brisk "we left you, Walter, at the Marden house. Tell me what you did then?" "I walked straight down to the Little House. I cut across Cat Park and got onto the path Just back of Mrs. Avery's house and continued on to the Little House." "Took off your armor, first, I suppose," Patrick suggested. "Yes. I had already taken off the cape and helmet and hood when I got into the runabout and put on a sweater. But I took the rest of it off then and went to sleep on the couch." "Did you hear anything the little lit-tle time you slept?" "Not a thing! I was dead to the world." "You hadn't heard of the murder mur-der until you got here?" "No." "Where were you yesterday?" "In Plymouth!" "What did you go to Plymouth for?" "For for purely private reasons." rea-sons." "When did you go?" "Saturday morning." "How did you go?" "In Molly'g roadster." "Did you stay there all day?" "Yes." . "What time did you start from Satuit?" "About half-past nine." "Where did you and Molly meet up?" "At the Marden house." "What time did you go to the Marden house, Walter?" "About a quarter to nine, I should say." v "Where did you breakfast?" "There, with Molly and Caro." "Then about half-past nine you and Molly set out for Plymouth?" "Yes." . Sarah's entrance at this moment created a diversion. She was wheeling wheel-ing the tea-wagon. On it were the coffee things. Back of her came Bessie bearing my biggest silver "Here's Hopestill!" Patrick exclaimed ex-claimed again without looking around. The runabout crunched to a stop outside and Hopestill came striding strid-ing into the room. He is a big, talL stoop-shouldered lad my nephew not lanky exactly, but angular. Perhaps the most noticeable notice-able thing about him are his eyes steely gray and deeply set With his characteristic long, swift step, he crossed the room to me. "I never thought I'd fe you on such a tough spot. Aunt Mary!" he exclaimed, ex-claimed, putting his arm about me. "Oh. I'm all right," I answered. "I had, all told, about six hours of good sleep last night And I've just had some strong coffee. Have a cup?" "You bet!" He turned to the others. "Hello there, you twol What do you mean getting tied so suddenly? Congratulations!" He kissed the bride. "Hello Pat!" he concluded. He shook hands with Patrick. "You've got your work cut out for youl" "I'll say!" Patrick wrung Hope-still's Hope-still's hand. "Glad to see you. I think your aunt needs a man about I've transferred police headquarters headquar-ters to her house." "It's a ghastly business!" Hopestill Hope-still commented soberly. "Gee, you read about murders in the paper with the greatest calm. But when it strikes home well, you suddenly realize that you've never really known what it meant before." be-fore." "That's the way I feeL Hopestill," Hope-still," I agreed a little drearily. And then remembering, I exclaimed, ex-claimed, "Oh Hopestill, I think you've never met Miss Prentiss. My nephew, Mr. Blaine, Caro." Hopestill strode to Caro's side, shook hands with her. We all sat down. Hopestill ensconced 1 himself on the couch, his eyes following fol-lowing Caro's movements. Molly and Walter arose. "I think we'll be going, Aunt Mary," Molly said, "unless, Patrick, you want us " "No," Patrick answered in a meditative tone. "I don't think I want you any more at present However, Walter, I guess I'll have to ask you to stick around for a while. I may need you any time." Walter gave him a quick, intent look. He nodded. "I'll be at the house!" he announced briefly. "Could I go down to the Spinney?" Spin-ney?" Hopestill asked Patrick after aft-er the Treadways had left " "I'd like to see the Bpot "Oh yes," Patrick permitted. "It'a anybody's ball now." "May I go too?" Caro asked suddenly. "I don't know that I've ever been in your Spinney, Mrs. Avery, and people are asking me so many questions" "By all means," I answered. "I don't want to go with you, Hope-still Hope-still You understand that ... It will be a long time before . . ." "Of course not Aunt Mary." "I'll go down with you." Patrick Pat-rick offered. "I'll be back In a moment Mary," he called over his shoulder to me. Patrick was back in a few moments. mo-ments. Apparently he took only the time to point out the spot where we found Ace and to give them the ghastly details. He took up his hat with a long sigh. "Those two are down there examining every inch of ground. But all they've found so far is a four-leaf clover I" "Ah," I thought "Hopestill!" He was one of those maddening people who pick out four-leaf clovers clov-ers everywhere. "I'm So Glad That You Know Your Mind at Last!" two!" she said to the Treadways. "Good morning, Mr. O'Brien!" she said to Patrick. An awkward pause intervened. I did not want to make Molly's great announcement if she wanted to make it herself. Apparently she wanted to make it herself. "Caro, darling, come over and kiss me!" she ordered finally. "Since I saw you yesterday, I have become Mrs. Walter Treadway." Tread-way." Caro's face grew radiant but she did not seem surprised. ' "Oh, I'm so glad!" she exclaimed. She rushed over to Molly, kissed her, kissed Walter. "I'm so happy!" hap-py!" Then as one remembering, "As happy as any one can be " Molly shivered. The light drained out of her face. "I've just heard it!" "I brought these flowers for you, dear Mrs. Avery," Caro said prettily. pretti-ly. "I knew you'd have no time to fill