Show H 1111 ROL OE M M r t m m E PARTY FA HO HH BH Z L I 1 Z E aar I 1 J OR D A N 0 D appleton cen co coi ino ina SYNOPSIS young rex hale calls on casper knee land friend of his father in new york and finds him proudly successful but strangely preoccupied lie he tells hale of his cifes death while insane invites him tor for the sum mer to halcyon camp his home on long island and promises him he will be useful as his secretary there hale Is joined at lunch by fred ainsworth an unpopular college mate also at halcyon who leaves him with a feeling of unpleasant mystery H he e Is met at the train by mrs airs wilbur nash w whom h am he questions about the menage and experiences a disturbing premonition the premonition Is barely eased by the comfortable for table hospitality of hosanna Kne elands elderly sister and her friend ruth forbes middle aged sophisticate in his room hale finds a soiled paper printed this plase dangerous hale meets the rest of the strange group dr craig psychiatrist friend of bert kneeland nervous young g son of casper and beautiful but moody m joan knee land niece of the house ainsworth drops in at his room questions him about his re reactions a chions and tells him of berts hopeless love tor for his heiress cousin and that mrs forbes Is down and out the whole group seem to get on each others nerves later hale sees hosanna furtively meeting a shabby man in the woods the maid tells of the recent poisoning of a cat and dog CHAPTER II 11 continued 6 under the stare of craig joan hashed flushed and then spoke quickly as if reaching for a verbal lifeline life line ive promised mr hale a race with you she said why not have it now from here to the shore ill be referee it all right craig spoke without much interest but he took in the young man with one of his xray X ray glanc glances es as hale mentally classed them both men rose and stood ready for the start dive when I 1 say go joan directed swim any way you like so that you reach the shore suddenly her voice was full of vitality and the exuberance of youth one two three go hale and craig went into the sea on the last word A second later they were shooting through the water side by side hale had not expected an easy victory now he was disconcerted to see craigs dark head already a trifle in advance of his own no reserve in the doctors kit I 1 so far he was plainly putting in his best efforts from the takeoff take off and counting on the shortness of the race to hold them to the finish hale quickened fied his stroke came abreast of craig and held his place there to his deep disgust he could not pass his rival craig was plainly having a good time he had even sent rex a flashing smile as he passed him the smile seemed a strange phenomenon on that dark rather dour face it lingered too as a few of headway hale could see it as he set his own teeth and called on all his reserve strength craig apparently was out to beat him and to break all records from float to shore the sleek dark head gained a few inches more that would not do it would not do at all with joan kneeland looking on desperately hale called on the fighting heart that wins victory when hope is gone the shore was close now a matter of a hundred feet away of fifty of twenty the two heads his and craigs were on a line again he saw miss hosanna and mrs spencer forbes motionless on shore watching them that infernal head was still on a line his heart seemed to fill his chest his lungs were bursting his eyes were starting from his head for an instant he saw nothing in the next instant the firm sand of the beach was under his feet he staggered through a few yards of water fell rose again fell once more and finally cast himself flat on the dry sand breathless and gasping simultaneously something clopp flopped ed beside him gasping also miss hosanna and mrs spencer forbes hurried toward the two prone figures then tactfully stopped and hesitated hale expelled excelled a few mouth fuls of water and feebly turned his head to meet craigs eyes both young men grinned sheepishly on a common impulse each waved away the ho hovering women who again tentatively tat ively approached 64 Ape apologies logies hale craig brought 0 out ut the words with difficulty when he had caught his breath 1 I forgot that pneumonia of yours it a fair contest but you won nothing like it im sure you were here when I 1 landed it was a tie it if I 1 ever saw one the prettiest tie you can imagine the irrepressible mrs spencer forbes had joined them at last my thanks kind sirs she drawled you gave us a real thrill both men sat up both were wobbly but both were still grinning craig became professional any brandy in ahw the bath houses hale is looking a bit blue miss hosanna produced a small flask it was her excellent habit to carry this to the beach in case of chills she explained her friend supplied congratulations and tributes craig handed the flask to hale and ordered him to take a stiff drink he also took one himself lie flat on the sand he ordered and let uie the sun beat on you oh yes ill be mighty glad to lie down again too that a fair proposition ion he amp amplified lifie d hale laughed that oft off the two lay down in perfect communion of spirit while mrs spencer forbes prattled on and miss hosanna offered more brandy asinine of me to set that pace craig muttered he seemed really concerned hale found himself rather liking the man it had been a fine race mrs wilbur nash strolled up looking flamboyant in a scarlet bathing suit and cap the nash cub in the background revealed his meager frame in a one piece gr garment of somber bla black ck aban ap feared from the water and congratulated the swimmers ainsworth and herbert added themselves to the little group which began to take on the character of an assemblage craig ordered hale to lie still a bit longer he himself also sprawled contentedly on the sand making no effort to contribute to the brisk conversation of the spectators ill back hale to best you in the same match within two weeks