Show I I THREE SHUTTERED HOUSES I By BEN AMES WILLIAMS I Copyright I II I- I CHAPTER XIII XIII Nfl-Continued Continued I 13 13 Tope nodded and he asked after a moment Do you know whether the front door was bolted boiled or locked the night your mother died before you wen went t to bed Yes June said Uncle Justus bolted boiled It That's That why when the thedoor thedoor thedoor door blew open It scared me I knew It 11 had been fastened and I thought there must be someone in inthe inthe inthe the house But I didn't wait to to- to find out I Just ran Mr Tame Taine bolted it It did he be Tope repeated thoughtfully She said Yes after Mother was wasI I in bed I came to the head of the stairs and I heard him tell teU Grandpa Grand Grand- I pa Harder Hurder the door was fast fasL Sh She SheI e I remembered suddenly And he heI tried to slip upstairs during the evening eve I ning before Mother died Aunt Evie saw him called him back Tope was silent for a moment and he asked then a new question If you went back where would they likely have you stay There isn't any room at Aunt Evies Evie's June explained Its just justa a small house you know Id I'd have to at Grandma stay Bowdon put Mr Harder Hurder upstairs in the Bowdon house Tope report report- I ed The back room on the west westI I side Ide I That a spare room June as as- Grandpa and I Grandma Bowdon used the east rooms rooms If ll you go out there then you'd probably have the front frant room on the west side aide I suppose so Id want you to try to arrange to take care of him Tope told herTo herTo her To sit up with him tonight tonIght tonIght-in in the room with him He considered They may not let you but if U youre you're in the next room you can hear lis us ten C The stairs are between she said But the doors are just across the hall opposite one another Are there locks on the doors In that house Tope asked gravely Locks yes June said There are locks everywhere Even the closets are locked Grandma Bowdon Bow don always carries a bunch of keys key keyson I Ion on her belt Clint said urgently Inspector Im I'm going to have a ladder ready EO so I can get up to her room get in inthe inthe inthe the window if f I have to to Yes Tope said seriously good Or so she can get out and down to us quickly if anyone anyone any any- one tries to get at her And Ill I'll give her a revolver show herbow her how how bow The telephone interrupted him and Miss Moss went to answer it She turned to say softly her handover hand handover handover over the receiver Its for June So June crossed to the older woman's womans womans woman's wom worn ans an's side she took the telephone in her hand They heard her say Hello lIello Yes Yell Yes Grand ma And after a long time Yes Yes Im I'm coming And then Yes They will bring me out in a little while Clint felt his pulses pound with a adeep adeep adeep deep terror but he could not check her now A moment later she said Yes again and put the instrument instrument ment down and faced them all aiL That was Grandma Bowdon she explained Grandpa Bowdon's Bowdon funeral is this afternoon late She wants me to be there and to go home with them afterward She added slowly what I will do In the preparations that followed Clints Clint's hopeless protests were all overborne Junes June's dress that new dress Asa had given her was and soiled Miss Moss made Clint drive her to the nearest shop and they brought home two or three dresses for trial found one that would serve When they thus returned returned re reo turned Inspector Tope had rummaged rum maged malted out his old revolver and was explaining to June its lis simple mechanism mech before she left for the funeral The ritual was scarce finished before be fore Mrs Taine came swiftly toward them It is hard for me to forgive you for this June Aunt Evie told the girl in her ber low whispering tores tones You have added much to the burden bur den we have all had to bear today Clint saw Rab flab guiding old Mrs Bowdon to their car he heard June tt say calmly This is Mr Jervies Aunt Evie Her lIer eyes met Clints Clint's and she added proudly Im going goin g to marry him Ill I'll stay with you u as long as you need me if it isn't isn t too long but then Im I'm going t to 0 him That Is s as may be Mrs Taine Tame commented Such matters are no not t decided so quickly June Then Asa came up beside her ter 11 He lie e drawled cheerfully Hullo June Hullo Jervies June with t II ma malike man manlike manlike n like this one to take care 01 of you you'd better hang on to him Mrs Tame ft said uld a id softly Asa Asal Asal I IThe The word hissed on her tongue Asa looked at Clint Why dont don't dontI I you keep her Jervies he suggest suggested ed insistently Clint Int cried I want to tol But Mrs Tame Taine said Come child She took Junes June's arm Clint saw laW her Angers tighten cruelly He lie lieI I started forward but June freed herself herself her her- self sell and she said calmly Im coming Aunt Evie You need not hold mel met melAnd melAnd And she nodded to Clint in a deep reassurance and led the way toward to ward the waiting walling car Tope had promised to meet Clint