Show Wk a Ae tLe Gray Ho House e Hi THE TH E STORY NewYork Sutton nilton Hanby n pro prosperous perou New York merchant has purchased Ii a cO country the place the Gray Grav house near pine Plains Miss MI s a 0 former tenant of or the Gray house warns him that the house is 18 under a curse Further Alarm Alarm- Ing AlarmIng details are Impressed ed upon AdoU Adolf er Honby Hanbys secre I tory by a man who claims to toI have havo been chauffeur for tor or Sir Stan Stan- ford tord Stanford Seymour torm former r occupant I ot of the tho place The Tho s 's laugh wit rr the warnings as some dome form torm ot of practical Jol Joke joka e nut But the they are I shocked when they hear that the tho I thoI caretaker C whom they hey have c put In InI charge chargo of or the Gr Gray day y house n R man I named Kerr has been mysteriously y murdered consults i his friend Pelham The family starts for tor the new home Apple Apple- Appleton ton I ton a ft clerk of or Douglas and ond Smith the agents from whom bought the Gray bou house e I explains to Pelham that a dan dnn dangerous I pond near the house hous In InI I which several children have been drowned haa has since been filled tilled In T TI I I but ho he urges Pelham to dissuade Hanby from occupying the Gray I house Hanby and Junior learn that the caretaker was known to the police as ned fled Chapin I and bad had a tad bad record CHAPTER Continued Ill Ill Continued 6 It was his first opportunity to see seea seea seeB a man with a price on his head I Death had hod revealed with marked emphasis the lie unsocial qualities with which lied Hed Chapin had hll been lowered dowered i What he lie had bad tried during life to hide hidei i iI I was now v plain for all the world to the see see the loose mouth the short cranium I um urn the forward thrust Jaw Junior I shuddered a little i What do you suppose he be wanted the job of If looking after an nn empty house torY house for I Its my belief he was hiding hilling said the policeman n from frolD Kingston Ive Ie i checked up on him pretty well lie De lieI DeI I kept himself to himself In Kingston He lIe received ed no callers or mall Ills landlady su says s 's lie he wa was suspicious of oft I t strangers Hed fled was always s one to fre fr fre quent pool rooms and places like Ilke that i hut 1111 this trip he kept kepI away from Crom them Why lie He knew they was after him Who Junior asked eagerly for for- forg for j getting for g getting that he be was listening open eyed to a policeman Ignorant of ot psychology psychology choloy The than man that bumped him otT oft We shant shan't probably ever know who Weve We've got Red ned and somebody pick up his Lis pals when their time comes I The policeman pointed to the dead deadman's mans nans big bl roughened rou hand the hand that squeezed the I life out of a Salt Lake City detective e Strangled him In a n telephone booth he did dl and not a soul near by beard heard H That's the tle hand band that shot half a n dozen men Look at that face tace Mr Hanby and when you see another like Uke It watch out I I will III Junior said quickly tie lie envied the professional his poIse at B n moment like this So occupIed was he with this Intimate touch of crime that he did not notice until the car slowed down to pass Amenia this tho he had n again ulu missed the Gray house Wow 1 he Je said a mile or so further on you missed that truck by little less than an In Inch h 1 I You exaggerate replied his father Cather half bait Inch Im I'm In It It wasn't an a hurry to get home borne Bill Pelham may have e news They did lid not Dot speak again for sometime some sometime time lime Then Hanby surprised his son by asking questions concerning Leslie Barron the youth to whom Celia Cella gave a good deal of her ber time Les Is a peach said Junior warm warm- warmly warmly ly Iy It If I 1 were he I 1 wouldn't stand the way Cella fella behaves One day she she's sugar suar and the next vinegar Inear Ive seen that Hanby returned not unusual I 1 did slid not mean that thal Is he courageous Would he be bea bea bea a useful man In a tight place You ou ought hl to have seen the scrap he put up against a strong armed strong walter waiter that tried trier to put him out of a roadhouse last Iasi April I 1 The waiter walter was nn an old heavyweight pu pugilist and be certainly could punish Les Ies knew he was outweighed out cl hed and outclassed ed and he had a n chance chame to duck but he that sort of o a mothers mother's boy Ue lie was out for fur twenty minutes interesting his father corn com I 1 didn't think the languid Les had hud a fight tight In him but you dont don't c pe t me