| Show r THREE SHUTTERED HOUSES By BEN EN AMES WILLIAMS iaM SERVICE CHAPTER Continued III-Continued XII Continued 12 12 Tope handed June the pad on which he hc had been writing and Clint stood at her shoulder should r so that they read it t together Miss l began getting supper before dark Everyone came to supper except Mrs Bowdon The They came in rela relays s About Mrs Tame Taine came to put Mr and Mrs Hurder to bed About eight Asa Tame Taine came for a cup of tea used milk out of at the bottle f After he left len Mrs Taine Tame heated heated heated heat heat- ed milk for Mr and Mrs Hurd Hurdd er ere Rab Taine Tame came in to say good night The milk was on the stove He stood near the stove Then he left for Providence About Mrs Tame Taine left Mr and Mrs Hurder in bed About Miss Leaford turned out downstairs lights and went to her room About she met Clint outside About 1105 Clint and Miss Leaford returned and stopped in front of at the house About 1110 they saw the fire At 1119 exactly the alarm was rung in The apparatus arri arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar ri rived ed at exactly 1123 Mrs Taine Tame and Asa arrived at the fire about 1121 At exactly 1151 Mrs Tame Taine put in a call for Providence to her son While June and Clint studied this schedule in silence Tope explained A You know when you went went- upstairs upstairs upstairs up up- stairs and when you went out to meet Clint and Ive I've guessed at the times tunes before that I know when the alarm was rung in and when the apparatus arrived and by allowing allowing allowing al al- al- al lowing for all you and Clint did after you saw the fire and before the apparatus apparatus apparatus ap ap- arrived I can figure out about the time you ou saw the fire Yes June said This seems about right Ive a record of the call to Providence Providence Providence Tope added How bad badas was vas as the fire then when then when your aunt went to phone The whole house was burning June decided Tope nodded Theres one other question Ive I've got to ask you he said gravely Do you think anyone any anyone anyone one of your of-your your relatives might have given your mother poison Or set the house on fire No no June whispered They were hard and stubborn but but but- No No Did any of them except your r mother ever take a sleeping pow der he insisted She hesitated Why yes she said doubtfully Uncle Justus did And she explained in a faint amusement amusement amusement amuse amuse- ment He really had insomnia sometimes It seems odd because he could always sleep in a chair but sometimes he couldn't sleep in bed Doctor Cabler gave him some tablets once but Aunt Evie took them away way from him wouldn't let him use them So poor Uncle Justus used to ask me to give him a tablet out of at Mothers Mother's bottle now and then and I know Rab took some for him once When was that Tope asked gravely About a month ago June reflected re reo I found Rab in the bathroom bathroom bathroom bath bath- room he told me 1 Tope wagged his head but he did not push this matter further Did you know Miss Thayer he be asked Her names name's Lissa Yes June assented That Is I saw her sometimes when I was walking in the woods Did you ever see your cousin Asa with her Tope asked The girl shook shock her head and Tope explained explained explained ex ex- I saw them kiss each other tonight tonight to to- night at the fire They were back in the shadows but I saw Asa June cried incredulously You never knew anything about that Oh no she declared But i if As Ass Ash loved her he wouldn't have dared tell anyone They'd have been furious Aunt Evic Evie and Grandma Bowdon I mean i You think so Tope prompted her er I Yes Mother used to tell me meShe meShe me- me She hesitated went bravely on Mother used to tell me that if it I 1 married without their consent they would crush me They did crush her you know Inspector rope Tope nodded and he he picked his words with care You remember Mr who Lived In th the cabin In n the woods woods the the man you called Uncle Jim You liked lilted him didn't you Yes she said So much He went away a after ler Mother died Hes come back the Inspector said Where is he she cried eagerly eager eager- ly Tope hesitated he confessed at last Inspector Heale is holding him b You u mean mean arrested arrested him Her cheek was pale Heale Neale thought he might have had something to do do- do Oh she protested in loyal pride Uncle Jim No no He came back at noon today Tope explained Came back asking asking asking ask ask- ing for you Miss 1 Leaford I used to be a policeman Im I'm trying to find out what happened out there You understand that we are sure your mother somehow was poi pol- coned Someone put some extra tablets tablets tab tab- lets in that glass of milk she drank It might have been done while the milk was still in the bottle in Mrs Bowdon's refrigerator Or afterward afterward afterward after after- ward in your grandmothers grandmother's kitchen or on the way upstairs irs or after it was taken upstairs And anyone might have done it Anyone at all The girl