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Show What Hid CHAPTER I "There's a lady asking for you, Mr. Hanby. She says she won't go awuy until she sees you." Hanby looked at Smucker, and sighed. The secretary he had chosen this designation himself was a small, thin man with an active Adam's apple, ap-ple, who despised tact as something beneath him.. Hanby bad often set out for his offices In Leonard street with the intention of letting Smucker go, and of replacing him with a neat, Bmlling, efficient girl ; but Invariably some sixth sense Informed Smucker of his danger. Invariably he would speak of his vast responsibilities, of his large family, of his invalid father, of the house he was buying on the Installment plan, and of the ravages of Insects In his little garden. A neat, smiling, and efficient girl would have known that her employer was busy, and would have found out what the visitor's errand was. "What does she want?" Inquired Hanby. Smucker assumed his superior air. "She wouldn't say. Otherwise 1 should have Informed you, Mr. Hanby." Han-by." "What do you think she wanted?" "I suspect she Is desirous of selling sell-ing you a dog." Hanby brightened. "That's easy. Explain in well-chosen language that In another Incarnation I was a priest of Bubastis. I cannot, therefore, as a one-time worshiper of the Sacred Cat, buy dogs from strange ladies." Adolf Smucker sighed. His employer's employ-er's frivolity always saddened him. He would have preferred to serve a sterner, more unbending, portlier, and Blder man, a man who never made lokes or saw them. Smucker often wondered why It was Hilton Hanby had succeded so well. A swift glance showed Smucker that his employer tvas looking at the photographs of the splendid estate he was about to buy Mr. Smucker passed to the outer office with slow step. The lady who would not go was the sort of person whom he always surveyed with hostile hos-tile eyes. She wore too much Jewelry and was enwrapped lavishly In fur. "If," said he coldly, "you wish to sell one or more of your dogs, Mr. Hanby says for me to say he's not In the market." The stranger pressed her three tiny beasts so closely to ber that they yelped. "Not all his money could buy even one of them!" she snapped. "I must see him. Tell him 1 shall stay here nil day until he comes through that door." "Madam, I suggest telephoning from pay station." "My darlings will not enter a telephone tele-phone booth, and 1 dare not trust them to anyone else. Tell him 1 do not want to buy or sell. 1 have some thing to say of vital Importance, and he will be wise to see me at once." Mr. Smucker, who bad all the nas tier little curiosities about life which dwell so frequently with his sort, wondered If here at last he was to learn some hidden details of his employer's em-ployer's past. Hanby was a handsome and generous man. Women liked bim. Perhaps this singular creature had a daughter who had trusted too well. "Something about his past?" Mr Smucker suggested. "Something about my past," flamed the caller. Mr. Smucker turned on his heel and re-entered the private office. "It isn't the dogs," said he. "What she wants Is a private conversation about the past I may be wrong, Mr. Hanby I hope I am but I think she knows something about your past which may not be creditable to you.'' "Thank you, Smucker I" said Han by. "I can always trust you to take the kindly view. Yon are quite right. My past was blacker than night. 11 I had my deserts, 1 should long ago have been electrocuted. Bring the lady In. 1 trust she Is beautiful I'' Smucker went out, offended. As usual, Hanby had laughed at him. Well, the day was not so far distant when Adolf Smucker would have his turn I He wasted a lot of olllce time dreaming of what he would do wheD he was In power. "Madam, 1 have persuaded the boss to see you," he said loftily. Then he Jumped back. "That black dog nearly bit me I" "I can rely on his Instincts," she Bald. "You stand convicted as one whom no woman should trust. Do not attempt to deny It, and don't move your throat In that Impudent man nerl" , She swept past him Into his employer's em-ployer's room. If he hud expected youth or beauty. Hanby was disappointed. It was a tall, guunt old woman who faced hltn He Judged that some day, now long distant, she had been beautiful. He could see that she was richly dressed, and that the Jewels she wore were costly. There was a look of tragedy In her smoldering dark eyes. "I'm afraid you were kept walling,' Hanby began pleasantly. "1 have been kept waiting for thirty thir-ty years," she said. "At least you cannot blame me for that." lie observed that her eyed were fixed on the photographs of Hie bouse he had made iirriiiigomciils lo buy. "1 don't think you sent In your card." "Mj n.'i trie Is Seleiins," she said. "XellimV" Hanby nske-d. "SvieiinM, Xi'lenos." hIio repeated "If you were u Cullforiilaii. It would Xlie lystery of a Haunted Mansion 75 y Wyndham Marfyn W. N. U. Service Copyright by Wyndham Martyn be a familiar name. There Is the Selenos river." "And you were named after It? 1 was born near a big river, too. but I had a lucky escape. Think of me as going through life labeled Housatonlc Hanby 1" "The river was named after me," she explained. Mr. Hanby thought a moment. "Of course California came Into the Union late, didn't it? In the forties. 