| Show afi 5 damby ay ca amas 4 v f SYNOPSIS titan aua lanes spinster and guardian of gertrudo per trudo and ll c summer headquarters ead quarters at Sunny stile amidst nu erous the servants deserted la s atlig alias innes locked up tor for the lie night he IV ans n s 9 startled t a I 1 aled by it 11 lurk dark figure on art the bermi eran Mi 1 I a U unseemly nse emly noliea disturbed tier flur ur 1 lne 1 tit the night in n the morning miss inacy rin e a lafound found a strange link curt curf button bulton in I 1 hansper hamper gertrude and arrived with tit baic dailey Tl alley the house honsa was wan awakened by ft revolver shot mid and arnold arm was in found n d shot to lo death in the all ahcin liss innab ns n s found Hal halseys revolver revola ra volver I 1 r an n ill tatt e law n lie ile and javit jack halley had tits din I 1 11 ppe areil the link cult cuff button asly disappeared d detective jamieson Jam leaon gartrude ri she bho was ond taked to jack halley with whom she bho aga in the bIll billiard lurd room a few bufor the jamieson Jam leon accused miss innes of holding back evidence Ir ile he imprisoned un an intruder in an empty room the prisoner pi laoner escaped down p I 1 Iti t inary cl clifto ute hertrude gertrude wits subjected A n neero igro found ibe tha other halt of what il proved 1 roye it t to 0 b 10 e jack 13 alleyn cuff button alsey reappears nin ra and says ho be find and miley left eft tit n response to a telegram elc Bram gertrude said she aha had given dailey an unloaded revolver fearing to rive give him a loaded weapon cashier kalley dailey of 0 baill armstrongs bank defunct was waa tor for nb z ament iia y said gald asa wrecked ab reke r d lila aw own n b bank a nc and anil cougil ou I 1 clear pa calley alley paul armstrongs derith was wa an bounced av alsey ll fl ancee Ioula fl armtrong fotr Bt wai va found tit ht ihn bodge tim lod odge keeper maid anti and arnold had ja long lone talk the night of the burdor lou tie le was prostrated tonise told ll li ialey alsey that khat aline title she he still hlll loved him she nha wits wag to narry n rry another and that lie ho would despise tier ier when lie learned earned the whole tam atory it developed develop eI that dr walker and coulso ouis awo to be married A prowler wen heart heard in n the e hodap n me was found d at the joll bottom of f the e circular lr v ua staircase t a lr ansa louise bald aid slie she hat had heard a knock nt at the door and I 1 answered Birwe red it something brushed past pant fr per on the tha stairway ond ind she tainted fainted haley avy la is suspected of 0 armstrongs murder CHAPTER continued why was waa tir mr bailey not present at the inquest the clete cOves expression was pe cullar culiar because his physician testified that he Is ill and unable to leave his bed 1111 1 I exclaimed why neither halsey nor gertrude hits has told me that there are more things than that miss bliss innes that aro are puzzling balley gives the impression that lie he knew nothing of tho the crash at the bank until he read it in the paper monday night and that tie ho went back and surrendered himself immediately I 1 do not believe it jonas the watchman at the traders bank tells a different story lie ho says that on the thursday night before about 8 30 halley balley w went e nt back to the bank jonas admitted m t tied him and ho he says saya the cashier was waa to in a almost of collapse palley halley worked until midnight then lie ho closed the vault and went away the occurrence was so unusual that the watchman pondered over it all tho the rest of 0 the night what did halley do when he be went back to the knickerbocker apartments that night lie he packed a n suitcase suit case ready for instant departure out but lie he held ot oft too long tio lie waited for something my per ronal opinion Is that lie he waited to see bliss gertrude before flying from the country then when lie he had shot down arnold armstrong that night ho he had to choose between two evils ho did the thing that would immediately turn public opinion in tits his favor and surrendered himself as an innocent man inan tho the strongest thing against him Is hla his preparation for flight and lila hla deciding to come back after the murder of arnold armstrong ile he was shrewd enough to disarm cusp suspicion felon as to the tha graver charge the evening dragged along slowly mrs lira watson came to my bedroom be foro fora I 1 went to bed nud and asked if ft I 1 had any arnica she showed allowed me a badly swollen hand with reddish streaks running toward the elbow she said it 11 was the hand sho she had hurt the night of the murder a week before and that she eho had not slept well since it looked to me ma as it if it might be serious and I 1 told her to let dr stewart pee fee it the next morning mrs afra watson watso wont went up to town on the 11 train an and I 1 was admitted to the charity hospital she was waa suffering from blood poisoning I 1 fully meant to go up tip and see her there but other things drove tier her entirely from my mind I 1 telephoned to the hospital that day however and ordered a private room for her and whatever comforts forts she might be allowed mrs armstrong arrived monday evening with her husbands hotly boily and the tha services were set for the lie next day the