| Show c J r v. v THE AFTER HOUSE J I I Ey By Mary lay R o bens R e h z i 3 1924 by br M Newspaper J Je J e 11 Continued from yesterday I It was there he said looking I over O his shoulder Its been there three times Umes looking In all In-all all in white and grinning at me I A A man n 1 lt Lt-It It hasn't got any face I JIow could It grin at you ou If It It 1 any face I demanded im- im Aj tt I nty Pull yourself together and end toll tell me mo what you ou saw s I 1 It was some lome time before he could t t 1 a l connected inclined sto story and when 1 ho dill did I was inclined to o suspect hat that he he had heard us talk talking InS InS' trig the nIght before had heard Adams Adams Adams' de descrIption description description de- de of tho intruder on theore the tho head ore head and that what pith drink and terror he had tad fan- fan cd the rest And yet I was not so sure sere I was asleep ep the first time he I said eald I dont don't know how ho long ago It I teas was I woke up cold with the feel feel- In that something was looking teel-j teel at n I raised up In bed and there therel l was ns a thing thins at the window It was r r. looking in r What sort eort of ot a a. thing I white told you you ou A white head head For It wasn't a Gods sake rake Leslie I 1 cant can't tell you an any anymore anymore more than that I saw it That's enough I saw it three times It U isn't enough for me I said doggedly dogged It Il hadn't any head or face tace but it looked looke in Its It's dark out there then How courtl you see sea For reply he leaned over and turning down the lamp blew it out I I We e sat in the smoking darkness and slowly out of or the thick night the window outlined Use Itself I could I I tee ree it distinctly But how white and faceless had it stared in at the window or reached through the I bars bar as Singleton declared It had done done and waved a fingerless erless hand lat at him lie was in a state ot or mental and physical collapse and begged so pitifully not to be left that at last 1 I told him I would take him with me on his promise to remain In a n chair until dawn and to go back without demur He sat at near me huddled down among the cushions of one of ot the wicker chairs not sleeping but staring out motionless With Ith the first light of ot dawn Burnes Durnell relieved me a and d I went forward forward for- for iward ward with Singleton lie dropped I Into nto his bunk and was asleep al- al I immediately Then Inch b by bynch inch I went over the deck for foot foot- tints for any clue to what under appier circumstances I should aye c considered a ghastly hoax But Buthe Buthe Buthe he deck was slippery and sodden he le rail dripping and b between the where the jolly boat t had wun wung was stretched a line with a ahart hart of ot Burns Burns' hung on 01 it absurd- absurd enough to dry Poor Burns I I i I to the dignity of ot first late ate and trying to dress the part Oleson and Adams made no at- at to work that da day indeed leson eson was not ate ale As I had 11 Demised the breakfast for tor the aft- aft house was placed on the tho com- com steps b by Tom the cook thence hence it was removed by Mrs Ir vane ioane I saw nothing of or either Ira Ia Lee or Mrs Irs Johns Burns was cUnel to resent relent the dead line the omen omen had drawn below and sug- sug 1 sated rested este that since they were so to take care of themselves e o e give up gu guarding the after house housed d 1 let them do it We Ye were short landed enough he urged and ItI It if I 1 ey were going to take that attl- attl I ude l let t them manage I did dia not but m my eyes traveled over r he rail ran to where the jolly-boat jolly rose roseo o meet the fresh sea of or the mornIng morn- morn ng Ing and he colored After that he lade nade no comment Singleton awakened before noon n nG na J ate his first meal since the murders lIe Ho looked better and we tad lad a long talk I outside the wIn wIn- ow and he within He held to his history tory of or the night before but was j still vague as to Just how the thing looked Of or what wha it was he be seemed Ito ho have ha no doubt It was the spec spec- er et of or either the captain or Vail VaU ie re excluded the woman because he Ire was shorter As I stood outride out out- Ide ride he measured on me the approximate ap ap- ap- ap proximate height of ot the apparition about five feet teet eight He lIe see Burns' Burns shirt he admitted ut nit the thing had been close to the window i I found myself convinced against y W y will and that afternoon alone made a second and more thorough thorough thorough thor- thor ough examination of ot the forecastle and lind the hold In the former I found Having been closed for iver ver twenty-four twenty hours it was suIng su- su ing and full of ot odors The crew ere it In haste had left lert it disorder I made a systematic earch carch beginning forward and back I prodded in and inder the bunks and moved the tho Joining that hung on every hook nd swung to the undoing of my erves orves with evet every swell Much uch I urious salvage I found under mat- mat esses a and d beneath bunks a rosary I Ind nd ad a dozen filthy pictures under ho be same pillow more than one ottle ottIc of ot whisk whisky and even where had bee been dropped dropp d in the tho hasto haste of ot fight Ight a a. bottle ot