1 think." "The river was named after my family, not after me personally; but I did not come here to discuss my family affairs or to listen to yours. You are about to buy an estate near Pine Plains?" "1 am to complete the purchase this afternoon." "You must not go there!"' she cried dramatically. "I cannot allow It!" Her manner began to antagonize Hanby. "Why not?" he Inquired coldly. "If Is sacred ground, and you are not fit to dwell there. The idea of Its ' 'J "ris t "I Suspect She Is Desirous of Selling You a Dog.;" being desecrated by a large family Is Intolerable 1" "Really, Mrs. Selenos " he began. "Miss," she said. "Above all else I despise and loathe men. Men have always oppressed me. How they have lieu and perjured themselves to keep me from the Gray bouse! But at last I am In a position to buy their silence. What did you give for the place?" "That, my dear lady." he said suavely, "Is entirely my own affair." "I expected you to lie," she said. "A man oi your type would." Miss Selenos took out her check book. "Well, what profit do you decide to make? I wish to buy the place from you." "It Is not for sale." "You dare to refuse to sell?" Her voice rose so that the dogs barked furiously. "After all my years of waiting, ol persecution, of bitterness and exile, you dare to refuse?" "It Is not for sale. I am sorry, but my heart Is set on the place as a home. You have had plenty of time. It has been empty for some years." "I am only now able to buy It. If you will not sell, will you renl II?" "1 am going to live there as soon as It Is ready." "1 despise and loathe men," she cried, "and of all men 1 loathe and despise you most I Of the Innumerable Innumer-able houses In this country you deliberately delib-erately choos.. this one because It will hurt inel" She raised her rlghf hand :o heaven. "Those who have tried to kill me In the past have perished. You and your family and all that Is yours 1 puf under a curse. You are going to a house of tragedy, a house wherein walk gliosis of those foully murdered I" "I'm afraid that's the wrong tack," he said soothingly. "1 am not to be frightened away like that You are not fair to me. A house was for sale, and I bought IL Loathe and despise aaoaaoa a aaaaa aaa aaaa oua&o a q , , me as you will, but do not go away thinking I have wronged you." "You have wronged me!" she shrieked, her black eyes flashing hate. "Ah, ha !" muttered Adolf Smucker, who had hitherto listened unsuccessfully. unsuccess-fully. Pausing a moment, he opened the door, as the signal bell had commanded com-manded him to. Apparently the strange woman was placing under a comprehensive curse Hanby and all that was his. Smucker gathered that his employer was one of a band of hardened men whose entire energies were expended in keeping Miss Selenos Sele-nos from the Gray bouse. "You go there at your peril!" she shouted. "I accept the risk," said Hanby, ticite unruffled. "My vengeance will follow you," she added. "Delightfull" Hanby told her. "1 shall escape the monotony that my friemls prophesy." Smucker, who was always nervous in the presence of unusual violence, almost admired Hanby for his calm. "This way, madam," said Smucker. He led her to the elevator. Mrs. Smucker In her Weehawken home would enjoy this. When the grille of the elevator door had closed upon Miss Selenos and her pets, Smucker went back to the office smiling. Mrs Smucker would certainly enjoy this. So would his old father, and the men he talked to on the ferry. As a rule they talked about taxing the rich. Taxing the rich was a passion with Smucker, and he pursued his hobby viciously. But Smucker did not catch his usual boat It was late when he returned re-turned to bis home. By that tim the strange visitor and her pets had been driven from bis mind by other things. Outside the office a big man. red-faced and Jocund, slapped him on the back. "Say," the stranger said, "ain't yon Mr. Hanby's confidential clerk?" Smucker looked about bim." No member of the office staff was visible. "Yes." he said with confidence. "1 am, but yon have the' advantage ol me." "1 want you to fix It so 1 can get a word In private with the boss. 1 want to see him right away." "lie goes home at half past four I stay till six." "I guess you have to, being his con fidential man " The stranger was evl dentiy pondering over something of Importance. t "Do you happen to know If hp's considering purchasing a big estate up In Dutchess county?" "He completed the purchase thlp afternoon," said Smucker. The news brought dismay to the red face of the stranger. Almost It seemed as If he suffered. "My G d !" be cried. "And Mm with a family !" "Why shouldn't he buy It?" Smurk-er Smurk-er asked. "He's got the money, as 1 happen to know." "I can't tell you here," the other replied; "hut I'd like you to give hho a message from me before It's too late. Had your dinner?" "Not yet." "How about a bite to eat now?" Smucker considered the matter with the deliberation that a confidential confiden-tial clerk might be expected to, show He was a heavy eater when !niothe man fooled the bill, but he wus also prudent. He did not feel drawn to this big, coarse stranger. Furthermore, Further-more, he wished to be sure that thin was a genuine Invitation. It would b of no advantage to pay for a meal while In fair Weehawken a pot roast simmered for him. Perhaps the stranger sensed thr economic struggle. "This Is on me," he explained. "Why?" Smucker demanded. "Because 1 guess you have your boss' Interests al heart, and I wan) you to tell him something. I'm pulling pull-ing out for Chicago tonight, or I'd tell hi in myself. It's a warning." "Some reference to a disgraceful pasl?" Smucker demanded eagerly. "Some reference to a h I of a fu ture. There's a place down here run by a pal of mine not much to look at ,but the plunked steaks, oh, baby I And there's some real beer that the sailors smuggle In." "If It Is really Important, 1 sup pose 1 must consider the welfare of my collcagtfs before my own convent ence." Plunked steak and real beer! Out, d d put roast I Mr. Smucker ale with the peculiar ferocity that Is sometimes seen In thin, undersized men. 'TO U13 CONTINUED.) . i o ro a a aaa woo chkkkhs a a a a aa-o a- |
