| Show T 1 aE i BAT BATA I AJI A Novel from the Play By Mary Roberts Rinehart and A Avery very Hopwood The Th rh n t pyrl ht 1 H If Q b by y Mor Miry R b rl end 1 AT ry irA ir A I FROM THE START DefyIng al alt all to capture him after a II long lone series eerie of or mur murder dere dera and robberIes a ft super luper crook known kno n to the tho h police pollee only ee The Tho Th flat Dot l has ha brought about a veritable reIgn of or terror At AthI Athis Athi hI his V nit Its end an nn 1 at the th man mane manown aown a own request r t the th chief of or police pollee ae his best b operative An Andr son du-son on to get et on the th trail of or the th flat DI CHAPTER Continued II-Continued II Continued 2 She had hall skimmed the paper hurried hurriedly now ly-now now a headline caught her eye Failure of ot Union Hank Bank wasn wasn k I that the bank that h Fleming had beet been president on of She settled down downto downto to rend read the article but It was as dl disappointingly p- p brief The Union bank banI had closed Its d the doors the ors the cashier n young man named Bailey was apparently un under under under der the suspicion suspicion the article mentioned Fleming Flemings s recent and tragic death Hh In the best vein of ot newspaper ese se She he lall laid down the paper and thou she thought Bailey she seemed to have hafe a recollection of ot hear hearIng hearIng Ing about a young man named Bailey Dalley who worked worker In a but bank bank but she he could not Dot remember where here or by b whom his name Dame had been mentioned It Well Well It didn t matter She had bad other things to think about She Site must t tring ring for or get LIzzie-get Lizzie get up and dress The Th bright morning sun streaming In through the long window v made lying In bed an on old woman s and luxury she refused to be an au old woman Though the worst old woman I ever everS t S knew was a man I 1 she thought with a aI satiric twinkle She was glad Sally s I dau young daughter oung oung Dale was Ogden Ogden hEre In the Ule house hOlle with the her her the corn com of ot Dale Dales b t fright r right youth would keep Jeep her from rom getting old worn wom If It anything could She smiled thinking of ot Dale Dale was a nice her child child her ta fa niece Sally didn t understand her of ot cour course e eI I tut lut ut Sally Solly wouldn t t Sally read rend mag articles on the lounger ilion enera lion and Its wild lid ways says ass Sally doen t f remember when hEn she he was a lounger her elf thought tills Miss Cor nella nelin But Hut I r and do-and do and If It we didn tt t tI t I a eve arc e sports porte roa roadsters ste In the eighties fi I c lad and hugles-and buggies and youth doesn t t change Its w ways ys just because It Its s hotbed its Itc hair Before Sir Mr Ir and Mrs Irs OJ Og len left for Sally had tall c cd ed to her er Cornelia Cornella long and height lIy Ily on the problem of ot Dale ot of Rile Die Indeed ed I 1 thought II Miss Corn Come Cornelia lb lia t scornful scornfully Dale Dales s the nicest young oun tiling thing I 1 vc ye teen seen In some time time- time and she shed d I 1 Ie e ten times happier It if Sally wasn on t always trying to marry her off to some yeung oung snip with more of ot what fools call eligibility titan than brains I nut But there Cornelia an 1 an Gorder- Gorder Gorder Sallys Sally's allys ally's glen Sh en you your ram Innings Innings rampaging paging off to Europe and le leaving leasing Ing Dale whit you all summer and summer and you sou ou ve se e a lot less sense titan than I flatter my myself elt you have If It you can cant t gl give e your jour our favorite nIece a happy vacation from rom all her immediate and fondly family and maybe mabe ma be find Item her herE herome E some ome one that n h male make her ber happy for tor good and all aU Into the tLe bargain 1 I for tor Miss Cornelia was an er er bese loe e she was as more con corned with the problem of ot Vale Dale C than she FolIe would have hafe admitted Dale Dale at her age with her ber charm and beauty why why she he ought to behave as It if l tl I e a were walking stalking on air thought her aunt aunt worriedly 1 And Instead she acts more as If It she were walking on pIns and needles She seems to e et t icing el here T I know Inow she likes meI me-I me I m pretty sure cure she he s just as pleased to get lt a little holiday from Sally and she harry she amuses herselt- herselt she herself herself she he tails falls In with any plan I want to and make make et- et And vet set et Dale was not Dot happy Miss Miss Cornelia felt sure of ot It ii It isa n t natural for or a girl to seem so Q lad lack lackluster lackluster luster and and-and and and quiet quiet-nt quiet at her age age- age ft d she sites shea 8 nervous too too-as too as If It some something thing Ling were preying on her mind par mind these last laet few ew days dars TI Tl en Miss Conella s mind seized aon on a sentence In a hurried low flow ot of her hr sister sisters s last fast a Instructions a cen fence ence that had passed almost unno at the time something time something about Dale and an an unfortunate attachment but but of ot course Cornelia Cornella dear she i e iJO eso BO so young and young and Pen rm sure It will come to noU Ing now DOW her father tather and I hate e made