| Show TM P aca S L ki W MARY X 01 BY f r a t SYNOPSIS miss innes spinster and gru ardlan of gertrude and 11 Ilal alse sei e established s suin glimmer nier head headquarters headquarter quarte rs at amidst niti nili nitrous dit auld the alio ts As all miss innes lo koal up for or the 19 she lie IN aa as startled ly by it 11 dark figure on the veran veranda d sho bho a ir irrilla night wide w as 1111 1 with nol in the morn wag liiK all alag imd im d found a tiance link cult cuff button in n alth s hamper r 0 aertrude ler trude and tj at ley arild aril d with J jack a ck hallcy bailey tim the hou was waa awak ned by it a re revolver olver shot A inan was f found n d shot baiot to catli in abe hall it pir ov I 1 to be the body of 0 arnold arm alin afon Bf on who a e bunker father owned the country I 1 aliouse ouse miss mias tunes found elal le rv volver olver on tile luv n lie he and ja jacic ek vv dalecy I 1 y had CHAPTER IV especially what espe especially lally since jack dalley bailey and arnold armstrong were notoriously bad friends it was bailey who got arnold into trouble last spring something about the bank and then too go on I 1 said it if there Is anything more I 1 ought to know theres nothing more moie he a said d evasively theres The reB just one thing w we 0 may bank on vitas innes any court tn in the country will acquit a man who ft ho kills an intruder in his house at night it if why you dont think did it I 1 exclaimed there was a queer feeling of physical nausea coming over roe me no no not at all he said with forced cheerfulness come aliss innes youre a ghost of yourself and I 1 am going to help you upstairs and call your maid this has been too much for you about six gertrude came in she was fully dressed and I 1 sat up nervously poor aulty aunty sho she said what it a shocking night you ou have lave had she came over and sat down on the bed and I 1 saw she looked very tired tiled anil and worn Is there anything new I 1 asked anxiously nothing the car is gone but warner he Is tle tile chauffeur warner Is at the lodge and knows nothing about it well 11 1 I said it I 1 ever get my hands 0 on innes I 1 shall not let go until I 1 have chave told him a few things when we get this cleared up I 1 am going back to the city to be quiet one more night like ill the last two will end mo me tho the peace of the country fv fiddlesticks whereupon I 1 told gertruce Gertru ae of the noises the night before and the figure on the veranda in the east wing As an afterthought I 1 brought out the pearl cufflink 1 I have lave no doubt now I 1 said that it was arnold armstrong the night before last too ile he had a key no doubt but why he should steal into hla his fathers house I 1 cannot imagine ile he could have come with my permission easily enough anyhow whoever it was that night left this little souvenir gertrude took one look at the cufflink and went as white as the pearls in it she clutched at tile tho foot of the bed and stood staring As for me I 1 was as quite as astonished as she was ft as where did dia you find it she asked finally with a desperate despe inte effort itt at calm and while I 1 told her she stood looking out of the window with A look I 1 could not fathom on her face it was a relief when mrs airs watson at the door and brought me come tea and toast tho the cook vas w as in bed completely demoralized she reported and liddy brave with the daylight was looking for footprints around the house mrs airs watson herself was a n wreck she was was blue white around tho the lips and she ila had one hand tied up she said she had fallen downstairs jilber ln ber excitement it was ill III of course that the thing would shock her having been the armstrongs housekeeper for several years and knowing mr air arnold well gertrude Gei trudo had slipped out during my talk with mrs airs watson entson and I 1 dressed and went downstairs the billiard and card rooms were locked until the coroner and the detectives got there find and tho the men from the club had gono gone back for more conventional clothing I 1 could hear thomas in the pantry alternately walling for NIT mr arnold as he called him and citing the tokens that had pre cursed the murder the house seemed to choke tile me and slipping a shawl around me I 1 went out on the drive at the corner carrier b by 7 tho the east wing I 1 met liddy iler her skirts skirt 3 were draggled dragg led with dew to her knees and her hair was still in crimps go right in and change your clothes I 1 said sharply youre a eight and at your ag she had a golf stick in tier her hand ban and she said she ehe had found it on tile the lawn there was nothing unusual about it but it occurred to me file that a golf stick with a metal end might have been the object that had scratched the stairs near the I 1 took it from her und and sent her up tip for dry garme garments lits ifer her daylight courage and self belt importance and her sh shuddering ld delight in the mystery bated me beyond words worda after I 1 left her I 1 made a circuit of the building nothing seemed to be disturbed the house looked as aa calm and peaceful in he morning sun nit as it had the day I 1 nail bad been coerced into taking it thero there was nothing to show that inside had been mystery and violence and sudden death la in one of the tulip beds