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Show I W. THE HOU SE O F;"FEA R , A Vivid, Modern Detective Story of the Mystery of a Broadway Theatre L BY WADSWORTH CAM Psttgag - " ' & ' ' - - 111 could scarcely believe. You se Mine had brought ma those picture from th photographer'. H bad bad time to bar that on doctored, and t be-can be-can to e hi (hare in tb gam. Everything fitted. I wa Just getting the flrt few piece of the puul together. to-gether. I hadn't come to the real picture." ' "Please left hare the piece," Quail urged. When McHugh answered there was a color of shima in hi voice. "I might' well own up I'd mad had mistake th day before. I'd told source. Mike had been Robert Bunc' man Friday In th old day and Robert Rob-ert bad looked after blm more or lew) what amounted to a small pension. Then the telephone call got m on ray ear because I couldn't trace them. I found out bow that queer ringing wa made. You're got one of those light-toned light-toned announcer. Quelle, and so bu Barbara. ' " She nodded. "Anyway," McHugb went on, "by barely making the connection In the exchange and breaking It continually yon get that queer sound. ' Bo after a Quelle. He knew . what hand had pushed the button. There wa nothing noth-ing of th spy, however, about Mo-Hugh Mo-Hugh to-night He went straight to Barbara. 8he pointed to the open bedroom door. Mo-Hugh Mo-Hugh went over and looked in. "That wa th best thing she could bave done." th manager said. "It gives us a chance to let aleeplng dogs lie. There's about ton times more than enough proof without the telephone calls. Tell, me what you've givon Quelle." She sighed, but she did a he wished. She answered all his question. Quaile aaw her lip quiver. He arose and shook McHugh's shoulders, speaking rapidly. "I'd like to know how you got beyond be-yond . the spook Idea to Mike and would sooner have his hair cut sod take a box at the opera than Mil his land. "But waiting, for Robert, waa ruin. And let me give the devil hi due. Hi wa a game aport After Carlton died be played bis cards to th limit, for I don't believe he Intended that He bad paid Mike a lot of money and bad promised him a couple of thousand more. Say! Can't you get Mike state of mind T He dldnt have to fake being afraid then. So, as soon as I got that far and facM a real explanation, explana-tion, I sent for Joyce." "You've got winning way." Quelle laughed. "Joyce was a little embarrassed em-barrassed about hi char to-night I'd been wondering what It waa." "Beat little come-on a detective ever had." McHugh continued. "I dldnt the way be acted the other time. I questioned Wilkin about th eab driver that brought him up here, and he couldnt describe him, because It wa a-cold night and the man had his fao muffled and hi hat low over hli eyes. It wa easy enough for Mike to have a cab handy. There's so stand near, and Wilkin would be sure to pick It up. Of course be drove hint around until the effect of the stuff woe off. And It nearly worked. If I hadn't been able to go to Wilkin and toil him what i were up against there would have been bo revival of "Coward's "Cow-ard's Fire,' He'd had enough. He wa ready to take th warning and quit As It was, be waa scared enough afterward, but it wa a matter of physical phys-ical courage then, and be knew I'd keep my word and do a lot for him In fume what they figured. would put man out, sprayed as Mike did I?, directly In Carlton's and Wllklns's no-, ) trils when they stood by the mantel ! lifting the candlestick. 1 "So I knew exactly what to expeit .' to-night I was sure that Mike uvl the atomiser In his pocket and with- j out taking it out had lifted the noma . to a hole In the scenery, but I couldn't nod that hole until I had you hold th . j candle flame directly In front of tha. I mantel. Then I found it He hi J ' pasted brown paper across so tnat you bad to get right close up to U to tell the difference from the canvas. After th third act had commenced. when I knew It would be too late (or ' him to investigate, I went down to the . cellar and dished his wire for him. he wasn't going to cover himself wild a. UA1LE hurried from' the the-' , aire and drove to Barbara's : t M W apartment The silent maid answered his ring. Quaile alked' past her into the living rooto, Barbara . waited there by the window. He controlled his eagerness. He held , her hand for only a moment He lo no time in putting her oh her guard. "In a few minutes," be said. "McHugh's "Mc-Hugh's coming here. You need tell only what la necessary for your protection. pro-tection. Of course, be haa guessed you knew of Woodford's secret room." "I must tell you