OCR Text |
Show :! What fit Qmj Mens MM I The Mystery of a Haunted Mansion W. N. TJ. Service - i , ; Copyright by Wyndham Martyn B W$?tttf ?2CJ?S T'lttrtySt 4 nnd everyone Is fixed, and now you bust up the party I" "How were you going to have taken It away, if there's so much of It?" "The road Is going to be put under repair after dark, and ull traffic will detour That leaves us uninterrupted. We've got forty ten-ton trucks all ready. They'll get busy at the right time, and take out the stuff, which wilt be down at that lake by Boyle's barn. There won't be a hitch. This is a great fixing game, and I know how to fix the guys that might be Id the way. This Is big business," said Jim proudly. "Appleton expected to have two hundred thousand bucks to night." Jim was a gambler. He shrugged his shoulders. He had lost before. "Who killPd Sniucker?" Hanby de mandpd suddenly. "I.uigi. Served him right. He was trying to croak him, the dirty little rat I It was Justifiable homicide, ull right Pon't you waste no tears about Smucker. He come here to bump you off. I found him trying to set fire to the thicket, that night when we had that big gale, and the wind was blow Inn on to yoar house." "Let's get this straight," said Hanby, Han-by, when he bad listened to other particulars. "You and I.uigi were, going go-ing to put these case goods In the stream, where they would float down to Royle's place unseen. At Boyle's the same trucks that are working on the new road would he waiting. These would take the stuff and dispose of it Is that right?" "Positively, boss. Everything was fixed but your gang." "Show me where it is hidden," Han by said. "1 wouldn't try to escape If I were you. Those boys will shoot." At the edge of the large clearing carefully stacked in piles, the searchers search-ers found thousands of cases of whisky, brandy, and old wines. Jim explained that there had been exhaustive ex-haustive experiments as to the length of time they would take to float downstream down-stream under the road nnd come to rest In Boyle's lake. "It's a straightaway trip but for one place," Jim volunteered. "We found they jammed there sometimes, so we greased the boards, and now they ride pretty." "What about the Seymour stuff under the lumber in the big cellar?" Hanby asked "That wasn't to go yet. I think Appleton wat going to nake a deal with you direct when the time came. He wouldn't have no difficulty in selling sell-ing that. You can get any price for stuff that is absolutely old and genuine. genu-ine. There'- lots of people afraid of getting wood-alcoholized yet." Jim pointed to the cases all ready for the journey. "Tills is ill honest-to-goodness stuff," he went on. "but It ain't old. like it used to be. and it don't do a guy any good to lap it up when It's only two years old. I know, t've bin in the saloon business. Appleton trusted trust-ed me because I'm off the stuff f keeps. I.uigi, he drinks the cheapest sort of wine, like they used to make every morning Ir the red-Ink joints in the city. I'll say Appleton was a good picker. I don't yet get just how you butted In." Hanhy did not satisfy the fellow's zeal for knowledge. What followed puzzled Jim very much, but he made no remarks. He labored under the delusion that Leslie wns anxious to shoot. Nor did Luigl understand, but he. too, thought that his salvation lay In readiness to obey. Without pause he, Jim. Pelham, and Junior dumped the cases Into the stream. Darkness was coming on when they finished. Jim had told them that by midnight the entire mass would be on Boyle's property, where Boyle and his sons would help to load them on the trucks. "1 can't keep the stufl," Hanby had explained to Burton, "and I want It seized on some one else's property. You can bet Appleton will keep bis mouth closed !" (TO BE CONTINUED.) CHAPTER X Continued 19 "Who wag It telephoned me all that Stuff about keeping It a bird snnctu-ary?" snnctu-ary?" 