Show I T y C What the Gray r House Hid The fhe Mystery of a Haunted Mansion w N U Service C Copyright by Wyndham 0 W lm tt m l ii ir t m I CHAPTER Continued X-Continued X Continued f 19 19 Who was waa It telephoned me all nil that stuff about aboul keeping It bird a n sanctuary ary l 1 Fred Frd did she answered ered I I SUR SUJ r Bested It and got the data out oct of ot a ml magazine Rather nather clever er wasn't it II We IVe were ere dreadfully upset when you OU bought It It You Yon wouldn't have e done so fO If It you hadn't known n Douglas person personally personally ally because everything as a rule went through Freds Fred's hands bands We tried threats everything threats of ot violence nf at attempts tempts to prey on your superstition Everything failed but the attempt toi to t tot i make you feel eel that you were ere doing n a anoble anoble noble Dohle thing In protecting the th birds She had a musical laugh You rou dont don't mind my laughing do you ou she asked of It U really was so 50 quaint l I Go Co ahead 1 l he said grimly The laugh was WIS on me then but theres there's a fI useful old proverb about those who laugh langh last Ohm Oh youre you're oure on top now she said and LInd Im I'm not even een asking you yuu to be generous or forgiving Im I'm asking you not to be silly sill and get a n dreadful dl I lot Jot of ot notoriety Your wife and daugh C tors would hate bate It It IL We have ha lived r here without your permission That was wrung but It can be adjusted As God Cod Is my witness ss we sa saved you from that dreadful little anarchist That's u pretty good score store for us If t time lie he caSe casu comes to t trial trial- trial I i the murder I mean mean-I mean 1 will testify to the fact fatt that taunted Pro Pro- Professor fessor lessor Burton Durton and amid lint liat the professor killed him In self defense I deny It absolutely l I cried Pour fur I ton This Tills thing must be lie cleared up upI I have hue my career to think or of And a most must useful one no doubt Appleton said politely I shall be glad glud to testify that ou the whole hole you yon you behaved well well 1 I shall assure fissure the court that fiat had I l belle ed eel you wore really the celebrated Professor Burton I should not ha have ve detained yuu you He turned to Hanby We IVe thought the poor man merely believed belle himself to tobe tobe be the learned professor Lies Lles lies l I shouted Burton urton to 1 have no mans man's blood on my hands I demand that the police be called In Immediately i What fur for Appleton asked To arrest me for tor trespass I am not thinking of trespass I IC Iam r am thinking of ot murder C J What murder Appleton asked pleasantly In Iii murder cases castS there Is always alwn's Deeded needed a n corpus u delicti-u delicti murdered man Where Is be he In this case Can you OU produce him professor sori son sor Quite the best thing to do said the woman Is to let us go away I 1 have e a good many things here bere but I could leave tonight I 1 say Bay tonight because we e dont don't want to be seen These the people-the people the professor and that looking lint t i nice looking have buy buy have grievances against us I 1 admit but In both In instances stances es It was their own fault The boy assaulted a friend and almost killed din bim Did you Jou Les Lest Lesi Junior demanded It was some fellow tellow who hung bung around the lie he house at night Celia Cella saw him and called him a wild lid faun taun Naturally 1 i wasn't going to stand for or that so I laid for him bins and started something Very jolly ot of you youl l I said gald the wom worn woman woman an smiling the yellow papers enjoy writing about It I 1 think you acted splendidly but the reporters wouldn't They make most tearful fearful fun of youth and and romance romane Im I'm rn sure Miss bliss would would enjoy It It- Well We'll promise to 10 hI he gone before daybreak tomorrow You see we haven't done any damage e Mr what whal Is It 11 to hei he Ill have hn to talk this tills over o In tie he decided We IVe will await your decision Ap Ap- Appleton Ap- Ap Appleton Appleton said smiling But not Jot here returned lm lm Tiu going to lock loci you up till 1 1 I know what is to he be the lie outcome Ufo Ile smiled a little and looked at ut th the Im Iut n a little afraid ft ut you ou I think you may be he the bruins brains of this whole affair You shall occupy Les Les- Leslie's Leslie's lies lie's cell ell for or a 8 while hUe The laughing look died from her tate face Hanby had been right Ln In thinking tier her a dangerous person I wont won't go col o I she cried But In the tie end Appleton persuaded her His lis his attitude was perfect tie lie thinly on his You are quite he said We are admitted tres- tres trespassers tres trespassers res- res passers and have ha no locus lolus I consider t that hu t you OU n are re well within your rights Conic lome Belle nelle dont don't be silly I It If will only be for tor tor a 8 little while Belle Lelle who ahu knew him him and his moods better beller than ane anyone ne else was US nut not de dl- deceived as were the others rime file men watching thought they hey