Show q I COPYRIGHT SYNOPSIS Mary Avery AverT a widow who lites In n the harbor town of Mass Mas with two o lI negro gro mauls maids Sarah Darbe and Bessie Williams Wil Wd liams write a manuscript describing the famous Second Head murder which occurred occurred oc oc- oc- oc on aD her estate Next to Mary live Eve Mr and Mr Mra Peter Stow who every year car t l 1 give five lve a summer masquerade p party One of the guests of this thu unction function is I a murdered Nearby live Eve Dr and Mrs Mra Geary and their married daughter Edith EdIlh mu and her husband Alfred Allred Dray Bray Doctor Myron Marden and his hu step granddaughter Caro Prentiss a beautiful young youn girl who was wal born In la France Next Next- live Paul and Lora Eames mes and daughter Molly Mon Molly was engaged en ea 4 to the murdered man mane Ace AC She bad had previously been engaged to Walter Valter T Treadwell who wh had been Blaikie's secretary secre- secre 1 ury tary tary but the engagement was waa suddenly broken and be he had left tow town Other neigh neigh- bora hors are the Fairweather sisters Flora a hopeless Invalid cud and Margaret All but the latter two a attend the masquerade Marys Mary's year old niece Is visiting her herfor or the summer The wooded part put of Mary's Marys estate b is b. b called the Spinney In i it itis is ii a a tiny log Jog cabin cabin- called the Little House Houle On the day of the masquerade excitement S Is II high big Mary MarT dedd decided d to take Sylvia Sylila who It II S a aD an unusually n observant child Caro Pren Pren- Prentiss tiCs Q ed Molly MoUy Eames drop in during the afern a. a Moll Molly seems preoccupied pre Soon a ca a car arrives and Blaikie Doctor Marden and Uld Dr Bruce ce D a 11 friend of Aces Ace's alight aUght Molly Moll Mollis is Impatient to leave luve and they all aU ex- ex At At- the party Sylvia Slvia iden of the masked guests as u they arrive lee Ace comes garbed d as Julius Ca Caesar sar m i appears as a Snow Qu Queen accompanied accompanied ac lie ac- ac comp companied by a 11 man in armor whom Sylv Sylvia 3 id identifies as u Walter Treadway The They dance together continuously Caro Prentiss and S. S S. S Manden Marden arrive arrhe dressed in ia Revolutionary costume s. s th the doctor wearing jeweled shoe S. S buckles Vh When n the g guests ests unmask Ace W Walter Iter and nd Molly Liv have disappeared disa t. t 5 S 5 Sd l S p SATURDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY- SATURDAY Continued Continued SJ J 5 It R t was ws of the contradictions Jj in Ace ce Blaikle's s 's contradictory character char char- 55 aci U that at l' l little Utile acter r he preferred girls to little boys joys He had an enchanting enchanting enchant enchant- ing lug way with little girls and andS S S o this e enchanting way had no relation re re- re- re lation n whatever to the fascinating W way y he had with older women S' S 5 F For ForAce r rAce Ace Blaikie ikie had haa always been attractive to women women always 5 5 I iiI rm m sorry Doctor Ace didn't come back and take his mask off S S Sylvia repeated Afterwards I was to r recall call that Sylvia had said twice S that Ate Ace Blaikie had gone away twice that she was sorry he had hadnot hadnot not com come back At that moment 5 S. S of ourse course it made no impression r It did make an impression however however however how- how S. S ever ever when she said Walter WaIter didn't come back bac either S S I I j I said Sylvia you will not say 4 anything to anybody about Waller's Wallers Wal Vial ler's lers being there I wont won't Aunt Mary she promised prom- prom i Is cd i me I Yo see its it's a a secret ecret Now skip skip along darling I Im I'm going to dress S tl t Sarah Darbe came in as Sylvia went o out out fresh t fresh linen for my bed I oer o'er oyer her arm Ive dr drawn wn your bath water Mrs Avery she said sald r k ha handing banding me my kimono 0 When I came out of the bath my room had been put to rights Is there anything further I cando can S do Mx MiS Avery Sarah asked Nothing g th thank you Sarah Saraha I I answered d. d S An inv invariable ritual of entertain- entertain 1 merit ment l for fop the maids of Second Head marks the Sunday after the Stow t masquerade They all come to a aJ J picnic in La the Little House on my place A little perfunctorily I said I I 1 suppose the girls are g getting re ready dy for fo- the picnic tomorrow S Oh y yes s Mrs Avery Averyl 1 Sarah an an- all pretty prett ex ex- ex S cited They always are We wo wouldn't cint miss our picnic for any any- thing g. g o Pile Are all the usual crowd going T To 1 i t.