house on chestnut street la in town had been opened cl and tuesday morning louise left us ua to go homo she sent for me before she nhe went and I 1 saw she had been crying illow how ran can I 1 thank you miss bliss innest site said you have taken me on I 1 and you have not asked me any questions some time perhaps I 1 can tell you and when that time awes comes you will nil all despise me bial bey aey too 1 I tried to tell her how glad I 1 was to haye hate had bad her but there was waa some bome hing else she wanted to say abo said it finally when she had bade a constrained goodby good by to halsey and tho the ear car was waiting at the door I 1 miss innes she ahe said in a low tone if they it there Is any attempt ayinde tro to to have you give up the boase do it it you possibly can I 1 am aln afraid to have you stay that was all gertrude gertrutie Gert rurie went into bown her and saw her safely pome aho reported et a decided cool aass tit in the greeting between louise and aid ht hat mthr and that or dr walker oe 4 it was thomas thomai was there apparently in charge of the arrangements for the funeral halsey disappeared shortly after louise left and came home about nine that night muddy and tired As AB for thomas le ue went around dejected and sad anti anil I 1 saw tho the detective watching him closely at dinner even now I 1 wonder what did thomas know what did he suspect at ton ten the household had settled down for the night laddy addy who was taking mrs airs watsons place had examining the tea towels and the corners of the shelves in the cooling room and had gone to bed alex the gardener had gone heavily up the circular staircase to hla his room and mr air jamieson Jam leson was examining the locks of tho the windows dropped into a chair in tho the living room and stared moodily ahead once he be roused what sort of a looking chap la Is that walker gertrude ho he naked asked rather nattier tall very dark smooth shaven not bad looking gertrude said putting down the book she had find been pretending to read halsey kicked a viciously lovely lavely place this village must be in the winter he said irrelevantly A girl would be burled buried alive here bete it was then somo memo one rapped at the knocker on the heavy front door hai bey got up leisurely and opened it admitting warner lie ile was out of breath from froin running and he looked halt half abashed 1 I am sorry to disturb you lie he said bald but allut I 1 know what else to do its about thomas what about thomas I 1 asked mr jamieson Jam leson had come into the hall and we alt all stared fit at warner lies iles acting queer warner explained pla ined iles sitting down there on tho the edge or of the porch and lie he says he lias h seen a ghost the old man looks bad too lie ran can scarcely speak iles aes as tull full of superstition as an egg ees la Is of meat I 1 said Il alsey bring some boine whisky and we will all go down no one moved moed to get the whisky from which I 1 judged thero there wore were three pocket basks flasks ready for emergency gertrude ahr throw ow a hawf 6 around my shoulders shou ind and we all started down over the hill I 1 had made so many nocturnal excursions around the place that I 1 knew my way perfectly hut but thomas was not on the veranda nor was he inside the house the men exchanged e ac hanged significant glances and warner got a lantern lla ile cant lime have gone far lie said 1 lie I was trembling so no that lie he stand aland when I 1 left jamieson and halaby together made th r r tho lodge indge occasionally calling tho uld u wun tn by name hut but there was waa n no response lesi ionae no thomas came bowing and showing shoving his white teeth through the lie darkness Jar kness I 1 began to be vaguely uri uneasy casy tor for the first toiuo gertrude ulio bo was never nerv nen ous in the dark went alone down the drive to the gate and atoo stood d there looking along the yellowish line of the road wilile I 1 waited on the tiny veranda er warner was waa puzzled ile he came around to the edge 61 the veranda leranda and looking at it as if it ought to know and explain he fie might have into tho the house jim said hut but lie fie could not I 1 have bave climbed the stairs anyhow hos bes not inside or of outside that I 1 can see the other members of the party had come bach now and no one had bad found any trace of the old man ills pipe still warm rested on the edge I 1 of the rail and inside ort on the table hla old gray hat ana red thit that its ita owner had bad not gone far i H was waa not tar alter all L from the table my eyes traveled around the room and stopped at the door of a closet I 1 hardly know what impulse moved me but I 1 went la in and turned the knob it burst open with the impetus of a weight behind it and something C fell partly forward in a heap on the floor it was thomas thomas thomar without a mark of injury on h him im and dead CHAPTER CHAPTER dr walkers Wal kera warning warner was on his knees in a moment tumbling fumbling at the old mans collar to loosen it but halsey caught his hand let him alone he s said aid you cant help him filin he la fit dead bend we stood there each avoiding the 0 others eyes we kelow and reverently in the presence of 0 death and we WB tacitly avoided any mention of the suspicion that was waa in every mind