was trembling but her eyes were stead steady And when he did not speak she cried Why should they do a thing like that He said slowly They might have been afraid afraid arald afraid of something we dont don't know about Or wanting some some- thing And he spoke to Miss Moss Justus Taine has all the wills Bowdon's Bowdon's Bowdon's Bow Bow- dons don's and He wouldn't tell me what's in them They'll be public public public pub pub- lic by and by but there but there may not nott t f r a Clint whoever cr did this Is a monster not human be time His tone was deeply trou trou- bled He spoke to June You and your cousins would inherit all the money I expect he said All the money in the family I dont don't know she confessed Was there much But before he could answer she cried crie i That doesn't matter now though Rising Rising Ris Ris- ing tag anger steadied her I want to know who killed my mother she said Tope looked at her Mean that do you Of course Because he said you can help find out This is ugly business to talk about hard har i to believe But Bilt Miss Leaford your grandpa Mr Hurder is out there in that house near dying It wouldn't take much to make him die Whoever set fire to the house last night wants him dead deadY And after alter a moment Tope added soberly They refuse to have havea a nurse for him He shook his head he said in a agrim agrim grim and stricken tone I think think theres there's an insane murderer murderer murderer mur mur- derer loose out there there insane insane and arid clever as a cat Hes He's managed to get by so far without leaving a trace Its It's the first time tune in forty years that Ive I've seen a case without one single lead Clint cried What are are you ou getting getting get get- ting at Inspector Tope hesitated for a moment He Ignored Clint said slowly then Theres one more thing you ought to know Miss Leaford Inspector Heale has arrested this man you call caU Uncle Jim Heale Neale thinks he did it it B But t why should he she protest protest- ed What reason had he And Tope said briefly kindly father June Hes your I For a long moment then silence held them all June Junc sat still and I the color drained out of her checks cheeks I till she was white as snow Clint caught her and she clung to him yet she did not hide her face from them She star stared l at Inspector Tope and her eyes were streaming and her lips worked as though though she she would speak but bul no words came She Shewa wa watched him and tears streamed down her cheeks checks and she began begrin to hiccough with smothered sobs t Tope spoke slowly in explicit terms Your mother ran away with him when she was a girl he said By and by they came came home to live and after two years th there re the old folks broke it itt up Mrs Bowdon and Mrs Taine he told me turned your our mother against him He Be said Mr and Mrs Hurder were on his his his' side but the others broke them down Finally he left He wanted your mother to go with him but she was afraid so he went away alone And he explained He didn't know about you till afterward years afterward When you were about ten years old he came back and met you you you-in in the woods and you told him who you were So he stayed to be near you lived in the they cabin there They wanted to put him off of the thc land but there wasn't any divorce dl di vorce and he hc threatened to make trouble unless they let him stay He didn't ask anything of them except except ex ex- to be near you to see you sometimes He looked at Miss Moss sure she would understand I guess he still loved Kitty Leaford he said saidI When she died it hit him hard He went away but he came back yesterday esterday says says' he was asleep in his cabin all last night So Heale has locked him up to It would seem simple enough Heale she pointed out He Heale ale will say that Mr Leaford killed Mrs Leaford and then the so that June would inherit their mon mon- ey Then he could claim June as his daughter and get her and the money too June moved about to speak and Clint held her close She said faintly I can remember once when I Iwas Iwas Iwas was a little girl Aunt Evie tried to tomake tomake tomake make me stay away from him and andI I 1 told him and he came to the thc house to see her and after that she never bothered me mo But he didn't do this She rubbed her eyes with her hands like one just w waking she stood up supporting sup sup- porting herself by Clints Clint's arm Oh I 1 want to do something she cried What can I l' do The Inspector said soberly This il if i you want to he said I know its it's n not t safe l for r you yoU yoU- Safe she exclaimed ed almost scornfully I dont don't want to be safe with my mother dead and my fa father father- ther Mr Hurder's Harders in the Bowdon house Tope explained They aim to keep him there They wont won't have havea a nurse in to take care of him But Miss Leaford they'd have you They want you home and aId i if you went and insisted on nursing him him him- Clint made a swift indignant protest protest protest pro pro- test but June hushed him Yes I understand she told the theman