| Show det 4 P U alm I 1 ff by ISABEL WAITT I 1 TT I 1 w NU N U RE THE STORY SO PAR FAK judy jason who Is I 1 telling the story receives receive in an anonym anonymous 0 oui us letter enclosing and a k tec ing her to bid for or an abandoned church to be auctioned the next day jud judy y bids bid tar for the church and iet gets it only to find and in an aa old chest the body of a man identified as roddy noddy lane the body disappears a few hours honri later A fish bed burnt burns apparently killing an old man named darned drown brown wao I 1 Is supposed to have lived there when the anonymous anonym ou letter disappears disappear judy tells tell victor quade while exploring the pirates mouth lor for clues clue lily kendill kendall sees ee something ln which frightens her with victor judy Is I 1 looking for her baz bag now continue with judy story lory CHAPTER XII id thought it a wild cry coming from the sea victor heard it too just a gull probably they sound like that he was halfway up the stairs come on judy I 1 saw him film hesitate run a little way back and inspect the waters around the bluff then just when I 1 was wondering it he were going to go down into the pirates mouth after whatever was there he be came back and made for the inn two steps at a time I 1 could hardly keep up with him only a gull he reiterated no blodys been down there evidently our guests had scattered I 1 could see bessie norcross white coat disappearing into the house with some man holding the door for he her hugh no doubt the others were out of sight save the minister ile he had stopped by the fire ruins and was waving something at us lily kendall thinks you k k know s e s something about victor was way ahead of me by the time I 1 caught up with him all thoughts of what lily had hinted were driven out of my mind the minister was waving a much worn brown handbag theres your bag judal victor called where did you find it mr dewitt why right there ile he pointed out a young juniper bush beside the path which ran in back of where the had stood wed all been on that path innumerable times and not seen my bag th thank you very much I 1 hunted for bessiea Bes sies key yes there it was now she could lock her bedroom door and I 1 could give the artist back his key my coin purse was 0 K too with a little change in it also I 1 saw at a glance the lovely corn compact pact a girl friend had sent me from florida I 1 was torn between going to assist my poor aunt and the desire to see if the money was still in my roo room m victor had had plenty of time t to get into the storeroom so I 1 feel afraid besides the wind had blown my hair till it was a sight I 1 needed a couple of minutes before a mirror not mine id only scout a moment and then go into Aunt qunties aunties les room hugh stopped me in the hall walt wait a minute judy I 1 was just going back to the church tor for you do you think its sate safe for you to hang around that quade fellow alone ile he tried to hold me ting his hand ovir over mine on the newel post I 1 yanked away I 1 was so mad I 1 forgot he was a guest suppose you attend to your own affairs and your sisters 11 the thrust shot home he stepped st back 1 I was only considering con g your safety judy you you know I 1 bessie and I 1 like you well thanks hugh do dont nt mind me here give your sister her key where is she ill do it myself ashes powdering her nose then were going downto down to the bridge with the gang will you come too he was being dece decent fit after id been pretty rude you bet im coming wait for me too well dont be long some of lem em have already started poor mr quincy is wheeling himself go help him then bessie can come with me I 1 tore up to my room and after a trembling moment went boldly in the money was still there beat it came from a crack in the storeroom door now how can I 1 ever trap anybody with you I 1 ran out and closed my door again you wont the all going goin 9 to the bridge I 1 I 1 only wanted to powder my nose I 1 opened my bag and took out the powder pouch preb pressing sing the lid then I 1 nearly catapulted down the stairs roddy lanes square cut diamond gleamed pinkly through the powder ohl oh I 1 ohl ohl oh ohl oh I 1 I 1 slumped weakly down on the top step groaning aloud victor came out of his hiding place and told meto me to shush I 1 handed him the pouch just ai as bessie norcross peeked around the banisters the matter judy you sick sheb a little faint and no wonder victor answered for me I 1 never saw anybody recover himself so co quickly as victor quade dont try to show me the plan of the house till you feel better miss jason he said solicitously knowing full well bessie had caught him up there shall J I 1 call your aunt I 1 had presence of mind enough to press my hand against my side its nothing just a stitch in my side getting old I 1 tried to laugh 1 I saw victor putting my pouch in his pocket would he think id stolen the ring from that awful hand your key here it is miss norcross I 1 tossed it to her as she came part way upstairs hugh is waiting for you you two go along you too mr quade ill be all right now the pains gone let her think what she wanted to it be helped by the time we reached the piazza our guests were ambling toward the bridge uncle wylle wylie had already gone down rny my aunt said scolding because I 1 put off setting the luncheon dishes out hed beaten the whole of us taking the ministers car as he explained later when hed seen a truck skimming along the neck hugh norcross was helping mr quincy into another car potters presumably over near the garage de witt already hid had a front seat wait for us victor called but they perhaps they hear him anyway they were started before we were down the walk why dont you go back judy no no you dont think ive got to know you believe id touch of course not my dear girl some friend has not only made a 77 A Nob odys been down there evidently tool of you but now is trying to implicate you further the same ring looks like it not sure of course victors stride increased good look that tha t first car is coming back again the car with my uncle in it I 1 and the truck was rapidly