our attitude altitude plain I Pshaw Pshaw-I Pshaw bet that that s It thought Miss Cornelia Cornella shrewdly Dale Dales fallen aJlen In love o or r thinks she has Lies with some home decent e young oung man roan without a penny or a an on n to name and and now she s unhappy because her parents don t ap tip- ap- ap approver approve prove r prove or because she a s trying to give gin e him up and finds she can t Well Well-OI Well end w and ond Miss Cornelia Cornella a 8 tight little white whit e curls trembled with the vehemence ot other o oher i her decision If It the soung oung thIng thins ever eve r com comes to me tor for advice III give her e a ar r lele of ot my ray mind that will surprise e her nod and scandalize Sally Sallyan tan an an Cords Gorder r Ogden out of ot her seven reven senses Sally Sall y s 8 nobody s worth tool Ing at It i t they didn t come over to America a wl I gumton cn en our family did alto did the t gum p ton enough to realize that If It some sow e people hadn t come over Icier laler we tJ d all still sUlI be 11 using living Ing on crullers an d Dutch punch ISh I She Sh- wn just Jutt stretching g out he her r l lw w hand to ring for tor Lizzie when a knock came at the door She gathered her Paisley shawl more tightly about her shoulders Who R Ito ho Is oh It-oh It oh It H Its s only you yoo yonI f fizzle as a Irish face crowned by an old fashioned pompadour pompa pompadour pompadour dour of ot graying hair peeped In at the thedoor thedoor thedoor door Good Good morning I I Wits was Ju j t going to ring for or you ins lias Miss Dale hid I I 1 know It its s shamefully late Good morning Miss Nelly belly said saidI I 1 and a lovely ely morning It Is too It If If that was all of ot It H she added somewhat tartly as she came Into the room with a little sliver silver trey tny where where- whereupon whereupon whereupon upon the morning mall reposed 11 We e a hate have not yet described Lizzie and then lien and she desen es description A fi fixture ture In the Inn an an Gorder Corder household I since her sl sixteenth vent vear ar she had long longere longere ere now attained the dignity of ot B a fm dillon One could not Imagine Miss Cornelia Cornella without a Lizzie to grumble at and or cherish cherish or I without o a Miss Cornelia Cornella to bob baby babi and scold colli with the privileged frankness of ot such uch old family servitors The two were at once a contrast and a complement yeas yea's of ot American ways had hod not shaken chaken Lizzie s firm belief bellet In banshees and leprechauns or tamed her will wll Irish ton tongue fifty tongue e fifty vears years of ot I had hadnot hadnot not n ot altered Mss Miss Cornelias CornlIa s attitude ot of fond Cond with some of ot Ilz I Iz s more startling eccentricities To Together gather gether they may cony have here been as one ot of the younger youn-cr Van an Gorder Corder cousins had Irre i put It It n a scream bat bot but apart apart aport each would have felt lost with Hh without without out the other Now bow what do you mean mean-It mean If that were all of ot It It I queried Miss U s Cornelia sharply as she took her let letters letters tors from the tray trap trapI I s face assumed an ao ot of doleful reticence It If s a not my place to speak she card cald with filth a grim shake hale of ot her head hend but I T saw sass aw my grandmother last night God rest ret her plain her plain as life lIe she was was- was the way she looked when they fiat al ed her ant an I If It It was as mv my doing we wed d be belea lea leasing lug this house tills this hour bourl l I pudding Cheese for supper supper supper-of Jt cOUle you iou ou saw your grandm ther I said lId Miss Cornelia Cornella crisply slitting open the first of ot her bar letters with a pa paperknife Nonsense I I I l I m not going to Ie scared away from an Ideal c lace because lecause you iou ou happen harpen to toha c hale ha a bad dream dreamt I Was as as It a bad dream I saw ca w on the stairs last night when the lights went out and I 1 was looking for or the candies can candies dies said Lizzie heatedly Was It ita Ita n a bad dream that ran away awny from me and put out the back bad door as fast ast as Paddy a s pig No bo o Miss belly It Nelly It was wasa wasa wasa a than esen man seven e een en feet tall he was as and eyes that shone In the dirk and and- andI and lizzie I Allen I 11 Well ell It Its s true for or all that In Lizzie stubbornly tad U nd why did the lights go tell out out tell me that Miss Nelly They ne never neer er go out In the city W 11 ell this Isn Isa t the cit said Miss Cornelia Cornella decisively It Its s the country and and erv nice It Is and Is-and and were Ve re stay In leg here all summer I suppose I maybe may maybe maybe be ful CuI she went ent on Ironically that It was only your grandmother you saw V last nl night ht It might base e been the and Pat Pat and then where would you be this morning Id I d be stiff and stark starl with candles at my head licad and feet said I gloomily Oh Miss belly don t tall talk ot of that terrible creature the Pat I She came nearer to 1 t er cr mistress Oh Miss Nelly belly Miss lIs do belly Nelly do let lets s goback go gobac goback bac back to the city before be he files fides away us all I Nonsense I said ald Miss hiss Cor Cornella Cornella Cornella