Ise to approve of a rowdy boy being thrown out of a questionable roadhouse e 1 I hope hpe It wasn't a questionable place Junior retorted Youve taken mother there Les Isn't rowdy rowdy-he's rowdy hes he's Just as He lie complained of a n big fly to Ie his c Ilce That liat roused mused the walter to fury and he said tho that I Les co could ld drink It or not hut but he had to ro pay Junior wondered why his father I should ask about Leslie's gameness Mr Hanby was In an nn unusually thoughtful mood Youre You're pretty husky be he said pres pres- presently pres- pres presently presently What do you yoc weigh A hundred and seventy stripped Junior told him My weight to a hair Les Lea isn't Isn t ao so much Is be he hundred and tie He and Bill weigh a five fifty stripped Why Going to exhibitions promote some boxing Nothing like lite that on your four mind dad Sherlock Lupin it would take more admitted skill to find tind out than your because 1 I dont don't know myself I apulo- apulo Cize apulo-Cize gize for It For Fur the first time the me nit a shiver us as J I Gray Cray house druse hou e guve passed It It IL Tub murder was WIlS the cause I dont don't revel rl In crime I 1 hate It It Il I 1 like Uke n to te I Of ht hlll happy and our acid me DIe lead leads me ou oui rm Soni I The nic c Mystery of 01 ofa a I Mansion Man ion By By By Wyndham Mariyn Martyn w 17 N U Service Copyright by Wyndham Martyn almost Invariably to dependable peo pea people people pie I wouldn't have c this picked fel- fel fellow fel fellow low ow Red ned to have watched a dog pound If It he was halt half as ns bad bud as you rou say I l took that man over with the business the d-d d d d dirty anarchist I 1 I 1 caught myself calculatIng calculating ing my forces If an anything unpleasant happened up at the Gray Cray house Bill single handed would tackle a 8 lion ln f single single- le- le hand handed c lies IIo's been proved pro I 1 won wondered elered dered a n little about Leslie Dad nid you dont don't really think theres there's anything wron ronk with that new place I Ia a f II III I 6 Im Not Going to Be Frightened Out of It b by Any Rude Old Woman Inquired Junior his bis e eyes es sparkling at atthe atthe atthe the thought Ill have to disappoint you by say say- sayIng saying ing lag no It was vas Just a passing fit of 01 depression It has bas gone Ill be gone cone too If It you yon dont don't cut the speed down his son cautioned Slow down lown I t Theres There's a motor cop W luthe the offing CHAPTER IV Bill Pelham was waiting for them Wont take me ten minutes to get Into clean clothes said Ive I got strange news Dina So has bas Bill she retorted Mine Is of ot a tragic nature Youve nothing on me said eald Bill Im In the wholesale tragedy busi- busi business busi busl business ness Dina Olna Pelham and Hanby dIscussed the matter In to the library listened to what Appleton had bad told his friend Then wasn't lying he be re re- re- re remarked remarked marked Appleton corroborates hIs story It means menns that some one wants to prevent us living there What could the reason possibly be Pelham Du Do I 1 give ghe It up said you think the police have the right dope on the tI murder mur What else could It II be That these same people who want to keep you yon out started to terrorize you yoc by murdering him It may be that he was an Innocent victim Of course we know that be he was wanted by the law and that thaI In a ft sense his bis removal remo Is a blessing to society but bul all nil the same he may have ha Intended to be an honest watchman for the time being Dina Darla said Hanby presently again conscious of his Ills wife's unusual depres depression slon sion If you are scared at the pros pest peet of going up there Ill I'll II open negotiation with Miss who par loathes and und despises mn mi bout It Think twice before you answer Bill I Pet Id ham warned her lIer I 1 hu haven't ent even en seen si-cu the place yet she said smiling Im not going 1 to tobe tie be frightened out of It by any uny rude obi woman lift I believe she's at the hot hot- tom ot of ull all this mystery Im I'm not going oln to rob my of his manor 1 I Bill III queried that t nIls ills ill's real name At college you yoc called him Tony Ton Its a n new one on me said Gill Bill Blame your Aunt Selina for It Hanby declared She got me going with her California rivers I 1 tell you that 01 old 1 hag has a face like the tile Furies She may be mad mod and vindictive e but r theres there's something on her ml d mor more than a passing whim 1 J d t know kno hut but s Dina-s right She sail I 1 meet disaster ruin and e en e en death Theres There's some mystery