ainsworth told craig hale shook what I 1 really want to know mrs nash admitted is how you like the people youre with 1 I like very much the person im with now all right but you cant carry on with me as you dilwith do with mrs spencer forbes im a respectable widow with a son who has high standards for his mothers conduct has a scandal started in 18 hours hale was amused if it had it be anything new the people in this lonely neck of the woods haven t much to interest them talking their heads off about halcyon camp what are they saying youre asking me mrs nash smiled well saying for one thing that everyone in the house hates everyone else I 1 suppose we must except hosanna ashes a good old soul and of course ashes fond of her brother and her nephew and niece but as for the others ive watched these people ever since they came here the first of may im in and out all the time theres something queer about them I 1 dont know yet what it is but I 1 dont like CHAPTER in III at the house miss hosanna soothed him with hot oyster stew and womanly sympathy he had done a foolish thing she told him she sat beside him before the fire in the living room and watched him enjoy the stew hale gulped down the stew kissed miss hosannah hosannas Hos annaa annas plump hand which wriggled in surprise under such attention and went up to his room rose had been there it was in perfect order but as he approached the davenport between the windows to stretch himself out and take the recommended nap ap something caught his eye it was something white tucked partly under the davenports davenporte daven ports silk covered pillow he drew it out it was a square white card he looked at it frowningly this time there was no writing on it but it held its message nevertheless in the center of the card drawn with pen and ink was an elaborate skull with crossbones cross bones it was a more literate offering than the one of the night before the A 0 rl IT 00 hale sat up and steadied his bis swimming head a languid head and advised ainsworth not to waste his money then he forgot ainsworth and all the rest of them joan had sat down beside him im ashamed of myself she confessed 1 I forgot completely it was great tun fun did me no end of good hale sat up and steadied his swimming head with a strong effort of will he grinned at the concerned look in her vivid eyes hell brighten our lives a little longer mrs spencer forbes predicted 1 I assume you really trying to kill him off joan one with a less trusting nature than mine would certainly think y you ou were doing that has she anything to gain by your death my lad she asked hale only the removal of an obstruction from her path rex admitted 1 I expect to be there a good deal miss hosanna did not like such jokes and told her ruth so the party began to disintegrate joan returned to the water with herbert and craig ainsworth and mrs spencer forbes watched them from the shore ainsworth rex suspected did not like water much more th than an the cat he resembled mrs spencer forbes believed in keeping her blue bathing suit dry till the last possible moment she strolled along the waters edge with ainsworth looking remote Ain unpopularity with every member of the family was increasingly noticeable hale wondered why the devil the fellow continued to hang around miss hosanna with surprisingly white plump legs in ample v view i ew was walking along the beach ap apparently par investigating seaweed out on the float the nash cub flocked by himself practicing dives his mother joined hale and sat down beside him well she asked alertly how do you like it its great and not too cold for one fresh from sunny climes 1 I dont mean the water I 1 mean life at halcyon camp before he could reply she added every body blodys Is wondering how you will like it chos everybody hale asked lazily my son and 1 I no one else counts the lady added im having a great time rex testified look at me yesterday I 1 was a lonely orphan today im a guest at halcyon camp theres contrast for vau cu and you ask me how I 1 like it that man ainsworth for example card was clean the sketch was he has some hold over thim them well done was in fact quite dashing some power it sounds melodramatic it could hardly have been but its true they all hate made or left by the same hand that him like poison yet they let him had written and conveyed the first stay on why it worries me im message or could it hale afraid of him im afraid for joan know it irritated him it ashes awfully changed from what funny it disturbing it was she was last year she was the gayest merely annoyingly childish nonsense young thing he wished whoever was back she turned toward him and laid of it would let up he tore it in two her brown hand on his arm her dropped the pieces into the wastebasket face was very serious and simultaneously dropped mr hale im hoping you will be the card from his mind a sort of guardian angel to her hale lau laughed hed lie he slept till he was awakened by a large order the luncheon gong he brushed his A sudden memory shot into hales hair shook the sand out of his new mind theres work for you tan shoes and went down to the kneeland had said he said dining room to his relief no one what work it would be hale had asked him how he felt they had no chance to say more now miss some tact then he was not to be hosanna suddenly appeared with regarded as a semi invalid he hospitable words and gestures she found miss hosanna mrs spencer insisted that it was time for him forbes and joan alone at the table to go into the house and have a nap craig miss hosanna said was before luncheon he must admit in his laboratory a little room his recent exhaustion and take care which had been fitted up or him at of himself hale got up willingly the top of the house A tray had staged an impressive parting with been sent to him there he often his companion and left for the bathhouse worked in his laboratory from the mrs nases conversation had bathing hour till tea time been a trifle heady TO BE CONTINUED |