first . I don't know what Mr. McHugh may do, but I have suffered enough. It's worth It to real-pr real-pr lie your faith, and last night you were right to make me go on." She sighed. "Ton are looking at the door. Yoc Mike I waa going to hide ri in the theatre. He wa th only one who could let himself him-self In the theatre after you'd locked the door. It came to me then that If there was a hiding place he would know It wall he dirt vry-one vry-one of Woodrord's peculiarities." peculiari-ties." ' "But the lighter Quaile asked. "A cinch. He had taken the electrician down there and worked with them. It was easy for him to cut a wire into that switchboard that would short circuit it, then locate the button anywhere he pleased. He short circuited circuit-ed the border that day Just as be played " with Barbara's light last night just as be. did with the house light after af-ter Wllklns had fallen. "Say, Quaile, you'll have to confess he handed you a flutter flut-ter the night you were alone. He sneaked In after you, lowered low-ered the curtain, got the oat and carried it to tb dress 1 circle, then limped down, and traced the figure In phosphor- Robert" MoM eok aalgar from his pocket. "Sit down, Quaile. Any good detective detec-tive Just common sense In fitting the facts together." Tour modest" Quaile said. "There's a lot I don't pretend to understand of my own experiences for Instance, why my flashlight played uch tricks the night I wa alone In the theatre." McHugh' mlle was reminiscent "Your flashlight! I guess I ought to gild that and wear it as a watch charm, for It' what finally put me on fh right track. It aet me to investigating investi-gating the superstitious stories (hat have always been told about Woodford's. Wood-ford's. But I found there wasn't anything any-thing back of them you could put your finger on. The stock company that failed there five year ago, I found, tried to stir up business by giving them a fresh start When Carlton dleJ I was scared, children about ready to call it spirit and get out Then I noticed that Barbara waa acting queer, a if she might know something. I have much legal evidence. I dldnt know .how r.rit. i.. v-.y ttn j bad to lead them oa until I could catch Mike with the good. I use! Joyce to give th impression I knew nothing and wa still Investigating the spook theory. I Instructed blm to pronounced absolutely for the spooks last night after I'd slipped up on my calculations, and It worked Just as I'd figured." "But didn't you .hav enough evidence, evi-dence, thenr Quelle asked. "Why dl' you risk Wllklns twicer McHugh grunted. "You're a better playwright than a lawyer, Qiialle. I went on my knees this morning to keep hi firm from arresting ar-resting Robert I tell you I had to prov who had killed Carlton aai what th weapon waa. I couldnt area guess about th atuff until after the riot last night Sine Mike had don all the work, I had to put him In a position where he'd squeal on Robert "I'd figured, of course, that tb attack at-tack had com from behind the scenes the profession. Besides, he'd had that shot in4hadn't fltedJLtolfl htm what t really thought that after that experience ex-perience I dldnt believe he'd get any nearer death last night" " "But Barbara aald. "there wou'd have been mor effect from the use of a drug." Quail nodded. t ."Certainly from a drug strong enough to kill one man and put another an-other out twice." . McHugh knocked the ashes from his cigar. "That' all yon know. That' all I knew. I toll you It' th impl thing that floor us all. Yon remember, Quail, I took th doctor bom from your place laat night He waa all worked up over the case. Finally he put hi finger together and aald it might be hydrocyaale acid. He doped out a theory thai the analyst ha verified." V 'A "That' dangerous and powerful tuff, tent itr Quail asked. "So powerful." McHush answered. darkness to-nlgbt Of course, I had to , wait again until the last minute, but I knsw th light would last nd I dlda t see how he could destroy the evidence, So as soon a Wilkin started that ' Una, I grabbed mine. But of couri ,, be bad his coat up to the scenery salt .,-I .,-I knew the spray was In the bole, I couldn't take chances of his pressing the bulb, so I shored Wllklns aws- ; Didn't want bim to go through tht. experience; again." , 1 Quaile laugh waa a littl resent- i ful. McHugh arose. He glanced at Barbara. Bar-bara. "If I didn't trust you more., young man. It waa because of this youni" j lady.