disappearing down the long curving neck wont be long now keep mum about the ring judy we hurried along to meet the two cars which were now stopping midway and holding a powwow everything jake victor shouted as we can came 1 e up they answer but kept talking among themselves in a puzzled manner everything 0 K victor repeated dunno uncle wylie who was leaning against the steering wheel of the ministers car opened the door for us to get in he sure the teller feller heard him hugh said milkman it uh huh him all right uncle wylie said nearly ran the truck over into the gap I 1 shouted to get the police been a murders mur derl I 1 yelled we want the pol police icel 1 but he answered sort of queer what did he say cant hear youl you winds agin me too jokes on youl 11 uncle wylie scratched his scraggy head windblown every which way aint sartin lie understood I 1 yelled murder Mur derl again order lie he yells back plain as day count of cf the land breeze here heie hoeu I 1 git it over and you told him to get the police sartin git the pol police icell I 1 nearly split my throat cupped my hands and hollered my uncles un c les eyes twinkled he often get the center of attention do hurry up uncle wylie what did he say I 1 implored hold your bosses judy lets get this straight he said and my uncle began to chuckle what makes you so cons arned polite all of a sudden wylie ill leave the order right here and you can git it in a boat learn you not to bust any more bridges on oil the fourth then he went off laughing but surely hell tell everyone he meets about the bridge victor said even if he believes it was a prank will if he thinks of it my uncle said lighting his old corncob pipe hop in you folks bothin to do here I 1 got some clams to shuck we got in it if only waited for mr de witt I 1 said he could have made them hear way down to rockville you tell him we t have a boat hugh and mr quincy asked the same question that was in my mind dont knows know I 1 did wh why y should hould I 1 uncle could be so exasperating ti 9 sometimes got a boat aint we up in the loft of the garage well for the love of Christ christmas mast why you say so drive on I 1 screamed the minister say so because she she their car made the difficult it about face on the narrow road and I 1 held my breath while uncle wylie followed suit I 1 want to plunge into those swirling waters danger ous at any time despite the peaceful looking marshland beyond I 1 was wondering why my uncle spoken about his boat before he could repair any leak that ever S sprang prang I 1 was also beginning to wonder it if hed told the truth about the milkman nobody else was vas present it was quite possible aunt nella had kicked him on to being horatio at the bridge just to keep the police away a little longer th in the hopes that som of the mystery would solve itself I 1 said as much to victor he yes and his wife too cant wish to keep quiet about under the tarpaulin aunt nella was standing in the doorway waiting for the milk for her chowder did she think they could throw it across you might have rigged up a breeches buoy I 1 she accused theril there shed struck it it if nobody came to the bridge if the boat be made seaworthy right away we rig a breeches buoy of of some sort but victor listen to me he and the men went across to the old barn where the boat was stored in the loft 1 I loathe steamed clams bessie norcross grumbled when she heard my aunts luncheon alternative bessie sie had been cleaning the spot on her coat with some smelly fluid now she draped it over the hammock to dry personally I 1 thought shed made it much worse with the encircling yellowish gray rings I 1 stooped to pick up a couple of lily kendalls crystal beads lovely ly beads they were expensive I 1 hoped shed saved enough to have them hem rest re strung tung it was then I 1 realized she been with us on the neck I 1 ran up and knocked on her door but receiving no answer hurried down again wheres miss kendall bessie shrugged seen her been locked in my room hughle hughie called to me not to bother about the old bridge so ive been right here he thought id been overdoing look coming back from the garage hows the boat any good they all answered together I 1 gathered it was hole in her big as a bucket mr Q shrilled gleefully somebody chopped it on purpose potter added if I 1 find out who in dared to do sech a thing 1 poor uncle wylie he looked like a little mad bantam rooster hugh went up and sat beside his sister glad we came by train sis our car in that barn neither of us had occasion to en ter it I 1 saw the clergyman turn so purple I 1 thought hed have an apoplectic stroke when the artists jaw dropped ludicrously open all the time it victor saved the day sartin capt when I 1 lock up at night keep my own old fordie in there when she faint in the back yard you can see her now with a busted axle et celery cebery 11 anybody seen miss kendall I 1 cut in ashes not with us and ashes not in her room that was odd in itself lily ken dall never missed anything she was as thaddeus quincy had put it ubiquitous well she ubiquitous now she gasn wasn t in sight make sure judy victor victor said look all around will you his face was clouded with anxiety he started down the path as if lie he were quite sure I 1 find lily in the house will you wait he nodded ill walk slowly you call yes or anop no from the door im going to look at the the ruins of the fire aunt nella called me to come ind and whelp help her was miss kendall with her I 1 asked no nor in the parlor nor her room nor the bathroom nor the lavatories I 1 tore out to tell victor oh mr quade that cryl cry you said it was a gull nonsense it was a gull but his eyes belied his words norcross crossl t potter t de you too wylie I 1 please make it snappy victor was positively running now with me at his heels and the rest after us As I 1 hurried along I 1 was conscious that the tide must have turned and with it the wind for a refreshing salt breeze changed the air into one of new En glands perfect summer days it sultry any more I 1 feel so tired despite all the racing around id d done 0 n that terrible morning 10 70 BE CONTINUED |
