| Show 4 4 4 X AV killer A AF W N 11 vf ce CHAPTER XI continued 17 one minute please miss grosven or tl interrupted mr air almy ildur brur cousin kasnot wa was snot noHn in busi business meis here bore was ho be biow would he have fiade find to mia mak e for a short trip ile was waa st tidying studying spanish he had bad i a bess lesson on every day but he S sali alf readily too readi readily lyl I 1 that lie felt elt sure iuro ho he could go and he and mj grandfather exchanged suell such n ar look they ibey never know knew I 1 sow saw jt it they were so absorbed in themselves elves pu it was plain that they understood each other about some secreto secret mi grandfather had bad shown na no interest in the notice about the auction until notes was tinned and then so BO much and sw determination to conceal it 1 froni from ne that I 1 felt there was something strange involved something ahrent me that the other two wait me to suspect well avell I 1 was roused I 1 wondered it if things were possibly shaping to give mo me a chance to find out about tile the secret which had always va surrounded my parentage you know I 1 had and never been told anything about my father and mother by your grandfather asked mr almy nor by charles answered julah and I 1 always thought he must have known something about them hes enough older than I 1 cm am to remember or to have picked up something about my mother do you know how old eld you wre werf when sho she died four months old I 1 was waa told that tant by an old colored nurse of mine who bad been in the family for dee dec ades and who had waited on my mother she also said my mother died of tuberculosis site she took cire care of mo me only when I 1 was very tiny toy for ia she was sept home to virginia fut fol tell u g me as much ah BS abal that my fus BUSS clelo ns about tha book were 1 at b ut suspicions jet ye I 1 was so distressed and vexed that I 1 lust just ninde up P my mind to go to richmond myself and look at that book and see what wils ai so interesting about III so I 1 went I 1 wanted minted to avoid charles charle s so I 1 decided not to go to the auction but to tile the exhibition room early in the day and there first thing I 1 nearly ran straight into film I 1 gracious I 1 I 1 was frightened frighten eill 1 uit U it there wits was a large showcase not fk from where he was standing beside the counter so sol I 1 waited behind that until he should leave I 1 saw din looking at a book very carefully I 1 could ht of course see what book it was but I 1 watched hlin clo closely and I 1 saw him trying to pry the book bookplate plate off with his finger nall nail I 1 and then I 1 heard him film order the clerk to io take n bid iram him ro for Clarl hews notes up to five hundred dollars dollar for lie he said he be nt at tend the bie auction that was curious after tie he amt down especially to accommodate youl grandfather remarked mr air almy not at nil all it if you knew him sald mid julia coolly lie ille has many friends in richmond reilly a large social circle ile he mint to go down solely on account of milt alint hook book I 1 assure you yon and five hundred dollars 1 judging from what ho I 1 know jabout some of the alic prices my grandfather I 1 paid for similar shullar hooks books it thusn t worth one hundred hund redl 1 tie ho might inight well have bee been n sure cure he would get it then he went out and I 1 went and asked for the book to examine it and blieu I 1 got it I 1 almost fainted it have a real bookplate anat lo 10 it at all W I 1 no said L t it hada had a droning drawing that would deceive of moat tny body but bit an artist artest it was a wonderfully skillful piece of work said julia it seemed very rt strange range to me that anyone would make a drown drawn bookplate unless for some gome book in event perhaps of accident ident to the metal plate from which the regular bookplates were engraved I 1 wondered what there was about that very queer bookplate that made my two relatives so or anxious to conc conceal eill it from me I 1 was distracted tr I 1 an idea what to do until I 1 heard a voice asking for that book it was mr Bur bartens tens I 1 recognized it at the auction it gave ne me ny my idea charles going to the tha sale rate some one else was interested in the bool book I 1 then and there resol resolved Ted to go to the rhe auction in the faint hops hope that soine one might outbid charles in that event I 1 resolved reserved to find bedout out w choit ho it was and keep track of the boole book until I 1 could either cither learn the truth about it or perhaps even buy boy it if charles succeeded eucce eded in getting the book I 1 felt sure id have hare attl chance of ever peeing it again I 1 cant tell yon ou how his attitude and ray my grandfathers terrified met mcl iho ahe rest of tle story you know for or mr bir burton got the book A yra ver dear interesting account ot of your experiences miss Grosve norl said mr amy almy im much obliged to fo you iou and I 1 shant trouble you further today it if I 1 can help inq lt may I 1 just use your telephone a moment if you please lease the door closed