of cocaine Tho bote bot- bot e c set me to thinking had we a coke fiend on board and it if we wead ad who was it i The e examination of ot the hold led ledone ledone ledone one curious and not easily ex- ex discovery The Ella was in ravel rael ballast and my 01 search there thereas as difficult and nerve nene racking he ho creaking of ot the girders and oar plates the groaning overhead f the trestle trees and once an list that sent ent me ca- ca head first ag against a bal- bal st tank made my position dis- dis U disagreeable And above 11 1 1 the tho incidental noises of ot a ships ship's old was one that I 1 could not place a a regular knocking which kept t me with the list of ot the boat I located it at last approximate approximate- ia at one of ot the ballast ports but ere cre was nothing to be seen The ort rt had been carefully barred and over o The sound was not ud Down there among the other I seemed to feel as well as ear it I sent Burns down and ande e 6 Came camo up puzzled Its outside he said Something eking a against her ribs ribs' You didn't notice it yesterday c d you Xo No but yesterday esterday we were were not snot not i f for noises I ThO The knocking was on the port I de We went forward together id d leaning well out looked over overe I e 0 rail I 1 The missing marlinspike was wasI I c ringing there banking against the I ill with er c every roll of oC the ship It as fastened by a rope lanyard to toi toi 1 i i t a large bolt below tho the rail and fastened with what Burns called a Blackw Blackwall all hitch hitch hitch-a a sailors sailor's knot JONES JONES STUMBLES OVER SOMETHING I find from my journal that the tho next seven soven days das passed without marked Incident Several times during that period we sighted vessels yes ves sels ads all outward bound and once wo ware w-re wiro within communicating distance of a n steam cargo boat on her way way to Venezuela She lay to and sent her first mate mato over to see what could be done He lie was a slim little man with dark eyes ees and a small mustache I above e a cheerful mouth He lIe li listened in silence to my story stor and shuddered I dered when I showed him the jolly- jolly boat boar But we were only a few days das out by that time and after all aU what could they do He lie offered to spare us a hand band if It it could be ar arranged arranged arranged ar- ar ranged but Adams having having- recovered recovered recovered ered by b- that time we decided d to get along as we were A strange sight we must have ha presented to tho the tidy Udy little officer In his uniform and black tie Ue a haggard unshaven lot lotof lotof lotof of men none too clean all suffering suffering suffer suffer- ing from strain and lack of ot sleep with nerves ready to snap a white yacht acht motionless her sails drooping droop droop- ing for Ing-for for not a breath of ot air moved with with unpolished brasses and dirty leeks decks In charge of all aU a tall youth I unshaven like Uke the rest and gaunt from sickness who 10 hardly knew lenew a phrase who shook the lit little little little lit lit- tle officers officer's hand with a II ferocity of welcome welcom that made him change color color color col col- col- col or and whose uniform consisted of ofa a pair of dirty khaki trousers and a khaki shirt open at the neck and behind us wallowing in the trough of the sea as the Ella lay to the Jolly boat so miscalled with its sinister cargo The Buenos Aires went on on leavIng leaving leavings leav leav- ing ings us a a. bit cheered perhaps but none the better off oft except that she verified our bearings The after house had taken no notice of ot th the in In- In None of ot the women had appeared nor did they make an any Inquiry of ot the cook when he ho carried down their dinner that night As entirely as possible during the week the they had passed they had kept to themselves Turner was better I imagined but the tho few times when Elsa Lee appeared at atthe the tho companion for lor a breath of or air I was ot oft off duty and missed her I II thought it was by design and I was desperate for a sight of her I Mrs 1 Johns came camo on deck once or twice while I was there but she sheI I chose to Ignore me The stewardess steward steward- ess however was not so partisan and the day before we met the the Buenos Aires she spent a tt little time on n deck leaning against the rail and watching mo me with alert eyes ees I What are aro you going to do when you get to land Mr Captain Leslie Leslie Leslie Les Les- lie she asked Are you going to put pat us all aU in prison as may be I evaded She was a pretty little woman plump and dark and she slid her hand Iland along the tall laU until It mine Whereon I 1 did the thing she was expecting and put my fingers over hers She flushed a a. little and dimpled You Tou are human arent aren't you ou she asked archly I am not afraid of ot you ou No one Is I am sure sure Silly Why they are all aU afraid of or you ou down there She jerked her head toward the after atter house They want to offer you something but none of ot them will do it it Offer OCter mo me something She came a little closer so 80 that her round shoulder touched mine Why not You need money I take tako it it And that's the one thing thinS the they have have money money I began to understand her J I see 1 I