'Fred did," she answered. "1 sug gested tt, and got the data out of a magazine. Rather clever, wasn't It? We were dreadfully upset when you bought tt. You wouldn't have done so If you hadn't known Douglas person ally, because everything, as a rule, went through Fred's bands. We tried everything 'threats of violence, at tempts to prey on your superstition. Everything failed but the attempt to make you feel that yon were doing a noble thing In protecting the birds." She bod a musical laugh. "You don't mind my laughing, do you?" she asked of Hanby. "It really was so quaint 1" "Go ahead I" he said grimly. "The laugh was on me then, but there's a useful old proverb about those who laugh last." "Oh, you're on top now," she said ; "and I'm not even asking you to -he generous or forgiving. I'm asking you not to be silly and get a dreadful f lot of notoriety. Your wife and daughters daugh-ters would hate tt. We have lived here without your permission. That was wrong, but It can be adjusted. As God Is my witness, we saved you from that dreadful little anarchist Smucker. That's a pretty good score for us. If the case comes to trial the murder, I mean 1 will testify to the fact that Smucker taunted Professor Pro-fessor Burton, and that the professor killed him In self-defense." "I deny tt absolutely 1" cried Burton. Bur-ton. "This thing must be cleared up. I have my career to think of." "And a most useful one, no doubt.'-Appleton doubt.'-Appleton said politely. "I shall be glad to testify that on the whole you behaved well. I shall assure the court that had 1 believed you were really the celebrated Professor Burton, 1 should not have detained you." He turned to Hanby. "We thought the poor man merely believed himself to be the learned professor." "Lies, lies!" shouted Burton. "1 have no man's blood on my hands I demand that the police be called in Immediately I" "What for?" Appleton asked. "To arrest me for trespass?" "I am not thinking of trespass. 1 am thinking of murder." "What murder?" Appleton asked pleasantly. "Iu murder cases there is always needed a corpus delicti a murdered man. Where Is he In this case? Can you produce him, professor?" profes-sor?" "Quite the best thing to do," said the woman, "Is to let us go away. I have a good many things here, but I could leave tonight. I suy tonight, because we don't want to be seen. These people the professor and that nice-looking boy have grievances against us, 1 admit, but In both in stances It was their own fault. The boy assaulted a friend and almost killed him." "Did you, Les?" Junior demanded. "It was some fellow who hung around the house at night. Celia suw him, and called him a wild faun Naturally I wasn't going to stand for that, so 1 laid for him and started something." "Very jolly of you I" said the woman, wom-an, smiling. "Wouldn't the yellow papers enjoy writing ubout it? i think you acted splendidly, but the reporters wouldn't They make most fearful fun of youth and moonlight and romance. I'm sure Miss Hanby would enjoy It. We'll promise to be gone before daybreak tomorrow. You see, we huven't done any damage. Mr Mutiny, what Is it to be?" "I'll have to talk this over In pri vate," he decided. "We will await your decision," Ap pleton said, smiling. "But not here," returned Hanby "I'm going to lock you up till 1 know ; what Is to be the outcome." He smiled a little, and looked at the I woman. "I'm a little afraid of you. 1 I think you may be the brains of this whole affair. You shall occupy Leslie's Les-lie's cell for a while." The laughing look died from her face. Hanby had been right In thinking her a dangerous person. "I won't go 1" she cried. But in the end Appleton persuaded her. His attitude was perfect He commended llauby on his decision. "You are quite Justified," he said benignly. "We are admitted trespassers, tres-passers, and have no locus standi. I consider that you are well within your rights. Come, Belle, don't be silly I It will only be for a little while." Belle, who know him and his moods better than anyone else, was not deceived, de-ceived, as were the others. The men, watching, thought they saw Appleton Ap-pleton serene In the consciousness of having committed no heinous sins. 'k Belle knew that murder was In his heart at that moment '.'Now, l.es and Junior," said Han by, when the doors had been shut on the captured pair, "go down and bring up the wild faun. Stick your guns In his ribs. If he has any sense, he'll come quietly." ; "I'll go, too," said Bill Pelham. "I tied tboss toots." 