Show 1 7 and mr ir the P TRE H k SU fa 1 TD L HOU 18 fa S U 0 by y BEN AMES WILLIAMS copyright SERVICE CHAPTER X continued 10 miss moss asked why mr and mrs hurder wake up I 1 wonder clint suggested smoke got them maybe but june said they slept pretty soundly usually and aunt evie gave them some warm milk when she put them to bed her voice for a moment was dry as though it might crack she repeated they slept soundly tope looked at miss moss and then he asked awkwardly about mr and mrs hurder how what do you think they were unconscious clint explained the firemen got a doctor cabler was there I 1 wait to hear I 1 brought june away miss moss said im glad you did clint miss leaford im going to put you to bed in our spare room clint you will stay here tonight june protested oh I 1 dont want to go to bed and tope reflected funny that the fire department took so long to answer awer ile he asked clint mrs taine or any of them surprised to see you there surprised to see june up and dressed clint nodded with a smile at june matter of fact we had quite a row he admitted june and I 1 had mr and mrs hurder out of the house when mrs taine got there she asked if they were dead I 1 and I 1 know so she knelt down to feel them and then asa came along and she told us to carry them into the bowdon house we did and about that time the firemen got there and I 1 went outside again and took june with me the others were listening intently andmios and miss moss watched the girl and liked her but mrs taine came out after us he explained june had on a new dress that asa had given her and mrs taine approve of that she wanted to know why june in bed and asleep and who I 1 was and about this dress she had burned her hand and maybe that upset her but she was pretty unpleasant and I 1 got good and mad finally she told june to go into the bowdon house and take off that dress and go to bed and I 1 got up on my ear I 1 told her june was coming home with me june lifted her head and clint held her close mrs taine thought I 1 was crazy he said but june stood up for herself 1 I told her I 1 never would live there again the girl cried in a sudden passion of grief and woe oh I 1 cant go back ever I 1 it was terrible always there miss moss came quickly to her side now enough for tonight she decided im going to put you to bed child come no no june protested 1 I cant I 1 dont want to be alone the inspector said soberly the fire chief figures the fire was set gas exploded in the cellar miss moss nodded and tope exploded in a grim wrath 1 I told heale days ago that when a man starts killing he may go on she touched his hand comforting him and he asked what do you think she hesitated if rab taine was in providence and asa and mrs taine and mrs bowdon were together then only mr taine was alone they found taine asleep in a chair in the kitchen of his house 91 he said 1 I ask asked ed heale but bu t glo veres still missing I 1 she looked at him curiously asleep she repeated but miss leaford said they saw mr taine turn out the lichtl she said they saw the light go out tope corrected mrs taine said the lights went out in the bowdon house too but anyway taine was asleep in the chair when they found him or pretended to be miss moss considered 1 I should like to know she reflected why his light went out heale told me once that the three houses were all on one meter tope recalled wired from the hurder cellar the fire might have shorted the wires or melted them then why did the current go off in the taine house before the fire started she insisted and what started the fire and why did it spread so fast and why was the department so slow in answering the alarm and how did M mrs rs taine burn her hand inspector tope made a gesture of amused surrender 1 I dont know mrs tope he protested wish I 1 did she nodded smiling faintly ill take care of miss leaford she promised while you find out tle the answers answer sl 1 CHAPTER XI tope and clint arrived at kenesaw hill toward four in the morning to find the house all collapsed into a mass of timbers through which like rats the little flame i still played and all about in a thin circle curious folk were standing by clint pulled up beside the road and inspector heale saw their arrival and came across to meet them that you tope he asked young jervies with you wheres the girl he was peering into the car inspector tope said mrs tope put her to bed she was tired out clint here can tell you all there is to tell heale nodded you spotted the fire you jervies he asked so S clint told his story briefly the inspector listening without interruption ter till the young man was done then inspector heale began be gan to question him and tope left them together and walked over toward the fire there were two or three scores of people here roused by the alarm or wakened by the glare of the flames against the rainy sky and come to watch the conflagration to its end tope moved among them quietly listening to the fragmentary conversations here and there then he saw asa taine in the shadows by the old barn talking to someone lissa thayer her countenance was in darkness since asa stood between her and the this was a spare thin woman fire so tope could not see her expression but he saw asa bend nearer her his arms encircling her in a swift embrace his face close to hers then someone called topes name and the old man saw lissa slip away into the darkness as heale and clint came to his side at the same time asa recognized clint and he approached them hullo jervies he said in a friendly tone what have you done with june heale and tope were a little to one side 1 I took her home clint explained P pla ined 1 I thought she ought to get away from here asa nodded approvingly its been hard on her here even before tonight he assented but if you dont bring her back have a hornets nest around your head they wont let her get away he grinned encouragingly stick to her jervies hang on to her dont let them scare you im keeping june clint told him stoutly he spoke to tope uneasily im pretty tired he said ill go home it if you dont mind be with them there tope nodded and asa turned and saw the inspector Hul hullo lol he exclaimed in surprise inspector tope eh he looked past tope at heale a swift conjecture in his eyes clint departed and a fireman joined them water dripped from the rim of his white helmet and his rubber coat was glistening he said to inspector heale we cant do a thing for hours yet too hot asa demanded