nella a ain but this time less leas firmly pier lIer face tace grew If It I I for an Instant that there was sins ns any real possibility of ot our being In danger r here she said slowly Iy oh rut Put oh look at the map lizzie I The Bat hat hi s been thing flying In this that district district that s i true but enough enough but Ie I 1 e t come In ten miles of us yeti ret I is hat hat s e ten miles to the I ati jt It the e obdurate I sighed And who t ot of the letter ye Fe had hall when ye first firs t et mo mosed moed ed In tore I ere The bouse ous e Is unhealthy for strangers It said Lease Leae It while ve e can Some Some silly or boy bo or some crank Miss Cornellia Cornellis Cornell Cornell- is s voice a was linn firm l I never ray any attention to anon s letters And there s a n tunny funn lookin lette letter r mornin down n down at tl tI tie e a bottom ot o othe f the pile pile- pile persisted I lisle It looked lonke d like the other oilier one one-I one ol I I d half halt a mind to t 0 throw It away assay a ay before you saw It Iti I Now bow that s quite enough l I Miss Cornelia had the 1 an on an Gorder Gorde r manner on now v I don t care to di discua s cu s your our ridiculous fears any further r Where Is la Miss Dale Lizzie assumed an attitude of ot prIm m rebuff Miss Miss lIss Dales Oak Dal s gone Into the th e city maam ma am Gone Into the city city es les ma maam inn arn She got a tel teIei I hone lion e cull call this morning early long early long long- c It was fins I drat d n t know Inow who It was w as called her l I lou lou ou t listen Ot Of course not Miss Nelly belly liz I 1 a S thee face was a n study In Injured sl virtue Ir r tue Miss USi Dale Dalo took the cill sill to In Icher her ber u o room and aDd shut abut the door I And And you sou OU were outside the tile door R here else el c would I be b tb that thai at time tim In the 1 said sold Lizzie But Dot It Its s knows well enough the doors In this house Is thick and not a sound goes past them I should hope not said Miss or Cor- nilla Cor-nilla odla But tell But tell me did Lizzie-did did Miss Dale seem well eem this morning That she did not Dot said promptly R hen she slie came down O to breakfast after the call she ahe locked Ille l ike a ghost I made tier her the eggs she likes too but too but she wouldn t eat ent em cm n II m Miss Cornelia CorDelia pondered rm sorry well It-well If well Lizzie we t meddle In Miss Dales Dale a 8 affairs o l o maam ma amI am I Put rut did did she say when she would be back leg les Miss Ics Iss Nelly belly On the two t tOo o clock train Oh-an Oh and Oh-and-I Oh and I I was almost she she she told me roe to tell you par particular she she said while she was In to the city the he shed die d t te e after niter the gar gardener gardener dener you woke poke oL of ot The gardener Oh yes yes-I yes I poke to her about that the other night night- night the place Is beginning to look 1001 run rundo rundown do down so so n-so so many flowers ers to attl attend d to toWell 11 that ell s very kind of ot Miss Dale Yes U Miss s Nelly welly lizzie I ed ob obviously with filth some somi weighty eighty news newson newson newson on her mind which she wished to Im Impart Impart port part rl she took the plunge e O vp Her Fingers Finger Trembled a Little as She Turned th the Missive Over I might have told Miss Dale she could base hae ha e been lookin for tor a cook cool ns as aswell and well and a housemaid she site mut muttered muttered muttered at last but they hadn t spoken to me then Miss lIss Cornelia sat bolt upright In labed bed Y t and cool cook and a housemaId nut But we have base a cook cool and a housemaid I lou don t mean to tell me me-i me Lizzie nodded her beat heat Yes m m They re leaving leasing Both Doth of ot em cm Today Dot Cut good hear Lizzie why on onearth onearth onearth earth didn t you tell me before I 1 m really very ery much annoyed with yo ou u because you didn t I shall get up u p Immediately I I want ant to give thoc tho e et etwo t two 0 a piece of ot my mind Is Lilly LUly Lill len leasing too bet t t that I know the ot-the of the heathen Japanese 1 I said Lizzie sorrowfully And And yet iet et hod he d be better riddance than cool cook or housemaid Now bow ow Ll Lizzie low 1 I many times have I 1 told you that you must conquer your our prejudices Billy Is an au e excellent but butler he ter-he hed d I teen een with Mr leming I ten years an I 1 has lias thel the very scry l ry highest I am very scry ery glad that he be beIs hes heIs Is s staying It If he with Is-with Is Is with Ith you to t help heIr him we c shall hall do very ery well ell until I 1 Ican Ican can get oilier ether servants sen Miss lIss Cor Cornella edit nella had risen now and was as her with Ith the Intricacies ot of other her toilet But It Us its s too annoying anno Ing she went cent ent on In the pauses of I 8 deft ministrations 11 What hat did dill they say to you vou ou lizzie did they Ilse lve e any reason renson Oh yes ves es Miss s they belly Nelly they had rca na nasons reasons sons you lou ou could choke a goat filth said Lizzie viciously a as site she arranged Miss lIss Cernelia Cornelias s tran transformation was the first t of ot them she them she was up I late I think they Uley d been talking It H 0 oser er together She comes Into the |