- I knew If yew were any good T all your first Instinct would be to pr-i tact her. I guessed you'd come to her, with all you knew." "So I would have," Quaile con teasel "So I did." - , McHugh grunted. He took Barbara hand. His vole trailed into a sigh. "I'll danc at your wedding, m are thinking of the one who (crcameij She walked over and opened the door. Beyond her shoulder the con-t con-t fusion of the room suggested a recent re-cent occupancy, but there was none of the paraphernalia of illness, possibly of Insanity, which he had expected. "Whoever It was," he said, "has leftr "Just now as soon as she knew Robert Bunce was dead. She didn't dare until then. It wa my sister ' my elder sister." Then shs really waa Involved In Robert's attempt?" , Barbara Indicated the telephone. ' Through that through those call." "How?" . "It was her position that suggested It to him. She she waa working for the telephone company, .when; he mad her help him." 1 can guess," be said softly. "You musn't guess too much, for It wasn't really ber fault that be could make her do that It happened six year ago when I wa at school j abroad. There waa an elopement a "He had hie seat up to the eoenery and I knew the spray waa In the hoi I" guess It was aoout mat ume your sister sis-ter unburdened." "Yea," she said. . "And along came Dolly," McHugb continued, "with her talk about th perfume. I began to wonder it a drug hadnt been used on Carlton, but I couldn't get th motive unless it was to chase me out of the theatre. That waa only an idea, but It' why I dldnt spy there myself. Quaile. It jny Idea was right I knew they'd get me sure." "When you told me your flashlight worked before and after you were alon In the theatre," he aald, "but not when you heard the footsteps, it seemed pretty likely human finger had tampered with it I remembered ua .on the passage door. By standing stand-ing to one aid and opening and (hutting that he made tb figure appear ap-pear to grow and fad. At first 1 couldnt understand about bis locking and unlocking the atag entrance after you bad run out That seemed a littl too much trouble Just to puul a, but the phosphorus answers that too. The atuff is nearly alive, and It la' for a long time. H had to destroy that evidence and fix your flashlight, and didn't dar risk being disturbed. So be locked the stag entrance and unlocked It again when h bad th passage door clean. Then all he had to do was to bide himself with the cat In the secret room while we few experiment in that direction I had to pass th spirits up there, too. It wa easy that Mike bad don the talking. talk-ing. I wanted to know. who had made the connections and done the ringing. Looked as if It must be somebody in authority who could do it on the sly. So I had the manager of th axchang through which those call were mad followed. She came here." ' H glanced at Barbara. His tone wa softer. "And one day abe went to Robert Bunce' office, and aha left crying. Then I got the whole game." "Of course I see what you mean," Quelle said. " "Sure. There waa Joalah owning on the side where Carlton bad fallen. That heavy mantel makes an angla in the scenery. I aaw Mike slip in there Just before the big scene and I wa sure I bad him. The main trouble wa I "dldnt dare show myself to him. I had to Jump him at th vary moment mo-ment he was making th attack, I stepped around, when Wilkin hit hi line, and I got Just one glimpse of Mr. Mike. He had th right-banded flap of hi coat hunched up above his shoulder - and pressing against the scenery. His left band waa fumbling Inside th manteL I wa Just aboai to Jump, him when bang! th riot broke. The lights want put Of course th beggar had strong his wire along "that a much a yon could put os a pin head would knock man over Uk a tfteea-tnea shell." "Hasn't It an odor?" Quail asked. "Bur. The doe and I bit on that but as the book told us. It is very volatile. I expect you're going to uk ma what that mesas. What I get la that It mean tb amall evaporates rapidly la any open space"- - "Like a stage, for Instance. Besides, it seem It csn b modified by alcohol. But this la the real point . The doo hit th calling when I toM bun about the perfume you and Dolly bad been sniffing about th stag. He dug la th book again and told m about a thine called oil of benaaldehTda. f's dear; and I suppose that means you are leaving th stage." "You'll do more than that," Quelle said. "As an extra humiliation you'll be beat man. It will remind you that although you're a great detective. yon do mak mistakes." McHugh grinned. "Hare you aaked that maid of yours yet Barbara? Mayb she won't let yos hav him." She flashed, turning to Quaile. "If Mr. McHugb Is right-about us-I us-I mean, you'd better overcome your dislike for her." McHugh slipped out The dour clicked behind him. They faced ea-.h other alone In this room as they had marriage, bnt an illegal one. She left him as soon aa shs found that out Sh wouldn't have my help or any one'. 