do what what do you mean inspector heale hesitated this is chief mason tope he explained pla ined and then to asa why mr taine we think this fire was set pl set asa was rigid tope watching him thought the man used an effort to control his voice why to kill mr and mrs hurder said inspector heale harshly for a long iona ft moment there was silence chief mason moved away back to the fire asa stood thoughtful with bowed head then his e yes eyes shifted and he looked past inspector heale and called in a low tone rab inspector tope swung around in time to see rab taine coming toward them from the direction of the old barn hullo he said in a level monotone the matter asa and asa told his brother this is inspector heale he thinks the fire was set to kill grandma and an Grard grandpa pa hurder i tope watched rab intently set the young man exclaimed km kill for heavens sake why should anyone he stared from one to another why should anyone do that he demanded same reason someone killed mrs leaford said heale implacably and rab cried aunt kitty why she took an overdose but heale said grimly oh she was killed all right there was something like a harsh triumphant relish in his words murdered taine and so were these old folks tonight or mrs hurder anyway mr hurder may get well for heavens sake rab protested if you thought that about aunt kitty why you done something before now why you said so before you might have prevented this tonight inspector heale confessed 1 I figured be a better chance of finding out P blast itt rab cried youve fiddled around with your figuring and now youre as bad as but asa interposed reasonably steady rab I 1 guess inspector heale used his best judgment after all he be sure kitty was poisoned maybe her heart cracked let go he added and this tonight may have been an accident you cant tell inspector heale asked asa where were you tonight asa looked at him slowly then grinned you cross examined me once before inspector he remarked in a dry amusement tonight I 1 was asleep on the couch in the dining room next door he nodded toward the bowdon house asleep eh till mother woke me yes where was she with grandma bowdon dressed were you shoes off and coat asa answered rab interrupted asa you said they questioned you before you knew what they thought about aunt kitty they told me yes asa explained pla ined rab cried then why you tell us but tope in the background suggested mildly 1 I hear you were in providence tonight mr taine rab stared at him almost truculently what of it he demanded and turned away do you mind my questions asa tope asked no asa assured him anything you like mrs leaford leave a will no mr bowdon mr hurder yes of course what were the terms asa looked at him thoughtfully and he glanced at inspector heale he said ill tell you anything I 1 can but I 1 cant help you on that my father drew the wills have to ask him where is he inspector heale demanded where was he tonight asa smiled faintly he went to sleep in a kitchen chair after supper he explained mother found him still asleep there when she went to telephone rab 11 asleep through all this hullabaloo hes stone deaf you know tope asked gently taine if one of the connections do this who did anyone live around here who might jim glovene Gl overe or the thaders Th ayers he saw asa taut and stiff like a fencer on guard but before he could reply rab spoke at topes elbow the young man had returned unseen and he said in the tone of one conveying an order that must be obeyed my mother wants a word with you gentlemen please follow me without the slightest hesitation tope moved briskly after rab heale almost reluctantly followed him but asa stayed behind when tope and inspector inspect or heale followed rab into the house where lamps were burning to replace the now useless electric lights there was stir and movement behind the closed doors of the dining room in which denman hurder still lay unconscious and near death and the parlor doors likewise were closed but mrs bowdon and M mrs rs taine waited for them in the sitting room and mrs bowdon was in a chair that faced the door by which they entered tope had an impression of mass of a white mass that would not easily be moved her hair was white so was her cheek so was the shapeless dressing gown she wore she sat in a ponderous immobility which had nevertheless a suggestion of power held in restraint and her eyes were alive and hard and cold mrs taine on the other hand met them at the door this was wa s a spare thin woman her thin hair was black her cheek was sallow her lips were thin she spoke in a soft sibilance in keen syllables that suggested the slicing stroke of ra zor blades 1 I sent for you gentlemen she told them simply my son tells me you are circulating the suggestion that mrs Lea fords death and the tragedy tonight were not ace accident but design I 1 will not permit such nonsense if such rumors become current I 1 shall know whom to blame and I 1 will hold you both responsible let the talk end here and now I 1 bid you good day inspector tope waited for inspector heale to speak rab exclaimed in a restrained anger you heard her gentlemen that is all and when heale still was silent mrs bowdon said without moving her lips outrageous impudent audacity clowns one thing more mrs taine remembered mr clinton jervies took june leaford away with him against my express wish she must be back here in the morning we take care of our own we kene saws we ask no favors anywhere see to it that this is done or I 1 shall know what steps to take heale remained mute but tope suggested gently how old is miss leaford maam mrs taine looked at him most people were somewhat melted by topes mild kindliness but she was not she is of age yes she said calmly but that is immaterial she is an inexperienced child quite incompetent to decide things for herself kitty leaford was no fit mother for her but I 1 have done my duty by june and will continue to but inspector heale found his tongue at last forgetting his awe of these two women in remembrance of his duty and his rights now wait a minute he insisted you folks on the hill have gone your own gait in a lot of things but this looks like murder to me and its my duty to check up on it some questions I 1 want to ask you I 1 know youre feeling pretty bad right now so if you want to wait till morning 28 mrs bowdon said heavily there is nothing I 1 can tell you my husband lies dead in the house I 1 wish to be alone TO BE CONTINUED |