beside Reside the road on the way up Kenesaw II Hill Ill as soon loon as it should be dark It was still no more than dusk when Clint took the road up the hill but at an angle the Inspector tor stepped out to halt him Doctor Cabler's Cabler at the house he said He and Mr Tame Taine stayed with Mr Hurder during the funeral I want to see lee him when he leaves Go ahead over the top of the hill Clint obeyed and Tope explained Heale Neale cant can't be here lie He's laid up upa a a bad cold from last night Buthe's But Buthe's Buthe's hes he's lending us a couple of men And he said half hail to himself Here are two women killed A 1 I Ir r Mrs Tame Taine is giving her a glass Class of milk man dont don't often kill a woman unless he loves her or has loved her They passed the two houses which still stood atop the hill but Clint scarce noticed them You mean mea n Mr Leaford he cried in incredulous lous bus astonishment But a woman dont don't mind killing another woman said the Inspector tor grimly as though finishing his thought and Clint looked at h him with wide startled eyes Before Defore he could speak the question question ques tion in his mind a man appeared d in their headlights a policeman in uniform and they stopped Tope e opened the car door Hello Rand he said Doctor Docto r still there The policeman nodded And Ive I've e got the ladder he reported Hid lIld it over in the woods Good man Tope approved and d they got out and waited till presently presently pres pres' presently Doctor Cabler in his car came e down the road He stopped at a signal and Tope spoke to him apart apat in low tones When the Doctor Docta r drove on on the Inspector returned to them and he explained Mr Hurder is better I Tomorrow w will tell the tale whether hes he's going goin g to live The Doctor thinks he wl will IL Hes He's given the old man something g to make him sleep The house on this side all wa was s dark except that there was a lighted light ligh t ts ed window in the kitchen Tope waat was wa wasat wasat s at the rear corner there The win win win- dow-blind dow was drawn but by moving movIng ing out a little from the house Clint Clin t could see a rectangle of light where the window was as Some one was preparing preparing pre pre- paring supper talking probably Tope stood just below the window as though listening Inaction began to madden him when at last there came an fact inci incident dent to relieve the strain a door opened someone came out Clint saw that this must be Justus Jus Jus- Justus Tame Taine a heavy figure of a man walking with head bowed lIe He saw this man pause yonder by the ash ash- filled tilled cellar of the Hurder house and stand for a moment beside the pit as though in some dark recovery ery cry before he went on Later a light appeared in the Tame Taine house behind a curtained window then nothing happened for a while hile Clint had time for thought and he remembered his own suspicions of Justus Tame Taine and was glad Tame Taine was no longer here in the house I with June But Tope But Tope had dismissed I Clints Clint's theory and the young man remembered this and his hil nerves drew taut again When someone touched his elbow he leaped like a startled horse ready randy to cry out but Tope whispered Hush lush steady son I Clint nodded he tried to speak but his voice croaked dangerously He lifted the ladder Tope helping him and they leaned it against the window sill above them without a sound lound Clint climbed it instantly he stopped with his head level with the sill Ill Since there was no light in the room he could not see ee whether the shade was drawn or not buthe but buthe he lie waited striving to peer into the blackness behind the glass Once he looked down cautiously and saw Topes Tope's round figure hud bud huddled huddled died at the foot of ot the ladder Topes Tope's round face watchfully upturned lie He then saw June and Mrs Taine come In In June with a lighted can dIe dle Behind them he saw Rab flab and Asa in the hall and Mrs Bowdon's Bowdon ample form And then his heart suddenly was in his throat for Mrs Taine had a glass of milk in her hand Mrs Leaford had drunk a glass of milk that night she died the Hur- Hur ders too There was to Clint something something some some- thing hideous and sinister in this innocent In in- Innocent beverage now He lie took an Impulsive step tep higher his hand raised to break the window in But Tope below him hissed a warning and Clint leaned down to whisper desperately Mrs Mr Taine Tame Is I. giving her a glass glas of She wont won't drink It Tope prom prom- lied I warned her not to drink anything or eat anything except what the others did And Mrs Taine suddenly still WI talking withdrew June did not move She watched the door Clint waited his hi pulse pule racing Then after a long minute Tope whispered Dawat Down Clint was on the ground in an in instant instant in in- stant tant and Tope breathed in 10 his hi earThe ear earThe The door Clint at first Arst did not understand Then he heard beard the click of a latch and toward the rear of the house a figure ligure did appear appear Mrs Taine he be guessed She