theman theman man steadily Ill go But why What am I to do To watch he said To be ready Ready for what she insisted So reluctantly he put the thing in words Whoever did this wants Mr Hurder dead he pointed outI out outI outI I think therell there'll be another try at killing him And he said gravely There might be more than that There might be a try at killing you CHAPTER X I 0 Clint had listened to Inspector Topes Tope's suggestion that June return to Kenesaw Hill with an incredulous and angry horror Now he cried ina in ina a bitter wrath No o I wont won't stand for that Junes June's been through enough enough- Well be there to take care of her Tope urged You and I Clin Clint Well We'll be on the job Its It's only for tonight Ive I've Ivea a a notion tonight tonight tonight to to- night will tell telf the tale taie No Clint Insisted through with them out there all those people Im I'm going to be bc all her family from now now on I If you think Im I'm going to to let her go out there for bait to bait a trap trap trap- And he cried Why do you have to mix in ln Inspector Let them wash the l lown own dirty linen Tope urged gravely Its any citizens citizen's citizens cit cit cit- izen's duty to do do what he be can Clint His tone was grim And Andson Andson Andson son theres there's a murderer loose out there Maybe a maniac I I. I think he is Theres There's a terrible mad persistence persistence persistence per per- in him Or her Her Clint echoed startled by bytha that tha t pronoun Tope hesitated Him or her whoever whoever whoever who who- ever it is he repeated Clint whoever did this is a monster not human No telling what will come next And you want to risk Junes June's life I dont don't aim to Tope argued Shell have her eyes open Ill I'll tell her what to watch for Shell She'll have a pistol to use if it she has toWell toWell toWell to Well We'll be right outside He spoke to June herself hersel You wont won't go into it blindly he said Nor at all unless unless unless un un- less you want Let Heale work it out Clint cried Its his job June was a long time in taking any part in this discussion between them But when she spoke at last it was decisively I dont don't trust Inspector Heale Clint Clint she said I If he thinks Uncle Uncle Unde Un Un- cle de Jim Jim my my father father did did this he must be a dull witless man I They watched her she seemed to think aloud It was money the tho money always she cried half halt to herself I can see that now Everything Everything Everything Every Every- thing had to be done to keep the money in the family That was why they were so furious when Mother married Uncle Jim Jim for for fear tear some of the money would get away from rom them Oh Ob Ive I've heard them talk and plan Clint said warmly Sweet hush Youre You're never going back there again But June smiled at him and she said Yes I am Clint I 1 can go goback goback goback back and watch and see things now that I couldn't see before I 1 can understand Inspector Tope said slowly Heale is afraid of your people He wont won't go after them hard the way he would after other folk And I 1 never saw an uglier business This senseless pitiless butchering Theres There's a maniac loose out there and Heale wont won't act Ive I've got to find some way Ill do whatever you say June insisted and Clint knew at last that he could not dissuade the girl He said slowly I wish you wouldn't June But ButI I 1 I can see can feel th the same way Inspector what do you mean to todo todo todo do Tope considered his eyes on the floor his head wagging I think the thing will ripen tonight he con con- If it seems sure that Mr Hurder will live the murderer will try to end him tonight He watched June intently And maybe you too Im I'm guessing at this but Im I'm a good guesser Some Someone Someone Someone one out there is money Mr Hurder is a rich man and someone someone some some- one out there wants that money Maybe wants it quick Maybe has hasto hasto hasto to have it quick Im lm guessing he be repeated ted Justus Tame Taine wouldn't tell me what was in the wills But my guess is istha that tha t the Hurder money is in a trust agreement for Mrs Leaford but Leaford-but but she's dead dead and and then for you Miss Leaford With trustees Maybe l Taine Tame himself Maybe his sons It doesn't matter matter wouldn't wouldn't help uS us any any if we knew new because they're all allin allin allin in the same pot together But it comes down to it that youre you're the only one left in the way Miss Lea- Lea ford With you dead the he Hurder moneys money's bound to stay in the Tame Taine family June nodded Yes es she said Yes they could make Grandpa Hurder write his will the way they thoy wanted it They'd leave him no peace till he did So there It is Tope agreed with a grim simplicity The Thc mOTley money mon mosi- ey waiting ready to run into pockets as soon as Mr Hurder cu di s. s Youre You're the last dam in the thc way the thelast thelast thelast last thing that holds it back The They'll ll be after you ou Im not afraid said June TO BE HE CONTINUED |