saw SHW p Ap Ap serene In the lie consciousness ot of having ln hn no heinous sins sins Bell Rolle knew lint murder was in heart nt at that moment Now ow 1 Ies and Junior said Hau by when the doors droolS hart Imd been lIeen shut un on onn fl n the captured pair go o down and bring V up tie the wild faun Stick your guns In Ills his rib ribs If 11 he bus any sense hell he'll comPo comp quietly Ill go too tuo said fill Bill elham I led those thole riots When they had gone Burton turned to his cousin 1111 ht he h cried you dont don't ont think l 1 killed that maul man Not for fut a 8 minute but you might lace hn a lot of trouble things all the te at same sume Im I'm relieved relle at athis athis his death Ill IH admit I didn't tel Dina or even efen Bill fill but Mrs Irs warned we no that he had bad stolen some money from his old father and had y a gun He lie was seen nt at th thu f J Central where here he be to dow how to get Jel to Pine Plains Mr Mrs said he had made to t kill me That ties up with Appl Ins t ns story No 1 matter muller what other r he lie had hud l I believe helle he did i keep klep from trying to kIll killme I Im m me I bo you mean to let them go gothen I Ithen then It will wilt depend on what we Jet get train from this thug that Les and Junior DIe bringing 5 5 e e e o Jim Delaney Delany had too much sense Bense to try to escape from three armed men The fortunes ot of war hail and he was already ering the lie favorable position of ot one who turns states state's evidence lIe He sat where directed him He Ue could see that th the owner of the Gray house was not nol to he trifled trilled with Its enough for Cor you OU to know HanLy Hanby began begun that Appleton and Belle are shut away ay In those cells We IVe know nil all about them Im I'm m o go goIng po-Ing po Ing to ask you some questions LIe It If you want t to Im 01 not going to lie Ile boss re- re re responded sponged Jim TIm eagerly That wouldn't do me 1110 no DO good now would It None at nil all hut but I 1 dont don't want to influence you Bill mil take down hIs evidence please Just explain who you rou are arc and why you and lat tl-lat- that Luigi Jim volunteered lies Hes a 01 from Sicily turn Him and me ire by Appleton Weve We've been en storing the stuff and guarding g It Jim stalled smiled ruefully I dont don't know who give ie us away but you certainly carne came when it did the most harm l I Naturally commented wholly Ignorant of what the other meant Im giving you the opportunity opportunity opportunity of ot telling me all nil about It ft In your own way fray It It all nil began besan Jim declared when Appleton bought Seymours Seymour's booze This Se Seymour mour was a rich man ills wife was from a swell family in the South and anCl be expected to live here nil all his life lite fie Ele had the house bouse on a 8 alease alease lease wIth the option of purchase and be he meant to buy see So he sends home to England for a stock of booze booze- whisky booze booze whisky In barrels and end port In wood and liqueurs and chain cham and everything a n man wants Them guys In England when they're well fixed buy huy wholesale and they nil all have cellars and cutlers butlers to look after them This Seymour he put In enough so hed he'd never ne have ha e to buy anything else If It he lived to be a 8 hun bun hundred dred Bred When his kids was drowned and his we died he went vent back home and although he be was past fifty b be begot got Into hir bin old regiment Then his three brothers was killed In the war and hes he's a lord or something Mune Money wasn't anything to 0 him lie He wanted to get out of ot this place plate and be to liked Appleton so he took Appleton's check for the cellar W What does dos Appleton do but get LuIgi to build a wall across one end of ot It ul IlI a 8 ma mason mison sun son by trade Appleton A wasn't like mime me I thought was a u joke when It come In 1 I was tending lending bu bar down on Third a avenue venue Appleton had friends In Washington and they knew booze was out for or keeps Jim Jima was here permitted to light n elgur while Bill put down the main incidents In this recital Yes Jim w went nt on that Rive give I e Appleton the Idea a lie He knew booze was going to be scarce so he sill ted led to make a place to 10 tocache tocache cache It In till the price was rl right hl amid he could dispose of ot It II all ull tit ut one He lie made new plans of ot the house timid lind left out the cellar where the he stuff was stored I guess that tooled fooled you Mr Hanby Hanhy It 1111 Hanby d Hell fool anybody said sold Jim who was enjoying the te Interest aroused Ii his i j his story Ill say suy hes he's the slickest Ive I've come across He Ue plans for forthe forthe forthe the year after next that's next that's tile tie sort ot of guy he Is 15 Ue He had the lake part part- partly partly ly Iy filed n led In Then he had harl some dugo dago laborers fix the stream build a tunnel In here und and make the lie place livable They didn't know what they was rio III log and mind didn't care so long as they was paid good The J The he put Lulei In as You sz sa s the cops WEre WE're lifter after