walked briskly away They saw her figure in silhouette against the light when she opened the kitchen door of her own home yonder and went in Then Clint started to climb the ladder again Careful the old man warned him Dont show yourself above the window windowsill She might see you from over over there But Clint could not resist looking once to be sure June was unharmed He saw her carefully propping a chair under the knob door sa saw w that the milk stayed untested She e secured the door and then blew w out the candle and so came to th the e window and opened it She leaned here above him and he whispered All AU right June Yes she said slowly But Bu t Aunt Evie gave me a glass of of- of warm milk mills To make me sleep she said I promised to drink 1 it t when I was in bed She gone home Clint told he her r reassuringly Home the girl exclaimed She said she was going to stay with th him Hes He's all aU alone Im I'm going inNo in in- in No Clint insisted Rab an anAsa and d Asa are still in the house And she she's s coming back Give me that milk mUle June I want Tope to taste it IL She brought the glass and gave 1 it t to him elm He lie said Ill IU be right here All night Poor darling she whispered lIn iIa In the rain Near you he told her I shant shan't t feel It it itHe He took the milk down to Inspector tor Tope Tape The old man dipped a finger into it it touched the finger Sager t this to ao o his lips Cant taste anything h he e said But Dut Ill I'll send Rand to la have hav haveit e it tested right now And he directed direct ed You stay here herel Clint nodded and Tope started d away He moved past the corner comer o of f the house and suddenly when h he e was six paces off oft he stumbled over something lying in the uncut grass and fell heavily Clint heard th the e breath go out of him with a gran grunt t I The young man moved swiftly toward toward to to- ward him but before he could cometo come cometo cometo to Topes Tope's side the Inspector wason was wason wason on his hi hands and knees Clint whispered Hurt And Tope said gravely There Theres another ladder here I tripped over It it He tie added ruefully Spilled the milk That's That bad badi Another ladder Clint echoed There was a dreadful clamor in his hi ears his own pulse was pounding so 10 Then from the window above them June called very softly Clint dear are you there Are you all right Yes Yes sweet sweet he whispered What happened she asked The Inspector r tell fell down he be said reassuringly hurt himl lie He climbed to her window and her arms arm held him fast her lips lip trembling trembling trem trem- bling against his own You mustn't be afraid he urged Im coming back to you tomorrow tomor tomor- tomorrow row she he declared For good and all all aU he agreed She said wistfully You could come in here out of the rain And she urged left Grandpa Hurder all aU alone I want to go to him But be he said IBid sternly No Maybe that's that what they want you fOU to do You stay tay here If U anyone tries to open your door door door- He kissed her again alain Good night sweet sweet be he said IBid And sleep sound He descended to the ground once more Mr larders larder's s alone he re re- reported reported ported to Tope She wants to go goto goto goto to him I wouldn't let her Then June spoke whispering above their heads and Clint was up the ladder in a bound Rab flab and Asa have gone into Grandpa Grandpas room she explained Asa wants to stay with Grandpa but R Rab's flab's b arguing about it I can hear them talking She turned her head at some sound in the hall haU whispered Hush and crossed to listen atthe at atthe atthe the door Clint even from where he was could hear the murmur of their voices Then this sound receded receded re re- ceded and June returned to him she reported Asa said he had to go to town later tonight and he w wanted to stand his turn with Grandpa now and let Rab flab and Aunt Evie sleep But Rab flab insisted insisted in in- listed it was all aU right to leave Grandpa insisted that they both go home Ill IU tell Tope Clint assured her and looked down But Dut Tope had bad vanished She urged In shaken tones I want to see if Grandpas Grandpa's all right if U they did anything to him Please I Clint hesitated Ill Til come in with you he decided then He lie climbed over the sill and with their hands hand s entwined they crossed the room Very quietly she removed the chair braced under the knob and opened d the door lies Hes sleeping so peacefully like e a child When he descended the ladder Tope had not reappeared but Clint Clin t was content in the certainty that tha t June was safe He Ire stood by the foot of the ladder tense ready for any alarm and minutes drifted by Once there was a sound toward d the Taine house a rumbling sound d as a. though a garage-door garage had been n rolled back on its lis track If Ass Asa a were departing for town now then the n Rab flab or Uncle Justus or Aunt Evie might presently come this way Clint was in a sweat of tense fearful fear ful fill anticipation He lie began beJan to wonder wonder won der why Asa did not start the ca car carand carand and go TO DE |