8b got tbls . position and worked year after year until they made her an exchange manager. Don't . yon sea what that meant to him? So he went to her again and threatened ber. So she mad tb call and kept ' them aecret It wa Mike with his perfect knowledge of Woodford's voice who did tha talking. She , never 1, dreamed Then Mr. Carlton died." "I see. She had placed herself beyond be-yond tha law probably accessory to a mnrder." "And she swore," Barbara cried out "that she would kill herself If I told. If I didn't tell I was almost sure there would be another murder. There was only one way. I made up my mind to let my future go, to refuse flatly to play, to make the rehearsal and the performance impossible." -That was brave." he said. You can grasp now the position In which yon put me last night? If I dldnt obey you and play, the result would be the same as If I hsd cried out the truth myself. It was horribl I was helpless. It seemed to mean death either way. But I chose one always does one's flesh and blood. I trusted to Providence for Mr. Wllklns. Wll-klns. and Providence was kind." The ringing of the door bell angered full of hydrocyanic acid. When the acid I removed th oil la sold a (he basis of a perfume and it used to be a popular one. ' He found a lot of Instances In-stances of poisoning from tbls per-fume per-fume and proved that they were all dne to trace of acid remaining la the oil. That settled th wbol business. All they bad to do was to put a tlnv qaantlty of that deadly add In th pr- done th other night Only now her cheek showed no pallor, and. If an shrank away, It waa with a different fear. When he followed, her struggle possessed an unconscious witchery. "If McHugh is right I" be Jeered. "I guess be' right," she whispered "He Is always right" There wss no longer any point m struggling. The room was very quiet seeing you go Into tb box wnere you'd left your overcoat and drop II In the pocket That waa right after you had searched the bouse. It would bave been simple for a hsnd to reach In, tsks the cylinder, break the connection con-nection Or remove the battery, then put the light back In your pocket If that was so, whoever was responsible respon-sible had done the limping and, after scaring you from the theatre, had put the cylinder In working order again. For the first time I bad something that looked real. But I didn't hit oa Mike then. It wasn't until the next morning when I looked at that spook picture of Woodford In the middle of our group that I got It and then I searched our heads off. When he beard us going be was In too much of a hurry. The eat slipped 'past him In the dark and got away. You recollect Dolly didn't feel It for several days. Of course be got that one back oi another." . . i "But the motive?" Quail aald. There waa nothing in all this to point to Robert" "Yes there wss." McHugh answered, "and something In the telephone calls, too, although I must say, I thought It more likely at first that the trail would lead to Joslah. As far aa Mike's concerned, you kaow he aever worked steadily for me. That meant he had some money from another Woodford s Jointly with Robert and clinging to bis real estate tooth and claw famous tha town over for It: end her waa Robert a apender and doing business In Wall Street Queer things have happened there sine th beginning of th war. "Robert wa in pretty deep, but nobody no-body knew how deep until I got hit firm to go over the books on the quiet He needed more than a quarter of a million, and be needed It la a hurry. It sat waiting for him at Woodford', which was a dead loss as a theatre; and, mind you, half of the value of tbst property was honestly his, but bs couldn't realize on It without Jostsh's signature to the deed. Joslah th root of tc ceuar. i nan ui waoie thing now and I knew I could bring it off to-night If Wllklns wasn't don for. That staggered me, and I pretty much forgot everything else until I'd run oa th stag and found him still living." "I suspected a drug at the firs'," Quelle said, "but I couldnt aee, and I don't understand now, bow Jt was used." . "You recollect bow Wllklns came ep here night before last and told as that time simply droaord out of hi life? The same drug was responsible. respon-sible. You saw how be came out ot it last night strong but daxed, not knowing wbat bad happened, complaining com-plaining of feeling a little sick. That's niii-ini"i"ii"t"i"riiiri-iri-iri-iri-ini-.-ii-irii"i-ii,rii-,i"iiinii '-'.'' ' |