back of tile the house nit nil early blackbird was pecking viciously at something that glittered in the light I 1 picked my way gingerly over through the dew and stooped down almost burled buried in the soft ground was it revolver verl I 1 scraped d the earth oft off it with the tip of my shoe and picking it up slipped clipped it into my pocket not until I 1 had got gat into my bedroom and double locked the door did I 1 venture to take it out and examine it one too look w waa as all I 1 needed it was Ilal revolver I 1 had unpacked it the day before and put it on liia his shaving stand and there could be no mistake ills ilia name was on a small s silver liver plate on the handle I 1 seemed to see a network closing around my iny boy innocent as I 1 knew he was the revolver lam afraid of them but anxiety gave me courage to look through tile the barrel the revolver had still two bullets in it I 1 could only breathe a prayer of thankfulness that I 1 had found the revolver before any sharp eyed detective had come around I 1 decided to keep what clues I 1 had the cufflink cuff cult link th the egolf golt stick and the revolver in a secure place until I 1 could see some reason for displaying them the cufflink cuff link had been dropped into a little box on my toilet table 1 I opened the box and felt around for it the box was empty the cufflink cuff cult link had disappeared CHAPTER V gertrudes engagement at ten the casanova hack back brought up three men they introduced themselves as the coroner of the county and two detect detectives iTes from ilia his fathers house two nights in succession stealing in like a thief when lie he needed only to ask entrance en to be admitted the coroner was as a very silent man lie he took sonie notis notes after this but he seemed anxious to make tile the no boit at train back to town lie ile set the inquest for the following saturday gave mr tile younger of tho the two ovo detectives and the more intelligent looking a few instructions and after gravely shaking hands bands with me ino and regretting the unfortunate affair took hla his departure accompanied by the other detective j was ns just beginning to breathe femly when mr air jamieson who had been bedi standing by the window came 01 over er to me tile the family consists of yourself ioui Belt alone alias innis innes my aly niece la Is here I 1 said there Is no one but yourself and your ale niece e ally nephew I 1 had to moisten my lips oli oil a nephew I 1 should like to see him it if lie ho la Is here ile he Is not hero here just now I 1 said as a quietly as I 1 could 1 I expect expect t him at any time ile he was here yesterday evening I 1 believe no yes he have a guest with him another man he bi ought brought a friend with him to stay over sunday a mr air dalley bailey mr air john dalley dailey the cashier casale of tho the traders bank I 1 believe and I 1 knew that some one at the greenwood Oie onwood club had told when did they leave very early earli I 1 dont know at just what time mr air jamieson Jam leBon turned suddenly and looked at me t 7 1131 11 31 00 big III V one look was all I 1 needed the city the coroner led the way at once to the locked wing and with the aid of ono one of the detectives examined the rooms and the body tho the other detective after a short scrutiny of the dead milo man busied himself with the outside ot of tho the house it was waa only after they had got a fair idea of things as they were that they sent for me I 1 received them in the living room r 1 I 11 and I 1 had made up my mind exactly what to tell I 1 had taken the house for the summer slimmer I 1 said while the armstrongs r were in fit california in spite of a rumor minor among the servants about strange noises I 1 cited thomas nothing had bad occurred the first two nights flights 0 on I 1 1 the third night might I 1 believed that some one had been in the house I 1 had heard a crashing sound but being alone with one maid had not investigated vesti gated the house had been locked in the morning and apparently undisturbed then as clearly as aa I 1 could I 1 related how bow the night before a shot had roused us that my niece and I 1 had investigated and found a body that I 1 did not know who the murdered man was waa until mr jarvis from the club informed me and that I 1 knew oc at no reason why I 1 mr air arnold armstrong should steal into hla his fathers house at night I 1 should have lave been glad to allow him entree there at any time wave have you reason to believe miss innes the coroner asked that any men member her of your household imagining mr armstrong was a bur burgail burga gaIr lr shot him in self defense 1 I have no reason for thinking so I 1 said eald quietly your theory la Is that mr armstrong was followed here by edme enemy and shot bot as lie ly entered the housa hoope 1 I dont think I 1 have bave a theory il said the thing that has hag puzzled roe me la Is why mr air armstrong Arm should enter please try to be more explicit he said you say day your nephew and mr air balley were in tile the house last night and yet you ou und your niece with some women servants found the body where was your our nephew I 1 I 1 was wah entirely desperate by that time 1 I do not hilow I 1 cried but be sure sine 0 of f this halsey knows nothing ing of this filing and no amount