on him film my real chance to speak to julia grosvenor had come at last yes I 1 said quietly peter liu allu ton got that book and I 1 know why and so do you it ii was for your sape balc it was to help you out oui of a difficulty ho he understand at all ue ile did ft t out of pure chivalry because ue tie knew you were in great need of just that service you can see sec ho he has not I 1 L L I 1 1 I r w chaales macl macivor stood before Us ua i A I 1 bron broadcast this deed either mr air alays source of 01 information about richmond Is tile the clerk from the galleries gall erles and ever since that purchase haa 1118 been in n no end of hot water julia groaned moved indeed far beyond what I 1 had expected what tins has happened she gasped mr I 1 arrow was furious over th tha price to begin with peter bural buffon n bore the blame in silence the legai leai society which had ordered the tool book tor for which peter ostensibly bought it II then refused it then your recognition re g of him in the ho shop on mon men day caused a great deal of comments which he entirely ignored he Is not in the best of spirits but it if I 1 know peter burton I 1 have known him seven years he be Is seeing this thing through without flinching so I 1 cant help hoping finish your story miss grosvenor tell us all you yon h know now n bout about the mystery surrounding yo grandfathers clear yourself ji i suspicion for suspicion dues does hang over oer you yon oh dont make a poor return for the unswerving confidence shown in you by this week of silence and suffer suffering 1 julias face was bInne blanched hed her breath came to in gasps at first sho she could not epe ak when slie she finally raised her eyes ayea from the floor trey ley l ey were agbon full of tears oh she whispered huskily but you yon dont know how poor my best return would be she was interrupted A latch ke key v sounded in the fr front ont door charles stood before us lut but before te be could speak mr air 1 almy had stepped back into the room I 1 so mr air macivor Macl Ma elvor vor on tating taking mo me in had 1 no opportunity to on the presence in a his house bouso of one he had ordered out of it the tha previous e aning though from his expression he be was not pleased julia grew very uneasy but mr albiny placid arld s self elf possessed inquired politely what was wanted 1 I came to see my lusin cousin C on personal mattew clatters said eald macivor Macl vor coldly by y whick 11 mr almy responded you mean that th at bookplate you want out of Clarl bew a notes there it Is took look at it if taken aback as macivor was by this unexpected answer he be could not restrain his eagerness to see the bookplate ll 11 ue snatched it breath I 1 lei eia ly from the other mans hand and like julia turned it over only to see sec the blank back in stupefaction he stared stare d at li it fully half a minute thon turned ablis on his cousin white with rage raga and badly frightened but to conceal conce fil his fright under bluster thought get ahead of rne mo again did you 1 I dont know what you mean charles said eald julia likely story 1 got the book pimp through your new confidante mies alles puller fuller dad you I 1 dont think yon 1 l arouse all he sympathies it if you yon toll tier her your hoa whole story ahlm ruller fuller brought me in the bok plate beca because iise she knew I 1 had an interest in I 1 it I 1 cried julia aro aroused 1 I have as much in uch right to it as you have I 1 11 charles opened his eyes As aa he echoed a as much I 1 11 11 he looked at her haid studying her how much Is th that atia she looked back tit at him innocently 1 I know you and grandfather both wanted that hook book notes she bhe said quietly and I 1 know I 1 allowed to go and get it it so EC I 1 suspect that there may be something about it you dont want me to know what iler her natural sincerity gave tier her away 1 I dont know she admitted you too dont enow I 1 repeated charles ahn triumphantly you just implied it W was as the ine hot inte he be careful julia youre stumbling Wha it about the bookplate that interested you I 1 felt he was testing her to see how bow much she knew I 1 glanced at air almy imploring him silently to stop the questioning but he did not see bee me julia looked at her cousin affronted perhaps Per hapa ll it was the same thing that interested you when you tried to pry it ii off the cover in the exhibition room at richmond I 1 P sh all flung at him lie ile almost sprang out of ills sent ecat you were iacre were you he caled lied i spying on conme me 1 I have as much rigtje right in alyx anny exhibition hibi hIbIt tion liln room as any ahny onel cried julia dout dont dare speak to one that why were you so BO interested in the bookplate yourself ever know thail sneered her consla and a lot of good the bookplate tins has done you it keep it I 1 he gave it one final ap praising glance and flung it on the table 1 I will keep it returned julia calmly cal or rather miss fuller will she has charge of tt it and she handed banded edit it to me ills his suspicions blazed up again io uve been lying to met mel that bookplates not