OCR Text |
Show Again the musical laugh was heard. "That would be most unwise over the telephone wires, wouldn't It? No we are warniug you that It would be safer to take your family somewhere else. Why not a trip round the world? Or ttiere are wonderful places In Long Island. You will find Pine Plains very cold in winter." "If this Is a Joke, It's a rotten one !" Hanby cried angrily. "II Is more a Joke to me than to you." said the unseen woman. "1 scarcely think your family will con sidet It a Joke when you are found dead ; but perhaps they may. One never knows. Well, this Is your las' warning." At this point tlanby was cut off. He shouted for Junior. Junior, startled by the unusual vigor of bis father's voice, came running. "I've Just had a long-distance," said his father. "It Is very important that I should trace from what station It was sent. Now, Father Sherlock, do your 8tulTl" "You bet I" replied Junior eagerly "It was a woman who spoke an educated woman with a youngish voice," continued Hanby. "I'm In tne library with Mr. Pelham. Let me know what happens." Pelham looked up as his friend en tered. There was something different about him now. The look of Inde termination was gone. "Hil, you look as if you were about to scrap with some one, and rather enjoyed the prospect." . "That's exactly how 1 feel," Hanbj said. "Rill, it Is nothing new to a five-dollnr-a-day detective to hear thai know that she was born In Manhattan." Manhat-tan." "This woman was English," Dtna said, "and I'll prove It. She didn't say, as we do, 'around the world. She said 'round the world.' The English Eng-lish always do that An American woman would say "on Long Island. If you recall it, she said 'In Long Island.' That's like the English They say 'in the street when we say 'on the street' I'm certain It was an Englishwoman." Mis Hanby paused as Junior came in, wearing an air of Importance. "The call came from a booth at Grand Central," be reported. "It's Impossible to trace It any more than that. It wasn't long disiance at all." Hanby rang the bell for Mary Sloan "Why did you say I was wanted on the long-distance?" he Inquired, when the maid appeared. "The lady said, 'This is long-dis tance. I waul Mr. Hilton Hanby'" When Mary had gone, Hanby turned to his wife. "The woman must have spoken some distance from the instrument, because it sounded like a long-dis tance. Very carefully done I Dina. do you still want to go through with It?" "Of course 1 dol Do you suppose I'll have any other woman threatening threaten-ing my man?" Dina's eyes flashed. Pelham looked at her closely, t was a new Dlna to him. It was a woman who would fight like a tigress to save the man who was dear to her. Pelham knew that no word of his would sway the Hanbys. Standing together, as they Invariably did, they were not to be deterred. "As the house detective," he said, "1 realize that my clients have stum peded. I .only recommend that no member of this household should go up there alone. Safety in numbers! All expeditions are to be accompanied by the house detective, or he resigns. Ail traveling expenses Incurred by the said detective must be paid (or by his principals." Celia and Leslie Barron Interrupted them. Celia, at nineteen, was one of those lovely, vital children of the age, Incapable of fatigue, eager for fun, gifted with much wisdom where men were concerned, and intolerant of an age where chaperonage flourished flour-ished and young people went to bed early. Leslie Barron was a silent youth Through family Influence he might some day occupy a distinguished posl tion In 'his father's bank. New Haven had Just lost him, but he liked col lege so well that he was returning for postgraduate . work which, he thought, would he less tedious than work In the elder Barron's bank. It was his aim in life to marry Celia, but of her consent he was not yet sure. "Well, Dina darling," said Celia, putting her arm about her mother. "Why this high color and the sparkling eyes? Has dad found out that you love Bill?" "I'm fighting mad because 1 listened lis-tened In and found your father talking talk-ing to an Englishwoman with a lovely voice." "Dad's perfectly safe," Celia retorted. re-torted. "Sometimes I think we're not modern enough. 1 don't know a sin gle household where the father and mother are like you two. Wandering parents, all of them. Sometimes I think mother Is a sort of Ingrowing vamp." "She Is," laughed Hanby. "Whenever "When-ever I try to escape, she practices her devilish wiles on me. Do you think you can stand Les for a whole summer? sum-mer? I want him up at Pine Plains." "You must dilute him with other boys," she retorted. "I couldn't stand having nothing but Les all that time." Celia looked at him, laughing. "See how eagerly he snaps at your Invitation Invita-tion I" "1 accepted last week," said Les. 'as soon as Junior knew about this new house. I've made plans for a golf course already." "Who was the lady witb the lovely voice?" Celia asked. She knew that she had interrupted an unusual conversation. "I'm not going to give myselt away before your mother and all these witnesses. wit-nesses. Go away and dance. We will Join you presently." When she had gone, Hanby turned to Pelham. "Dina and I don't want Celia and the others to know. Junior Is dif ferent. We shan't be going for a month, and things may have explained themselves by then." "1 hope not," said Bill Pelham. "1 want to earn my money." (TO BE CONTINUED.) fYYVTTYTTVYTYYYYYYYYYYT What the I t Gray House J i Hid 3 : 3 I 5 - The Mystery of a Haunted Mansion 3 I : t- by Wynclham Martyti ' 1 W. N. TJ. Service Copyright by Wyndham Alartyn . THE STORY Hilton Hanby prosperous New York merchant, has purchased a country place the Gray house, near Ptne Plains Miss Selenos, a former tenant of the Gray house, warns him that