abo about my pleas pleas- pleasure pleasure ure house in Dutchess c ty tp Nothing will keep me away from It noW Dina Diun Iua asserted We We shall have han four able bodied men Cn In the place all tho summer Four her her husband demanded You are not counting fourteen fourteen year old old Tim as an nn bodied able-bodied male are you ou There will be you Junior Leslie and Bill Me Pelham cried Of 01 course course I On your our own confes conIes confession confession sion slon youve you've nothing to do until your company Is reorganized In the tall fall Danger Dunger calls and we need you Ive I've already picked out your suite Dina Din a you yon are taking great chances I Even ven dull wilted till Ull the last to scent the tho danger knows that Im I'm In love with you That makes you yon so much moch the safer You shall work believe ale m Im I'm Im I'm crazy to have ha fome rome stately world old-world gar gar- gardens gardens dens You shall be my man with the hoe I sl sign n on here and now said BIll Where are you going I promised to tell Tim about the inquest t My children have bare the modern Inter Interest SI In crime Dont Don't got gol go I I shant shan't he be very ery long Pelham looked at almost wistfully wistfully fully Ull 1111 was that a Joke on me or s a ag g genuine Invitation Dont you want to come Except for the reason that your family Is my family that 1 I shall live rent free and make male enough out of youat you youat youat at pool to spend an affluent winter no no I l settled then said sold Honestly Bill I shall be glad gla 1 to havea haven have n a man like you with nerve e and cour courage cour- cour courage age around the house That t sounds as If It you anticipated trouble Oddly enough I do I must be get getting tang old but driving back today I be- be began began gan to make excuses for not living in 10 inthe Inthe the Gray house bouse Subconsciously I wa was actuated by fear Most people patron patronIze patronize patronIze Ize their subconscious mind nowadays but Its It's the subconscious mind that thaI gives you the real danger signals Im I'm goIng up there but Im I'm not going up there with the Idea that every ery pros pros- prospect prospect prospect is as pleasing as os It looks Im I'm on guard P 1 If It that's so 1 demand a salary as aswell BAwell well as free board and entertaInment Make It five fire dollars a day and all clothes stained with gore In the exercise of my duty with ones of equal or greater value The trouble with you Is that after atter puking along alon on thirty thousand a year and a mere duplex apartment youve you've got twice that amount and a 8 thirty room man man- mansion mansion sion slon It has hns gone to your poor weak head You Yon are paying too much atten lIon to poor Aunt Selina You Yon didn't see or hear her ber Dan Ilan Danby by reminded him merely a n crank One morn morning ing thirty l long ng years yeara ago In the bosky dells that are now yours she met a rustle rustic swain and pursued him with love Wisely he be Jumped Into the lake and was drowned It Is a sacred spot to her lIer What about the Seymour chant An Ignorant hearted generous generou man fund of children Ills HIs simple untutored mind believes that evil n spIrits dwell there because his boss n ventured on an unsafe bridge and here drowned Probably be he hasa has haf hasa n a dozen kids himself As to ned fled Chapin he took refuge there and wa was kIlled by his pals whom he had bad doub double crossed e crossed Perfectly plain as I see sec It It Maybe In Inbe be said sold slowly It I is merely annoyance that the house bouse I bought for Ulna Dina should be mixed up In Inthis inthis Inthis this tragic business He Ie spoke al 01 almost almost most Irritably I hate gloom and tears and nod death When I first saw th the Gray Gray house I 1 said Here Dere Is a pIne place where people have been happy rot rotten en picker eh cb Bill Your family will take toke the curse curso on oft anything said the other Dina wilt will have us all dancing as happily as ever er Junior will bring his crowd and Cella Cel will Import hers I 1 miss my guess II the he result wont won't be a n very interesting mixture Dance on I he concluded dramatically Outside your windows win windows down dows your faithful house detective willbe will willbe be watching the watching the simple minded sleuth whose meager pay Is fire Ove dollars a n and extras During the lie day clay I shall b be hoe man In chief to Dina At dusk I Iam nm am the house honse detective e Ill I'll get I deputy's badge In case I have to make arrests There was a n knock on the door and Mary Sloan entered TO BE DE CONTINUED |