all therel there the idea ideis of pretending you dont know what im talking about I 1 if said eald julia reflectively taking all our circumstances into confide ra tion part of the bookplate Is not nol there accor according dlug to your judgment and if there Is something secret about it which I 1 roust must not know because it would be to my advantage and against y F ours I 1 guess that you were expecting to ond down at some document which would give me a right to part of the estate estat I 1 so tills this Is why youve been lc in cahoots with all that gang gaas at rows burton barton and his sister and his woman anybody else he stormed 1 I an idea what you meant cried ju julia youve been working against me coe I 1 after the special kindness I 1 showed youl V tile the emphasis in his bla words was deadly julia gave a start and looked frightened but did not reply M ur r almy howe however vei broke promptly in special especial cial kindness since it suits suite your tusto taste to refer to such each a thing than macivor Macl vor not mind saying it you mean that trip you yon made to darrows thursday night charles mactor sprang from his hie chair that d d sneak casel ha shouted so heb beds a friend of youw yours too Is he be Jul julia talt ho he certainly toa to a good conall cried julia jolla outraged you shant speak so BO of him hucal I 1 ho he was waa hero here today todar to offer roe me the old aid refused me by the men of my own family and he a stran stranger gerl 1 ile he said he knew you hij had seen I 1 you off and on all yo your u r life he warned me against youl you and he did right I 1 ille ue warned you against me did he be and he told tile the police I 1 broke broe into darrows late into at night tos to costeal steal teat I 1 suppose by way of helping you no interposed mr air almy ly IY mr case did not mention the circumstance 11 macivor turned violently on his hla cousin then you dial youre the one person who knew I 1 was vias going and you knew well chyl for you rown safety you try to betray me do you pou Cb charles arles julia denied 1 I did not say one word about itt dodou do you expect we me to believe that who did then 1 I did said 1 boldly 1 I saw you at my desk from where I 1 was standing in tile the north gall gallery eryll then its a conspiracy against me in behalf of you la Is it shouted the infuriated malcor to his cousin very well then its time for or me to explain why I 1 went to darrows fler heres es the reason I 1 heedless edless of her cry of her hand stretched clied out to stop him be dashed to the rear of the room threw open one cue of the glass bookcases and snatched a small object from a lower shelf what I 1 went to geall get I 1 lie he cried and dung flung it on the table while julia overcome by his fury sank back and covered her face with her hands mr almy picked up the small object it was a cubs cube shaped brass box the bases of which were about axi an inch and a half square he revolved it slowly in his hand and we could see it from every angle F from rom the top protruded a thick black metal abaft nea nearly aly an inch in length out of a wide slot about halt half the length of the base beside this shafts shaft in the ver very Y center of tile the top was a flat black screw that stood out perhaps a quarter of an inch on the round base of its own sunk into the box on the side ide of the box just below the shaft wa was a a small black lever brer projecting ing from a small slot arid and on the iho bottom as he slowly turned it toward me I 1 saw a pattern of slots which 1 I 1 instantly recognized recognize dl 1 straight across the bottom base they ran in just the formation I 1 had find seen elsewhere elsa where clinching for me that conviction which had bad instantly Insi antly sprung to my mind as mr almy picked up the instrument ment I 1 had r seen een it on the bookplate in miniature I 1 had seen seen the pattern of these slots on my yellow w note I 1 but I 1 had little unit time to do more than identify tile the Ins instrument trumen t sir mr almy grasped the box to in his bis left hand and tentatively pressed the shaft it slid readily along the wide slot in L ir P AMP 1 I 0 that D d sneak casel he shouted the top and reaching the other ether end stopped there caught la in place by the springing back of the black lever ever in the small slot just below but up a tie he had pressed tile the shaft he had find held the bottom ot ol the box toward roe me and from ench each slot I 1 bad seen a small sharp blade hash flash al all I 1 of them in one moment des describing chiting a semicircle and disappearing again into the box bos as the lever sprang and now mr air almy let gt ga of the shaft and pressed the little Jer lever ejr and as he did so the chilor of the instrument was reversed with lightning swiftness tile the flash flashing int little a d eta all sprang out again from rom their biding place in inside 1 I de the he box boc describing a semicircle in the opposite direction to their first course and vanished with a loud click that shattered the silence lo in that strange e old fashioned room I 1 TO DE continuum |