of circumstantial cum cuni evidence ran can make an innocent man mail guilty sit down lie he said pushing forward a chair there are some things I 1 have to tell you and in return please tell me all you know believe me things always come out in the first place mr air armstrong was jabot allot from above the bullet was fired at close range entered below tile ho shoulder and came out after passing through tho the lie heart dirt well down the back in other words I 1 believe tha th murderer stood on the stairs and fired down in the second place I 1 found on oil the edge of the billiard table a charred cigar which had burned itself partly out and a cigarette which had consumed itself to the cork tip till belth er one had been more inore than lighted then put down and forgotten afave you any idea what it was that made your nephew and mr air galley bailey leave their cigars and their game take out the automobile without calling the chauffeur and till all that at let me see certainly before beford three in the morning 1 I dont know I 1 said but depend on it mr air jamieson Jam leson idaly walh be back himself to explain everything ll 11 1 I sincerely hope chopo so he said ties miss innes has it occurred to you that mr aar halley bailey might know something of this I 1 x t gertrude had bad come downstairs and just juet as aa he be spoke the she came cade in I 1 saw EM her stop mop suddenly as it if she had been strick ilu does not she said tn in a tono tone that wits vaa not her own mr air balley and my bi brother other know nothing of this the inin ild was committed at three they loft left the house nt at a quarter before harve tin co allow ho do you know thal mr air jam leson asked oddly do you ou know at what abat time alin tl ey ev left 1 I do gertrude citi trudo answered firmly at a quarter before hi fore three my brother and mr air dalley left the house by the main entrance 1 I was thoro there certrude Cor trude I 1 sald hald excitedly you aro are dreaming why at a quarter to three listen sho she said at half past two the downstairs telephone rung rang I 1 had not gone to sleep and I 1 heard it alien I 1 hoard heard halsey finster it find and in a few ini hemme he annie upstairs find and knocked at my door we we talked for a ini minute nute then I 1 put on my dress ing gown and slippers and went down with him mr air halley bailey was waa in the room ivoin we we vo all talked together for perhaps ten tell minutes then it was flaa decided thatchat that that they should both go way away cant you be more explicit mr dir jamieson Jam leson asked why did they go away 1 I am only telling you ou what happened bened not aby it happened sho she sald sad evenly Ili halsey alsey went westfor for tho thecae th ecar car and instead of bringing it to tho the ellse and rousing people he to went by tile the lower roul road from the stable A mr I 1 r hailey dailey was to meet him at tile tho food foot of tile lawn mr air left which way mr air jamieson laii ileson asked sharply ily by the miln main entrance ile he loft left it wits was a quarter to three I 1 know exactly tho the clock in tile the hall la Is stopped ilass innes said eald jamieson Jam leson nothing seemed to escape him ile he looked fit at ilia his watch she re piled and I 1 could see eee mr BIT Jami esons eyes snap as it if he had bad made a discovery coer As fur for myself during tile tho whole recital I 1 had been plunged into the deepest amazement will you pardon me for a personal question the detective was a y onlah mau and I 1 thought he was somewhat nonie what embarrassed what are your your relations with mr air bailey Ual ley gertrude hesitated then she camo came over and put her hand lovingly in mine am ill engaged to marry him she said simply I 1 had bad grown so accustomed to surprises that I 1 could only gasp again and as for gertrude the hand that lay in mine was burning with fever and after that mr air jamieson Jam leson went on you vent directly to bed gertrude hesitated no she sald saW finally 1 I I 1 iam am not ri nervous and after I 1 had extinguished the light I 1 remembered something I 1 had bad left in the billiard room and I 1 felt my way back there through the darkness dai kness will you tell me what it was waa you had forgotten 1 I 1 cannot tell you she said slowly 1 I I 1 did not leave the billiard room at once why the detectives tone was imperative this Is very important miss innes 1 I was crying gertrude said in a low tone when tile the french clock in the drawing room struck three I 1 got up and thon then I 1 heard a step on oil the east porch just outside the some soma one with it a key was working with the latch and I 1 thought of course of when wo took the house he called that its his entrance and lib he had carried a key for it ever since the iho door opened and I 1 was about to ask what lie ho hid had forgotten when there was a lash flash and a report somo some heavy body dropped and halt crazed alth terror and shock I 1 tan ran through the thawing drawing room loom and got upstairs I 1 scarcely remember how site she dropped into a chali chair and I 1 thought mr air mandeson Jam Jan leson deson must have fin islieb hut but lio lie was not through 4 you certainly clear your brother and mr air balley bailey admirably lie he said the testimony Is invaluable |
