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Show What the Gray ; House Hid TheMysiery MM Haunted ' S&f Hans ion on Sir Stanford, but he was always a reserved type." "What tragedy?" "His two sons were drowned In the lake." "Who was the previous tenant?" "Mr. John Throckmorton His wife died at the Gray house. A lovely woman 1 I went to the funeral. Very sad indeed. The lake again." "It seems to have been a house of death." Pelham commented. He did not relish the idea of the Hanby family fam-ily inhabiting it as much as he had done. "Who came after Sir Stanford Seymour?" . "He sublet It subject to our ap proval, of course to Mr. Crosby Norton. Mr. Norton lost his four children." "In that same d d lake?" "1 regret to say yes." Mr. Apple-ton Apple-ton looked shrewdly at his visitor 'Have yon much Influence with Mr. Hilton Hanby?" "1 am his closest friend." "Do you suppose that you could influence ' him to reconsider his purchase?" pur-chase?" Mr. Appleton was consider- bridge, Mr. Pelham, crossed the lake at Its deepest part. The Seymour boys were fishing from It when it gave way. I rather think the Norton children were found near there, too.'' Appleton turned to the estimate. "You see, Mr. Pelham, these tragedies trag-edies might have been averted If the owner had seen fit to expend sixty-four sixty-four dollars and eighteen cents. It was owing to my Influence that the lake was completely filled tn, and the stream feeding it was diverted to the lower lake. Instead of five acres of water filled with stumps, which made fishing difficult, Mr. Hanby has now a twenty-acre lake with good bass and trout In it and not a pickerel to do. damage. I have fished there every ev-ery year, and I know. I wonder If Mr. Hanby would extend the courtesy cour-tesy to me?" 'Til answer for him," said Pelham. "I'm a fisherman myself. Thank you for what you've told me." "Well?" Douglas asked, a little lat er. "Get what you wanted?" "And more," said Pelham. "The Gray house has a dismal atmosphere about It, to my way of thinking. Appleton Ap-pleton seems to think that for less than sixty-five dollars all those lives might have been saved." "I think he's right," said the oth er. "The old lake was within a few yards of the house, and very deep It was too much of a temptation to children. The banks were steep, too as I recall them." "Then you don't believe In thp curse theory?" Douglas lighted a cigar before an swering Pelham's question. "In my office, during business hours, the idea seems silly; but sometimes, when I can't sleep at night, I'm not so sure. I've Highland blood in my veins, remember, and race memories of haunted houses, and curses that descend from generation to generation. genera-tion. Don't ask me, Bill." "You give me the srme sort of comfort that Appleton does. He tells me what curdles my blood, and then explains it ail away by a carpenter's estimate that missed the mark." It was not a very comfortable motor mo-tor trip for the Hanbys. When Junior drove, his father thanked God that his will was made and his affairs were in order. When Hanby was at the wheel, his son struggled between a feeling of pride that his progeni tor still had his nerve left, and a fear that never again would he tread the campus at New Haven. "Corking road !" Junior commented, when Pine Plains was in sight. "Was it a road?" his father de manded. "I'm relieved to know that I thought It was a race track." 'Where's the Gray house?" ''We passed it on the last lap." "You might have pointed it oOt to me." remarked young Hanby. "Why? 1 thought, as we went by. that neither of us would ever have the opportunity to Inhabit It" Junior laughed. "This old bus can certainly clip off the milestones!" "Don't boast. You only scratched the one you hit." "It beats me," his son remarked philosophically, "why cows don't know their own minds. I didn't dream that beast was going to give us a race." "Slow down, Junior I" his sire com manded. "We've got to stand well in this community." Hilton Hanby stepped from the car. to be greeted by the local police chief and an officer from Kingston. "This is my son. Sherlock Gaborlau Hanhy," he said. "Is the inquest over?" "Yes," said the local man. "1 wish you'd been here before." "Any clew to the murderer?" Juuloi . asked. "Not a one." Junior smiled. He knew exactly how it would be. "Rut there's a mighty interesting development. This fellow Kerr wasn't Kerr at all. He had a whole string of aliases. We finger-printed him, and fitted the right name to him. Your caretaker, Mr. Hnnhy. was Ked Chopin, wanted for 'most everything up to murder." "That's Interesting," Hanby exclaimed. ex-claimed. "A murderer murdered '" He was not pleased to think that such a man had been In his employ although engaged by an agent. "His references was stolen from some Spanish war veteran named Kerr. We'll find out all about It soon. Also he had Kerr's discharge papers and a medal. Want to took at him, sir?" "Not on your life!" said Hanby. who detested morbid things. "I'd like to." Junior suggested. (TO BE CONTINUED.) I TP' THE STORY Hilton Hanby, prosperous New York merchant, has purchased a country place the Gray house, near Pine Plains. Miss Selenos, a 'ormer tenant of the Gray house, calls at his office and warns him that the house Is under un-der a