the house Is under a curse. Further alarming alarm-ing aetails are Impressed upon Adolf Smucker, Hanby's secretary, secre-tary, by a man who claims to have been chauffeur for Sir Stanford Stan-ford Seymour, former occupant of the place. The Hanbys laugh off the warnings, as some form of practical joke. But they are shocked when they hear that the caretaker whom they have put In charge of the Gray house, a man named Kerr, has been mysteriously mysteri-ously nurdered Hanby consults nls friend Pelham. The family starts for the new home. Apple-ton, Apple-ton, a clerk of Douglas and 3mith, the agents from whom Hanby bought the Gray house, explains to Pelham, that a dangerous dan-gerous pond near the house. In which several children have been drowned, has since been filled In, but he urges Pelham to dissuade Hanby from occupying the Gray house. Hanby and Junior learn that the caretaker was known to the police as "Red Chapln" and had a bad record. Hanby considers asking Leslie Barron, long an admirer of Celia, and a husky youth, to Join the house party. Mrs. Hanby declares she likes the house. , CHAPTER IV Continued "You are wanted on the long dls tance, sir," she told Hanby. "Hello!" said Hanby a few seconds later. "Yes, this is he speaking." The voice that answered seemed faraway far-away but very distinct. It was plainly plain-ly that of an educated woman. "I saw you at Pine Plains this afternoon. after-noon. Yon are Interested in the murder?" mur-der?" "Naturally," he replied. "May 1 asu to whom I'm talking?" "The name would convey nothing Besides, It would not be the true one." "Why not?" "You'll see presently. Are you still determined to live at the Gray house?" "Why not? I bought the place for that purpose." "When you bought It, yon had no Idea of 1U history. You did not then know that It takes toll of every family Inhabiting it Happy families have gone there, but never a happy family left It." "1 am satisfied that with proper care these accidents could have been avoided." "That's what the real estate people said when they wanted you to buy the place. They lied, naturally. All they want Is their commission. Mr. Hanby. Jn your heart of hearts you know there Is some Inexplicable but dreadful curse on It" "I am not weak-minded enough to credit such nonsense." He spoke with unusual violence. "With common precaution pre-caution the accidents could have been avoided." "Who told you so?" "A Mr. Appleton." Hanby suddenly realized that he was an employee of the firm which sold the house. He recalled re-called how Appleton had seemed to alter during the Interview. In the beginning be-ginning he had seemed to believe that something beyond human explanation hovered about the Gray house. Then he had become brisk and businesslike, and had spoken of carpenters' estimates. esti-mates. "Of the firm of Douglas & Robinson Robin-son 7" There was contempt in the speaker's voice. "1 see I Merely one of their clerks. May I ask what precaution pre-caution that he could suggest would have saved the life of your unfor tunate caretaker?" "That was due to one of the ven dettns common to the underworld." Far away the musical laugh came over the wire. "1 don't see anything amusing In that," Hanby snapped. "But you will," said the unknown. "It strikes me ns very, very funny. Way I ask you If you ever saw Red Chapin. Mr Hanby?" "No." he returned. "1 don't relish that son of thing In life or in death." "1 did. He was six feet In height, had hair of reddish brown, and car lied himself very erect. This was a pose. He was pretending to be an ex soldier. Uis usual habit was to slink along furtivelj. like the murderer he was. Now. Mr. Hanby. you are six feet in height, anil you walk as erectly erect-ly as ever a West Pointer did. We did not know yon had engaged a man r to watch the Gray house. Rod Chapin was not killed because ol a vendetta, lie was mistaken for you I" "1 don't believe a word of It 1' Hanby Han-by said violently. "It would be safer for you and your family It you did. Next time there will he no mistake 1" "Are you threatening to klli me?" "Dad's Perfectly Safe," Celia Retorted. his client has been threatened with violent death, so you won't be shocked to learn the sad news." "What the devil do you mean?" "Simply this a woman with a charming voice Junior's trying to Bnd where she talked from said that Red Chapin was killed because they mistook him for me. My turn, It appears, ap-pears, Is next on the list. All will be forgiven If I take the family to Eu rope or buy something on Long Island." Hanby squared his shoul ders. "The old subconscious mind was right I am in danger; but now that I know It consciously, the feeling of depression has gone. Bill, your salary Is now five dollars and twenty five cents a day. You can use the extra quarter for an Insurance policy You probably won't need any more clothes. Not a word 1 Dina's com Ing." The two men stood np as Mrs Hanby came into the room. "I've never been so thrilled in my life !" she cried. "The Impertinence of the creature, In assuming that your death would be a loke !" Uanbys groaned- He saw It all. Dina had picked up the telephone up stairs in her bedroom, and had Us tened to the whole conversation. "Which is It to be?" be asked. "Around the world or Long Island?' "It's going to be Pine Plains," she declared. "Hil, you didn't recognize the voice, did you?" "Never heard It before. I could only recognize that It was the voice of an educated woman, youngish and perfectly at ease." "It was an Englishwoman's voice." Dlna asserted. "I'm not sure. The Inflection might have been put on to deceive. Moreover, More-over, lots of our actresses get Into that way of talking. You'd surely think that throaty contralto ot Elsie Ferguson's was English, if yon didn't . . . .............................. .... |