- t. ti S S Yes Mrs Avery Sarah Sarai answered answered an an- about a dozen of us I sat down at my ray dressing table tableS S to comb my hair Sarah lingered She moved over to my my tab table e and made some Bome casual rearrangement ol the objects ts U there ere I 1 knew something some some- tl thing irig W was vaS s brewing in Sarah's mind Mrs Avery Avery- Sarah began in 5 S i-S S a Tow voice Yes Sarah I answered S Sarah Sarab appeared to forget target that she had spoken Or was it that she regretted and pretended she hadn't S S 4 C She took up my tray then put il itS it S down again lingered doing doing nothing S 'S What That Is it Sarah I naked asked S. S Q Oh Ob Nothing I I guess y Mrs rs 5 Avery very she answered S. S Oh Ob o como coma now Sarah arah I deL deI demanded de de- de- de L I tell ll mel meli melS S t- t i It t isn't n really rc important I 1 guess Mrs Avery And yet I think Id I'd feel more r cor comfortable i If ii I i told old you about 1 it iC Its It's about the Little House 55 I iY Yes s I 1 encouraged her Well I went down there this aj S jno morning S ing while you c u were weri sleeping sleeping- tho the way way Y I always do the day before before before be be- fore the picnic I always sweep 1 it S sout ou ut and tl dust dust up a little and see i U It everything is 13 all nIl right And wasn't everything all right there this morning S S Everything was in m o order a r. r But Bu Butt t r welL well I have a fee feeling Mrs Mra jp J Avery that somebody slept there last ast night Wh What makes you think so Well for one thing when I was doing the floor something clattered under tinder the mop I hunted a long while before I could find It You see ee it was just the color of the floor But finally I got it It was one of those wooden collar butto buttons s which come come from the laundry in mens men's shirts Yes I said interrogatively That wasn wasn't t all Sarah contin contin- i Outside in the bushes I found one of of those sheets of stiff still cardboard cardboard card- card board the laundries put In mens men's shirts to keep them from getting wrinkled Somebody ody might have used the LUtle little House to dress for the masquerade masquerade mas mas- de I said slowly although I cant can't imagine anybody doing that without asking rig my permission Of course we never think of locking it t. t Somebody slept there Mrs Avery Sarah said with decision The couch had been used You know enow we keep some comforters folded up in the closet Nobody touches ouches those comforters but me mend and nd I always fold them a particular lar ar way way the the way I fc fold ld everything the way you taught me Whoever used ed them folded them too but very cry carelessly I wouldn't say anything about itt It Ito 5 t to o any of the girls who are coming comingo to o the picnic r I advised It uIt Isn't Important really really so so long as no harm larm was done Of course I dont don't like to think of strangers tramps strangers tramps or r whatever whatever sleeping sleeping in the Little House ouse It doesn't frighten me though But some of the girls might feel a little frightened about going there Oh I wouldn't say a word about it t to anybody Sarah declared iving me a reproachful look You Youcan Youcan can an trust me for that I know I can I said giving her er an affectionate look I came downstairs and arid dawdled for or about an The day was languorously beautiful uI The afternoon afternoon after- after noon oon was unnaturally tranquil Garden scents drifted onto my piazza pizza pi pi- azza and into my house I do not remember that my telephone usually usually ally lly so busy jangled on once e. e Everybody Ev I remembered reflecting is is sleeping it off otT I remembered too oo wondering how many people stayed until sunrise at the Stow party arty party About three o'clock Sylvia came came ame trudging up the thc driveway dri Her face was flushed from two hours of play in the sun Dorinda Belle Belie looked a a little the worse for wear Did Nancy come I asked No Aunt Mary Sylvia an an- She didn't come at all alland alland alland and Dorinda Belle hasn't been I crowned yet She laid her carefully care careS fully down on the chair beside her How Dorinda Belle glitters I exclaimed that yo youve you've ve tied around her hex waist it beautiful ul I found hound it on the path Bring it over to me rue honey Sylvia trotted to my side aide bear bear- ing ng Dorinda Belle O Oh its it's a buckle I I I. I exclaimed And its it's a n very beautiful old onet one It t looks like Spanish paste Somebody Some Some- body ody must have dropped it coming comingo to o the party Im I'm afraid Ill I'll have to o take it away from you dear W Well We'll ll have to find out who lost it it itI I remember that at I started to ex ex- ex amine the buckle closely But at that that exact moment the telephone I rang Before I took up the receiver receiver re reo re- re quite mechanically 1 slipped the glittering thing into a little Dresden box on the table nearest me me Fr From m that precise in instant instant stant I I. I did not think of that buckle again until But But I 1 must n not t n a antici anticipate pate my own wn story It was Sam Chess Ace Blaikle's Blaikie's negro man on the wire I 1 had knO Sam for tor twenty five years Is that you Mrs Mra Avery Sam asked Yes Sam What is iti itt Mrs Avery Doctor Blaikie Blaikle aint got home yet from the party And some of his pa patients keeps I calling I jess less wondered i if you knew where he was or when I 1 could expect h him n. n I sort of ot feel kind of worried Mrs Avery I haven't the remotest Idea Sam where he Is I replica He left the party before the unmask ing mg I lIeU left it about two o'clock an and anCS he had not come back by then and I fancy he didn't come back at all But you know Doctor You ought to know him well enough by this time not to worry wor war ry 57 and not to expect him until you see him I reckon I know that tha about Doctor Mrs Avery But he didn't even come back here hereto to change his clothes and you know how ho was dressed I wouldn't worry