Show 41 44 I 1 HH D lur KII wi KB iise 11 sv s V pa RATES HEA ISABEL TI 61 E LE THE STORY SO fart farl judy jaton jason win rho Is I 1 telling the jie story receives in an anonymous letter enclosing and ad ask ing te her to bid tor for an abandoned church to in lie be auctioned the next day she we die church only enly to find la in an old chest cheit the body ot of a man identified as roddy noddy lane the body disappears a few hours houri later A fish shed burns apparently kill ins ni an old man named brown who li Is sup p 0 sed to have hav lived there the anonymous letter disappears A golf foil club found near the chest cheit li Is identified as hugh norcross si the cue chests are one once inere assembled at the church a and i 3 hugh has ant said inear dear I 1 wish yond go fo back to the inn ina 1 now continue with audys story CHAPTER XI xa I 1 felt a little squeeze on my arm but whichever one of us he meant bessie did the answering not without you hughle hughie find ill stand stand by no matter how they lie about you no matter what they plant on you tell em to find your blue scarf why dont you that shrilled lily obliquely would be a darned good ideal hush hugh interrupted blew out to sea probably were going to tell quade about the auction hes got a bee in his bonnet it may have something to do with all these outrages if all go sit down somewhere W anywhere victor suggested and youre going to see the significance of this when were through see if you dont I 1 here so why dont I 1 play auctioneer and ask the questions nobody has to answer anything he choose bessie norcross stood up my eyes had become accustomed to the dim interior which after the basement seemed fairly light justene Ju just stone one minute bessie said did you find your beg bag judy I 1 want my door key not the one you gave roe me last night which sticks halfway im planning on a nap after lunch and I 1 intend to lock myself in id been sure the key id swiped from the artists door really could lock bessler Bes sies now somewhat flustered I 1 said ill get your key miss norcross dont worry albion potter leaned forward from a pew behind where we were sitting in the church and exclaimed in my ear that reminds mel I 1 a key to my room miss judy if if you could trouble your uncle to find me one id appreciate it under the circumstances ill see to it anyway I 1 could supply his but where the dickens was my bag we all settled down on the edge of our pews ive got some work to do on my sermon the minister said will this take long mr quade you stay at all victor said ill begin with you then sir you did bid at the auction certainly I 1 bid everybody the rev jonas de witt had a powerful physique to match his voice now he stood up a portly middle aged enigma and held up his hands I 1 hoped he going to offer up a prayer my friends now that we are gathered together in this house of god he began house of the devil would be more like it I 1 muttered the invalid wheeling up closer de witt paid no attention to him 61 L let et us help mr quade all w we e can I 1 bid twice I 1 think he threw back his head with a pulpit gesture folding his hands behind him and started to pace in front of the pews and why did you want to own this tumble down old not tumble down my friend this church will stand another hundred years the quakers built for service why because I 1 was exchange pastor here one happy summer the happiest time of my life years ago before my trouble over the funds I 1 was accused of taking but did not take later after id been disgraced and put out of my church I 1 was exonerated rind and reinstated all in the records in new york city nothing whatever to do with w ith this lie he sighed heavily one huge paw grasping a dusty pew post one would be pretty certain to speak the truth in the house of god nothing can be concealed from the almighty who sees all hears all knows all the three monkeys tittered lily kendall lily mean to be irreverent im sure she was just impatient and nervous when yu you know something important to tell in in the midst of murder an and d have to listen to a lot of extraneous trane ous stuff you nearly burst I 1 know because I 1 was bursting myself to find out sent me the money and made a monkey out of me 1 I bid in for purely sentimental reasons a memory connected with my young wife now gone his voice faltered and he sat down forever there it was again purely sentimental reason sl would victor grab that clue and go for them he would not instead he made them admit what we already knew that all wanted that church and had bid for it at the auction but they were cagey if any of them had come to the head purposely to be present at the auction the way roddy announced he had that fatal night they were mighty quiet about it now hugh norcross tried to buy the church for bessie my sister needs something to occupy her mind he said we found that the head was still a ale pleasant place to come to he went on hesitantly one eye on his keeper her nervousness was so much better tor for one thing the auction was fun and here was a ready made chance to get the makings of a giffe cheap 1 I remember you said the old dump would make a good bonfire 1 thaddeus quincy chirped burn bum up the wrong building by mistake did you norcross judy and I 1 saw you scouting around last night remember stop it quincel Quin cyl victor said sharply hugh had risen sit down norcross perfectly understandable stan dable you wanted to allay any fears that you were anxious to get what the devil are you insinuating nothing just that you thought get it cheaper the glate for your sister it if the others see you were anxious right hughle hughie just what you told me remember bessie backed victor 1 I kind of hoped I 1 could get it for a studio the artist spoke up but I 1 go above the gedrys hundred and fifty they bid judy I 1 said I 1 thought so and you miss kendall me oh uh I 1 really want the old thing bid tor for the fun of it thought it would go cheap and I 1 f VW im afraid to go down there again by m myself could watch the sunsets and play I 1 was on a ship without gettin seasick I 1 hate boats but I 1 really consider buying it of course it if it went for a bargain never could resist a bargain thought maybe my little niece gloria lovelace