said slowly They want to bribe me She shrugged her shoulders That is is a nasty word They might wish to buy buy buy-a a key cey or two that you ou carry The storeroom ke key of ot course But what other She looked around around we we were alone A li light ht breeze filled the sails and flicked tucked the end of a scar scarf she wore against m my face The key to the captains captain's cabin she said very ery low That was what they wished to buy the Incriminating key to the storeroom found on Turners Turner's floor and access to the axe with its telltale telltale tell teU- tale prints on the handle Tho The stewardess saw my face harden harden har har- den and put her hand on my arm Now I am afraid of or you she cried When you ou look like that I Mrs Irs Sloane I said I do not know that you ou were asked to do this I I think not But if It you were sa say for me what hat I am willing to sa say for myself I shall shan tell teU what I 1 know and there is not hot money enough in inthe inthe inthe the would world to prevent pre my telling it straight The right man Is going to tobe tobe tobo be bo punished and the key to the storeroom will win be given to the police police po po- pg- pg lice and to no one else But the But the other ke key That is not in my ray keeping I do not believe Iou lyou I am sorry I said shortly As Asa a matter of fact Burns has that By the look of triumph in her eyes ees I knew I had told her what she wanted to know She went below soon after and I warned Burns that he would probably be approached Inthe in inthe inthe the same way Not that I ani am I added But Keep But Keep the little Sloane woman at a distance She's quite capable of mesmerizing you OU with her eyes and robbing QU with her hands at atthe atthe atthe the same time Id rather you'd carry it it it he ho said although Im I'm not afraid of the lady lad Its It's not not likely after after after- lie He did not finish but he glanced aft toward the Jolly boat Poor Burns I believe he ho had really cared for tor the Danish DaniEll girl Jirl Perhaps I was foolish but I refused to take tho the key from him I felt sure he could be bo trusted The murders had been committed on the early morning of Wednesday Wednesday Wednes Wednes- day the lath It was on the following following follow follow- ing InS Tuesday that Mrs rs Sloane and I 1 had our little conversation on deck decle and on Wednesday we came up with the Buenos Aires It was on Friday therefore two I days las after the cargo steamer had slid over the edge of ot the ocean and left leCt us motionless a painted ship upon a pal painted ted sea that the tho Incident incident incident inci Inci- dent happened that completed the demoralization of the cre crow crew For almost a week the tho lookouts had reported Alls well wen in re response response response re- re to the striking of ot the ships ship's bell beU The hysteria as Burns Durns and I II I dubbed U It of ot the he white figure had ad died away as the mens men's nerves grew less irritated Althou Although h we had found no absolute explanation of the marlinspike an obvious one SUggested suggested suggested sug SUg- Itself The men men although giving gl up their weapons without protest had grumbled somewhat over being left without means of ot defense It was entirely possible we agreed that the had been so so disposed as some seamans seaman's resort In time of need Tho cook coole taking down the dinner on Friday evening reported Mr r. r Turner up and about and partly dressed The heat was frightful All day wo We had had a following breeze and It had Iad been necessary to lengthen the tho towing rope dropping dropping dropping drop drop- ping the Jolly-boat Jolly well behind us The men saying saying- or nothing dozed under their canvas the helmsman drooped at tho the wheel Under our feet the boards sent up simmering heat waves and the brasses were too hot to touch At 4 o'clock Elsa Lee came cam on deck and spoke to me for the first time in several days She started when she saw me and no wonder I In the frenzied caution of ot the day after atter tie the crimp crime I pad had tad flung every ery razor overboard and the tho result was wasas wasas as ns villainous a 1 set of ot men as asI I I have ever exer seen Ua Have ve pu been ill III again she sho asked I II I put my hand hand to my chin Not ill I said eald merely mete I unshaven n. n But you ou are pale and your eyes are arc sunk In our head We Ye are very ery short handed and and no ono one has slept much Or eaten paten at all I Imagine she tJ get et in 1 said sal When do we With this I 1 can hardly sa says wind perhaps Tuesday Where Philadelphia e eYou You Intend to td turn the yacht acht over to the police pollee Yes Miss lIss Lee Lc Leer Every ono one on h It ft That is up to the police They I will probably not hold the women You will wm be released I imagine on I your own recognizance And And Mr Turner He lie will have to take his luck with tho the rest of ot u us Sho She asked me no further questions questions questions ques ques- but switched at once to what had brought her on deck The cabin is unbearable she said We are willing to tako take th the risk of ot opening the after atter companion door But I could not allow this and I tried to e explain my reasons The crew were quartered there for tor one for tor |