curse. Further alarming details are impressed upon Adolf Smucker, Hanby's secretary, by a man who claims to have been chauffeur for Sir Stanford Seymour, Sey-mour, former occupant of the place. The Hanbys laugh off the warnings they have received both from Miss Selenos and from Smucker's acquaintance, 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 murdered. Hanby consults his friend Pelham. CHAPTER III 5 At the real-estate offices of Douglas Doug-las & Smith, Pelham was referred by Douglas, whom he knew, to a Mr Appleton. "Appleton will tell you everything,' said Douglas. "He has an amazing memory for details, and a great affection af-fection for the Gray house. Come Into In-to my office when you're through." Frederick Appleton was a small, plump man of sixty. He had a distinguished dis-tinguished conservatism in dress, a florid complexion, and blue eyes which looked more than usually large owing to the thickness and power of the lenses he wore. After a little preliminary talk, Pelham fudged him to he one of those men In relatively unimportant offices who bring to their tasks a certain not unpleasing pom-pousnoss. pom-pousnoss. "1 have In this book," said Mr. Appleton. Ap-pleton. pointing to a ledger, "a complete com-plete record of the tenants and the expenses of the Gray house for almost al-most thirty-five years. Here you will find the cost of the upkeep of house, grounds, and stables. In my head I have many facts concerning the people peo-ple who have resided there, which would be out of place in the books of a strictly business firm." "I take it, then," said Pelham. "that you have an unusual Interest in mankind?" Mr. Appieton's shrewd but kindly face beamed. "We see a great deal more in this line of work than you would suppose. Oh, dear me, yes! Do I understand that Air Hanby desires Information about the place?" "Yes. and Mr. Douglas said that you could tell mi c-verything. He Is a close personal friend of Mr. Hanby." Mr. Appieton's eyes grew a little harder. "So I Inferred from the fact that the sale was not made through me. 1 knew that Mr. Hanby was Interested In the Gray house, but 1 admit being staggered when Mr. Douglas made the announcement that It was sold." It was clear to Pelham that the other man was chagrined. No doubt It was the allowable annoyance of an old and trusted employee, who having been consulted for so long Is suddenly left out of the firm's confi rtence In the sale of a property. "Not that I am criticizing Mr Douglas," the other went on. "Oh. dear me, no!" His manner was brisk and cheerful again. "What can I do for you, Mr. Pelham?" "Did you ever know a Miss Sel enos ?" "She occupied the Gray house for three years. I remember her well. Poor lady, she loathed and despised men. particularly your humble servant. serv-ant. We had to evict her for non payment of rent She had ample warning, but we had to call the sheriff In. May 1 ask how you know her?" "She called on Mr. Hanby and threatened him with all sorts of wild vengeances If be did not sell the Mr. Appieton's Eyes Grew a Little Harder. ate and sympathetic. "1 am not a believer In haunted houses. I try to be skeptical In such matters, but there seems to be a strange fate about the Gray house. It always takes toll of the young and happy Those Seymour children, for exam pie high-bred, strong, happy boys who could swim excellently; yet they are dead, and at Sir Stanford s death his title goes to a distant cousin. Then the Norton children, three, girls and a boy the lake got them, too I tell myself It was a coincidence Perhaps! Perhaps!" His manner grew more confidential. "Tell me, Mr. Pelham, did you ever hear such a chain of coincidences as that?" "It's most disturbing news," admit ted Pelham. "It seems to me," said the other "that if these unhappy facts were duly brought to Mr. Hanby's notice, be could not ' disregard them. No doubt Miss Selenos' manner annoyed him, and he disregarded her story on that account ; yet" Appleton tapped the big ledger "the facts are ail down here in my own handwriting." "I'm afraid whatever I said would make him all the more determined to go. He Is a skeptic, and opposition makes him ready to fight, f don't think anything would make him give it up." "1 have done my duty, then," said Appleton briskly. "No doubt he is right, and these deaths were due to lack of care. I have here a letter, with estimate Inclosed, from a Pine Plains carpenter, who agreed to put the rustic bridge In order. That place to her. There was no doubt about Mr. Ap pleton's Interest now. "I can quite believe It," he said "1 remember that when we put her out she said that I should be dead within the year. I may say that my good wife was very much relieved when the twelvemonth had passed. I hear that she has at last inherited the great Selenos fortune. They were land-poor for many years." "You think she's not normal?" "Insanity In the family." said Mr Appleton firmly. "The things site saia to me were most Indelicate, and could only be explained by mildness of a hereditary type." The speaker host tated for a moment. "1 suppose she did not mention my name?" "I think not. i suppose you remem ber Sir. Seymour 7" "Now Sir Stanford Seymour. Ch. dear me, yes I I ventured to call upon him when In England two years ago. The tragedy had left Its mark |