might like gloria lovelace the movie starl scoffed bessie what would she do with a church mighty sweet reformers lily said proudly new publicity angle remember me tellin you I 1 have hake a lovely picture of her I 1 wanted you to see remind me to show it when wr wo get back glorias my favorite niece and a sweeter lovelier little darl im sure she is victor interrupted you must show us that picture by and by but right now I 1 went want to ask you to listen carefully please mr de witt had sentimental reasons potter wanted a studio miss kendall a sea place to watch sunsets the gedrys a bungalow the Nor crosses a giffe and you mr quincy oh I 1 was there in in the doorway called in a bid but stopped when I 1 saw judy jason was determined to got get the church want to bid down judy that was kind of you quinsy quincy was it beca because tise you knew shed buy it anyway for you for me mr Q appeared to be nonplused nonplus ed see here quade why should a cripple like me want an ark like this I 1 can see the sunsets from the inn or the rocks explain yourself quade cried several voices A man was entering the church we all looked around to see uncle wylie who slunk into one of the rear pews just covered it up with some good tarpaulin he said havin a prayer or another auction we all shuddered recalling the poor charred body under its rough cover my aly aunt wanted me I 1 was informed but I 1 did nt budge this an auction or meeting either the minister said mr quade seems to think our bidding had something to do with the mysterious bridge bombin bombings ggs and and the dead man down there I 1 believe at last the papers can describe everything ery thing happened to the diseased brain of a maniac and be the truth victor shook his baad no maal ac wrote the letter to judy I 1 believe the person who wrote her that strange request is back of all this tell them judy as you recall the contents about the mysterious letter asking you to buy the quaker church I 1 did im sure I 1 knew it practically word for word they made me repeat it all over again they appeared entirely surprised and sent you the money 1 lily piped how much dearle dearie but before I 1 could say anything victor retorted enough so that she bought the church as you all know had some over ever quite a sum if we could see that letter hugh began I 1 did he know it had been destroyed that he dared ask for it ita yes the letter though I 1 dont see what got to do with killin roddy lane you keep the rest of that kale honey lily ordered catching her long string of tiny mixed beads on albion potters patters coat button as she leaned across him and breaking it as usual in the undoing ashes going to victor cut in quickly put it away with the letter you judy the police will want to examine both of them victor was pretending the mystery letter was still safely concealed in my bureau drawer he want them to know id discovered it was gone but the person taken it would know I 1 had to say something 1 near together I said III 1 I I 1 put the money in my stocking at first but alter after happened I 1 wish oh I 1 wish I 1 could give it back if one of you wanted me to do you the favor of buying the church for goodness sake say so come out and admit it so we wont connect it up with all these horrors nobody stirred after a moment uncle wylie asked in a strangled voice judy does nella know about this no I 1 answered but ashes dying to find out she under stand how I 1 had to plank down at an auction when she had to advance me my fare to the head and I 1 dont blame her I 1 wanted to tell teh her only the letter impressed silence allence upon me so you put the money with the letter well its in the other I 1 stopped he want me to tell them exactly where it was of course just to hint to the thief swiped the letter that he hed d overlooked the money and that id overlooked his taking the letter wherever you mean victor added pointedly 1 I hope its in a safe place it if the police can identify those bills it will help lily whispered tell him judy and the police wont never see lem em I 1 think he sent the letter himself so therel there 1 uncle wylie hurried out of the door without a word to anybody the rest of us were all talking at once they asked me so many questions I 1 was afraid id mix up victors tors plans and I 1 did so desperately want to help him he saw the position I 1 was in and drew me aside as the group grou p broke up and started outdoors again any place I 1 could watch your bedroom door judy theres the storeroom fat chance anyway dont think hell fall fail for the trap those bills from all over the united states by chance and without sequence another thing lily kendall did bid a lot she was in almost at the finish r in ish ashes got it in for but I 1 have a chance to tell him what shed hinted about the pirates mouth just then for the minister boomed linking his arm with victors and dragging him out of the church well back I 1 go to the inn got to get that sermon done some time and after the police come I 1 pounced on victor as he disengaged himself please mr quade ive got to find my beg bag that confounded key is in it well ill be trotting along after the others de witt said where did you leave it victor sounded impatient 1 I think its important por tant just now to see who makes a dive for your room id hoped that storeroom but its in the basement only t take a ke a minute im im afraid to go down there again by myself oh all right only lets hurry burry youre sure you left it there I 1 was sure but I 1 was extremely doubtful if it was there now I 1 told victor how id left it near the chest when I 1 tried to fiddle open the lock he told me to stay on the stair and let him hunt around certainly the bag in sight he opened the chest looked behind it and then into a rickety closet where a few old hymn books were piled on some shelves nothing doing I 1 knew he was impatient about the old key and so was I 1 never mind turn up how does it happen the in it if you left it right after the auction he asked because I 1 took it out after the sale right down here too put it in my my hose I 1 n never ever make a practice I 1 said with some hauteur of carrying large sums in my handbag A sneak thief good heaven he avenal sl what was that TO BE CONTINUED |