1- When they had gone. Burton turned to his cousin. "Hit." be cried, "you don't think I killed that man?" "Not for a minute; but you might have a lot of trouble explaining things, all the same. I'm relieved at his death, I'll admit I didn't lei! Dina. or even Bill, but Mrs. Smuckei warned me that he had stolen some money from his old father, and had prohatiiy fought a gun. He was seen nt the O'-and Central, where he In quired iow to get to Pine ' Plains Mrs. Sniucker said he had made threnis to kill me. That ties up with ApplTNm's story. No matter what other reasons he had. I believe he din kepp Smucker from trying to kill me." " you mean to let them go . then ?" "It will depend on what we get from this thug that Les and Junior are bringing." Jim Delaney had too much sense to try to escape from three armed men. The fortunes ot war had 1 clutnced. and he was already considering consid-ering the favorable position ot one who turns state's evidence. He . sal where Hanhy directed him. He could see that the owner of the Gray house was not to be trifitvl with. "It's enough for you to Know ' Hanby began, "that Appleton and j Pielle are shut wa In those cells We know all ubout them. I'm going go-ing to ask you some questions Lie If you want to." "I'm not going to lie, boss." responded re-sponded Jim eagerly. "That wouldu't do me no good now, would It?" "None at all, but I don't want to Influence you. Bill, take down his evidence, please. Just explain who you are. and why you and that " "Lulgi." Jim volunteered. "He's a wop from Sicily. Him and me ire employed by Appleton. We've been storing the stuff and guarding It.' Jim smiled ruefully. "I don't know who give us away, but you certainlj came when it did the most harm!" "Naturally," Hanhy commented wholly ignorant of what the othet meant. "I'm giving you the opportunity oppor-tunity of telling me all about it in your own way." "It all began," Jim declared, "when Appleton bought Seymour's hooze. This Seymour was a rich man. His wife wns from a swell family In the South, und he expected to live here all his life. He hud the house on a lease, with the option of purchase, and he meant to buy, see? So he sends home to England for a stock of booze whisky in barrels, and port in wood, and liqueurs, and chain pagnes. and everything a man wants. Them guys in England, when they're well fixed, buy wholesale, and they all have cellars and outlers to look after them. This Seymour, he put In enough so he'd never have to buy anything else If he lived to be a hundred. hun-dred. When his kids was drowned and his w.fe died, he went back home, and, although he was past fifty, he got Into lib old regiment. Then his three brothers wns killed in the war and he's a lord or something. Money wasn't anything to him. He wanted to get out of this place, and he liked Appleton. so he took Appleton's check for the cellar. What does Appleton do but get Luigl to build a wall across one end of It? uigi's a mason ma-son by trade. Appleton wasn't like me. I thought prohibition was a joke when it come In. I was tending bar down on Third avenue. Appleton had friends in Washington, and they knew hooze was out for keeps." Jim was here permitted to light a cigar, while Bill put down the main Incidents In this recital. "Yes." Jim went on reflectively, "that give Appleton the idea. He knew booze was going to be scarce, so he st a ted to make a place to cache it in till the price was right and he could dispose of It all at one crack. He made new plans of the house, nnd left out the cellar where the stuff was stored. I guess that fooled you Mr. Hanby." "It .lid." Hanby admitt d. "He'll fool anybody," said Jim, who was enjoying the Interest aroused .y his story. "I'M say he's the slickest bird I've come across. He plans for the year after next that's the sort of guy lie Is. He hud the lake partly part-ly filled In. Then he hud some dago laborers fix the strcuui, build a tunnel In here, and make the place livable They didn't know what they .wns do Ing, and didn't care, so long as they wns paid good. Then he put I.uigi In as caretaker. You sj.? t lie cops were afier Luifcl, and he didn't stand a chance with that build of his. Any dick could a' nabbed him any time. Luigl likes to drink an 1 sleep, and this was men: to him." "What did you do?" Pelham asked "I used to t .oot the stuff down toe stream. 1 used to get It on the bouts from friends, drive up to the upper road, and put the cases under the culvert so they'd drift down here Luigi would pile 'em urt. so that when the day come he could dump 'em In the stream and they'd drift down to Boyle's farm. 1 guess we're out of luck. Tonight's the night Everything |