when mr jamieson Jam leson had finished his cursory examination he got up and dusted the knees of his trousers there Is no sign ot of injury he said and I 1 know 1 I for or one drew a long breath of 0 relief from what warner says and from hla his hiding in the closet I 1 should say he be was seared scared to death fright and weak heart together elut but what could have done it gertrude asked ile he was all right this evening at dinner warner what wha did he say when you found him on the porch parch 4 warner looked shaken his honest boyish face was colorless color lesa 1 just what 1 I told you miss innes hed been reading the paper downstairs I 1 had put up tip the C car ar and feeling sleepy I 1 camo came down to the lodge to go to bed As aa I 1 went upstairs thomas put down the paper and taking hta his alpe went out on in the porch then I 1 heard an exclamation from him lie he say anything you could understand I 1 asked lie ile said something about the lie grave giving up its lead dead mr was wag going through the old mans mana puck pockets ets and gertrude was composing nis arms folding them across his white shirt bosom always so spotless in the course ot of his investigations the detective had come to the inn inner r pocket of the dead butlers black coat here he found some things that interested him one was ft a small flat key with ft a red cord card ali tied d to it and the coffier was a hit bit of white paper on which was written something in thomas cramped hand mr bir camle son soft read it then he gave gaie it to mo me it was na an address in fresh ink LUCIEW WALLACE 14 ali street clifield As aa the card went around I 1 think both the detective and I 1 watched for any possible effect it might have but beyond perplexity there seemed tobe to be none lione I 1 it gertrude exclaimed why him elm street la Is the main spleet dont you remember Il li alsey allsey lucien wallace hal bey said that Is the child stewart spoke of at the inquest warner with his mechanics in had reached for the key what lie he said was not a surprise yale lock lie he said probably a key to the east entry there them was no reason why thomas an old and trusted servant should not have had a key to that particular door although the servants entry was in the west wing but I 1 had not ao known of this koy hey and it opened tip u a new field of 0 co conjecture i jecture just no now i however there wire many things to tc bo be attended to mud leaving warner with the body we ve all went back to the house bir air jamieson Jam teson walked with me widle halsey and gertrude followed 1 I suppose I 1 shall have to notify the tha AI I 1 said they will know it if thomas had any people and how to reach them of course I 1 expect to defray the expenses of but his relatives must be found what do you think frightened him sir air camlo son it Is hard haid to say aay he replied slowly but I 1 think we may be certain it was fright and that he be was waa biding from something I 1 am sorry in more than one way I 1 have always believed that thomas knew something or suspected something that ho he would not tell do you know how flow much money thero there was la in that worn out wallet ot of his nearly almost two months wages and yet those darkles darales seldom have a penny well what wha t thomas knew will be burled buried with him with the death of thomas I 1 felt that a climax had come in affairs at tho the night that followed was quiet enough watched at the foot of the stal rease and a complicated system of bolts on the otner other doors seemed to be effectual once in the night I 1 wakened and thought I 1 heard the tapping agal again n hut but all was quiet and I 1 had reached the stage where I 1 refused to be dis dl for minor occurrences the armstrongs were notified ol of thomas death and I 1 had bad my first interview tery leir with dr walker ns as a result lie ile came up tip early the next morning just juat as we finished breakfast in a professional fess ional looking car with a black hood 1 I m must 1 I 1 1 t make a double excuse tor for ill this e early a r 1 y visit miss bliss innes he be said as he sat down the chair was lowet than he expected and his dignity re quiren collecting before he went on sly my professional duties are urgent and long neglected and a tall fall to the everyday every day manner something must be done clone about that body yes I 1 said sitting on the edge of my chair VI 1 I merely wished the address dress of thomas people you might have telephoned it you were busy ile he smiled 1 I wished to see you about something else he said As tor for thomas it ft Is mrs mra armstrongs wish that you allow her to attend to the expense about his relatives I 1 have already notified his brother in the village it was heart disease I 1 think thomas always had bad a bad heart heart d disease sease and fright I 1 said still on the edge of my chair but the tha doctor had ruo mo intention of leaving 1 I understand you have a ghost up here and that you have the he house bouse filled with detectives to exorcise it he said for some reason I 1 felt I 1 was being purn pumped Ped us halsey says you have been misinformed I 1 replied what no ghost no detectives detective sl 1 ho he said still with ills hla smile what a disappointment to the vil village lagel I 1 resented his attempt at |