and he didn't standa stando stand o a chance with that Hint build of Ills his Any nabbed him time dick could a any 1 likes to tl drink BO RD I 81 sleep JI and this was meat men to him What did you do asked ns I 1 ell u-ell u cd to r out nut ti UK tIll stuff dawn 1111 di in hue Ip stream I 1 lJ used sed ed to 10 t get ct It tt tie Ille lie oar gnats ruin friends friend trice drive imp to III the Hie ur upper roul roar and put pat tile tie lie lII cases IS I'S under the culvert so su they'll drill down here would could pile cm em up so 8 that when the day lUll nute Ie te could 1111 lei dump PHI Pili In InI inthe Inthe I the he stream mind inn they'd yd drift down clown to III IIII ti Boyles Boyle's Do Ies Ie's form rm I 1 guess were we're nut OIK of I luck Tonight's the night E J- J Ii P 1 and now you fOU Is fixed and e everyone everyone rynne bust up the party 1 1 have How now were you going to much of ot it It away If theres there's so 80 under r The road rond Is going to be put and all nil wll 1111 wl repair after dark detour That leaves leu us ns alt 1111 ton ten ton trucks Wee Weve got Jot forty ready They'll get bu busy y ot nt the time right time and take dike out the stuff will he be he down at that lake In hy by floyie's barn harn There wont won't be a hitch This I I know and Is a great reat fixing tiling game that thai might he In n how to fix the guys the way This 1 This is 18 hip big bl business said limn proudly Appleton expected to have two two hundred thousand bucks tonight to tonight night Jim was a gambler lie He his shoulders He Ile had lot lost h before Who killed de suddenly LuigI Served him right lie He suns trying to croak hint him the dirty little rut rat I It was justifiable homicide all 1111 allright right Dont Don't you waste wa te le no tears about He lie come came here to hump bump you off I found him trying to set sel lire ire to time the thicket that night ni ht when we e hind that big hi gale nail the wind was teas w s blowIng blow blowing Ing on to house said Han Han- Hanby Hanby Lets get this straight bv by when he had listened to other I particulars ulars tle-ulars You Yon 1011 and Luigi were go go- going ing lag to put these ca case e goods In the stream where the therould they would rould float down downto downto downto to Boyles Boyle's place unseen At noles Boyles the same trucks that are working on the ne new road would world he waiting These would take the stuff and und dispose of It it Is that right Positively boss E Everything was fixed but your gang jang Show me where It Is hidden flan Tanby by said I wouldn't try to escape if 11 I were you Those boys will shoot At the edge e of ot the large clearing carefully stacked la in plies piles the search search- searchers searchers ers era found thousands of or cases of whisky brandy and old wines Jim Jin explained that ther there had been heen ex- ex ex exhaustive experiments as to the length of time they would take to float down down- downstream downstream stream under the road and come to rest In Boyles Boyle's lake Ink Its a f straightaway ay trip but hut tor torone torone forone one place Jim volunteered ered We found they jammed there sometimes so we e greased the boards and now they ride pretty What about the Seymour S under the lumber In the big cellar asked That wasn't to go yet I think Appleton WR was going to flake nake a n deal wIth you yon direct when the time lame came tie Be wouldn't have no difficulty In sell selling ing that You rou can get any price tor stuff that Is absolutely old and Jenu JenuIne me Ine There lots Iota of ot people afraid of getting wood yet Jim pointed to the cases all nil ready for tor the time journey This Is nil rIl goodness honest honest to stuff he be went ent on but It aint old odd Ilke It used to be and it dont don't do rho aguy a 8 aguy guy any good to lap It up when hen Its It's only two years yeara old I 1 know Ive I've ve bin binIn binIn In the saloon business Appleton trust trust- trusted trusted ed erl me because Use Im I'm off oft the stuff t r keeps lull Luigi he drinks the time sort of ot wine like they u used erl to every e morning Ir it the the red-Ink red joints In Inthe Inthe Inthe the city Ill I'll say Appleton was n a good picker I 1 dont don't yet get just how bow you hutted huffed in Hanhy did dIrt not satisfy the fellows v zeal for tor or knowledge What followed tollO puzzled Jim very ery much trout hut he marls ml no remarks He lie labored under the delusion that Leslie was anxious to shout shoot Nor did Luigi Lul 1 understand but be too tuo thought lint his sa salvation 1 0 lion lay Iny lavIn In readiness to obey ohey Without pause he Jim and Junior dumped the cases cajes Into Info the stream Darkness s was coning coining on when they Jim had told them that hy by midnight the entire n mass would he on Boyles Boyle's property where where Boyle noyle and amid his hi sties would help to load them on time the lie tru-ks tru k I 1 cant can't keep the lie stun thug ml had explained to ion hum and and I want I It seized on some one cise's else's property You ou can bet A Appleton will keep keen his bismouth mouth closed 1 I TO BE DE CONTINUED |