your vases today. And I can't imagine your house without flowers." flow-ers." "You angel!" I exclaimed. "We're dashing off in a moment!" mo-ment!" Molly said, "just as soon as I've got hold of myself." "Where are you living, may 1 ask, Mrs. Treadway?" "At present Mrs. Avery, with my husband's people," Molly answered. an-swered. "They don't know it yet but I think they'll take us in. We're going to look around for the tiniest tini-est house we can find in Satuit and I shall begin presently to experiment experi-ment in cooking." "I shall give you a dining-room table for a wedding present" I promised. "Old maple if I can find it" "That will be grand, Aunt Mary," Molly approved. "Miss Prentiss," Patrick took over the conversation again, "1 find that I shall have to ask you some more questions. I hope you won't mind. I shouldn't bother you. It's merely a matter of routine." ' "Oh please ask me as many as you want Mr. O'Brien," Caro replied simply. Patrick fumbled in one pocket and found a little leather notebook. note-book. "I have to warn you again that anything you say now can be used against you and that there are witnesses present." He fum-bled fum-bled in another pocket "Darn, I haven't a pencil on me. Do vou happen to have anything r?.n use! Walter?" Walter hand-ed hand-ed him a fountain pen. Patnck held it poised over a notebook. 52 eyes Led intently on it "M-ss UNDAT-Conlinued Molly at the party when there?" rou dance with her often?" t a half dozen times." time did you leave?" tie after eleven -perhaps." e the unmasking?" . rou go alone?" was with you?" r." k turned to Molly. Then ' left the party some time even?" i time did you get to the Juse, Molly?" itle after ten." left with Walter?" t did you do when you left se?" jgot Into my runabout and fbout" fe did you drive?" t. Marshland, Marshland Hanesbury, Hanesbury pnd what have you." ' p turned his attention to How long, Walter, would ' were driving?" we left the party for the easy arithmetic-let us say 1 was back In the -Little bout five. That would ' six hours " 1$. Wilh t Cter?" BlaMe tte ou speak with him?" dance with Ace, Mol--twice." you speak to Wm?" chai?tB,aikle- We talked characters we represented. I? me Ice Empress." continue. "After you riding around, Walter. Jd fa take Molly?" Je Warden housel" " road did you tak?" tothebeaantJverthe S hm did yu leep In "en house. Molly?" P "a h.e rum with c nlu Wake faer when you tray. On it was a stack of waffles. waf-fles. "Mrs. Avery," Sarah explained, "I thought you'd all be hungry by this time." "Oh Sarah!" I exclaimed, "bless you for this clairvoyance!" Molly suddenly came alive. "Hungry!" she moaned. "Hungry! "Hun-gry! I'm famished. Oh please, everybody ev-erybody stop talking about this awful aw-ful tragedy long enough for me to tell you Aunt Mary, Walter and I were married yesterday morning in Plymouth." For a moment there came a shocked silence. I stared at Molly. I did not know whether or not Patrick Pat-rick stared. Certainly he made no sound, no move. My thoughts went wild. Ace dead. Ace murdered, and Molly eloping In Innocent triumph on the heels of his tragedy! And yet as I kissed her, I was conscious con-scious of the first sense of let-down since Sarah discovered Ace's body In the Spinney. For a tiny interval I was happy. Patrick seemed happy too. He gripped Walter's hand hard and to Molly he dropped an abrupt "I'm so glad that you know your mind at last!" Working swiftly, the two maids had cleared my big round maple table; transferred our second breakfast to it We drew about it I poured the coffee. The telephone rang. As Sarah started toward the hall, I said, "You answer this call, Sarah. But if it's for me, 111 answer. And from now on. Til take any calls personal person-al ones, I mean." I heard Sarah take off the receiver, re-ceiver, her soft-voiced, "Hello!" and then her, "Oh yes sir, she's here." Sarah reappeared at the doorway. door-way. "It's Mr. Hopestill!" she announced an-nounced In a happy voice. I Jumped to my feet Just as Sylvia is my favorite niece, Hopestill Hope-still Blaine is my favorite nephew. He is the oldest son of my oldest sister. I ran to the telephone. "Oh, Hopestill, my dear boy," I called Into it "You don't know how glad I am to hear your voice. You can't Imagine how it comforts com-forts me." "You would have heard it much sooner if I could have got to you." Hopestill answered. "The moment we read the papers this morning, mother and I decided that I'd better beat it over to your place and stay with you. Tve been trying to get you the whole morning, but I haven't been able to make a con- "I'll say I'm on a spot Mary," Patrick went on. "Here I am in charge. I've got to solve this murder mur-der and I don't even know how to go about it I haven't got any qualification for this Job, except common sense." "I have a feeling that that common com-mon sense of yours will be enough, Patrick," I told him. Patrick gave me a strange stare. "Maybe it will be enough if you'll keep on helping me, Mary. I must talk things over with somebody. You know our minds have always worked pretty well together. They always did in school and we've always stood shoulder to shoulder on town affairs. af-fairs. Do you mind if I come over here and spill the dope as fast as I get it - Or do you want to forget it as soon as possible? Perhaps you'd like to go away." (TO BE CONTINUED) |