about Doctor Blaikie if iC I were you II I reassured Sam The punch was very delicious de de- licious and ond there was plenty of C it Sam laughed too and Doctor he Blaikie-he he certainly likes punch It Did he come over in his own car Sam I asked No Mrs Lane took him over Mrs Lane Lan said shen sheen Mr Lane came crime home alone They couldn't find Doctor Blaikie when they started started started start start- ed home Its likely Sam Sara that you you'll get geta a telephone call any moment now from rom Doctor Blaikie asking you to bring some clothes to him wherever wherever where ever he spent the night Hes He's probably probe ably still asleep I guess that's right Thank you Mrs Avery I had hardly put the telephone down when Sarah Darbe appeared I brought some things down to the Little House this morning Mrs Avery she explained I have always always al al- al ways done that the day before our picnic but I feel a little worried about leaving them there But I 1 think they'll be all right Sarah I said Sarah cast me a meaning look Id Td feel better Mrs Avery i if they were safe saCe in hi the house I Ire re remember remember member I took the silver pie I was wondering i if Sylvia would like ike to walk down to the Little House with me I think think d better stay here Sarah I said I think she's beginning be ginning to feel tired How many times since I have thanked all my my gods that tha t I did not let ct Sylvia Sylvin go with Sarah Th The ten minutes or more which it took Sarah to go to the Little House and return it return it happened that she came back ack by the path which h led up to the he side entrance at the left of the thc were house louse were the last happy moments mo mo- moments ments I was to know for lor many a day lay Suddenly I heard swift footsteps pounding around the farther corner of the piazza Rugs deafened them but ut on the hard wood they boomed like ike quick drums dl Even before Sar Sar- Ij s' s V I M MS S ii I I Ici ci J c That Coolness Rapidly Became me methe the Frigidity of Horror ah Darbes Darbe's hoarse strained horror voice carefully muted called Mrs Avery Mrs Avery I knew that those footsteps were loaded with panic Stay here Sylvia I ordered I leaped from th the hammock ran around my corner of the piazza to meet Sarah Sarah's brown face had turned Her brown browneyes browneyes browneyes eyes were starting out of her head Oh my God Mrs Avery she whispered Doctor Blaikie is lying lyng ly ly- ing ng dead in the Spinney I think hes he's been murdered Horror Terror Confusion Contusion And horror terror confusion all woven together Fortunately I kept my head Fortunately Fortunately For For- Sarah kept hers I leaped I to the telephone got the Geary I house hous immediately Luckily Joe I Geary was at home Then I called the police station Luckily Patrick OBrien O'Brien was in Joe Geary arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived a n minute nute or two before Pat Pat- rick The Instant I dropped the receiver receiver re re- re- re celver liB Bessie Bessle essie I called There must have been some strident terror terror terror ter ter- ter- ter in my voice for Bessie came running from the kitchen Bessle Bessie Bes lIes sic sie I ordered take Sylvia over overto overto overto to to the Stows Mr and Mrs Stow are arc out motoring I saw them on the causeway a iii little while ago But tell Caddie and Jessie that an accident has occurred over here and to keep Sylvia there Tell them to ask Mrs Stow to call me up the instant she gets in lit Tell o one e of them to call up all the girls who were coming here tomorrow and tell them that the picnic must be postponed Then come back here at once Sarah will tell you what has happened I never saw Bessie's dimples iron out of her face so swiftly or so 50 completely She gave one look at Sarah's stricken aspect and went vent Immediately out onto the piazza Come honey I heard her say in her softest and gentlest tones you and mes me's going to take a nice little walk By this time Joe Geary had ar ar- ar- ar rived Soon Patrick approached and I could see sec that there was a policeman policeman police police- policeman man beside him on the seat scat two on the running-board running three on motorcycles motorcycles mo mo- mo- mo following the motor The two on the motor board dropped oft of where the road from Crom the village ran into Second Head Head on on guard I 1 guessed at once Patricks Patrick's' car came Into my drive the three motorcycles mo mo- followed With one of his swift leaps Patrich Patrick Patrick Pat Pat- rick rich was out of the car and across across across' the he piazza St Stay y here until I whistle whistle whis whis- tle tic he ho called caned over his shoulder to the four policemen Lucky you were at home Joe he comment comment- ed Sarah and I accompanied them themo to o the farthest end of the piazza There we women faltered Mary Patrick begged it If you youcan youcan can cnn bear to stand it I wish you'd come with us For the first t time I saw that Patrick's Patricks Patricks Patrick's Pat Pat- ricks rick's Irish gray eyes were we're filled with tears I began to to- s sob b help- help lessly essly Yes Ill I'll come I agreed You come too Sarah Sarahl Joe Joo ordered ordered ordered or or- dered br briefly efly We had scarcely stopped for this brief dialogue All the time we |