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Show rfc'fn the Adam Bruce, UHE STORY THUS FAR: to his old on visit a while FBI operator, his previotos boss, Inspec-to- r home, ran Into He sent them Tope, and Mrs. Tope. Mill auto camp, opoat to the Dewains erated by Bee Dewain. Later that night and had him come state trooper. Tope cottage called Farathat something was way, but seeing to wrong, he had a transfer made been told that had Tope cottage. no one had occupied the Faraway yet he had seen signs that led him to believe something was wrong. He sent bis wife out while he began a search of the cottage to locate the mystery. Tope phoned Bruce out with Ned Quill, a bad been shown to a an-oth- er cot-tag- e, CHAPTER III But if a man is doing something in the light of a match, he till it burns his fingers. would have burned a the dark by will hold it This match mans fingers. And he said: I looked in the kindling and the paper and behind the logs, till I found eleven matches, all burned down about the same way. it. I lighted a match and timed Handled carefully, it burned So eleven over half a minute. matches would give some light, in this cabin, for about six minutes. A lot can be dope in six minutes. Mrs. Tope suggested: You cant do much with one hand if youre holding a match in the other! Tope nodded in quick pride. Thats right, maam! Adam, this wife of mine is keen. So whatever was done here, there were two people. One of them did it, and the other held the matches, made a light. I can see that. Go Bruce said: on. And Tope explained, apologeticallSo it seemed to me sure that some one had done something here. Either they came to get something, or to hide something. I thought they might have hid something; and I wanted to search the place, see what I could find. He looked at Mrs. Tope. But I y: didnt want to bother you, or worry you, he said to her; and then, to Adam. So I let her go outside. Then I started to look under the beds. That was the only place where anything could be hidden. You see how theyre made. Adam felt his pulses pounding much of heavily. I found something under the bed, Tope explained. The young man tried to speak, to ask a question; but his voice died in a husky whisper. Tope said gravely: Its still there. Its a dead man. Ill show you! But as he was about to draw the coverlet away, some one knocked, in a soft, furtive fashion, on the door. That quiet knock was terrifyiThese three whirled as one; and then a knock sounded again, and Bruce opened the door. Then he said in a vast relief: He Oh, hullo, Ned! Come in. drew the other man into the room. "This is Ned Quill, Inspector, he said. You wanted him, and I told him to meet us here. Tope expended his hand. Ive seen enough of Mr. Quill to know he doesnt like violins! Quill grinned, and took off his cap, and shook hands with Tope and with Mrs. Tope. That fiddler makes me tired! he He stood looking agreed. at them, Well? he challwaiting. ng! enged. Whats the all the shooting for? matter? Whats Tope, after a moment and without a word, turned again toward the bed. They came silently behind him. Theres a man under 'here, said Tope. He removed the blankets and the sheets, and he took hold of the mattress at one end, looked at Bruce. You take the oth-end, he directed. They lifted the mattress, laid it on the floor. There was left on the bed a a spring, made bf a square of heavy wire. The electric hght, a shaded bulb, hung almost directly overhead; and its rays shone down unhindered, so that the wire squares threw a network of shadow on that which lay in the box-hk- e space below. This was, as Tope said, the body f a man. He lay a little on one side; yet not as though his body had been arranged in this position, but n a twisted fashion vaguely of some spasmodic effort or movement in the moment ?: hls death. He was an old man, 7s a?e manifest in thin gray hair, scantily seen under a ragged cap Puffed down to his ears. There was Pblbkling of gray beard on his p. bin and the upper part of his cheek. ut except for brow 'and cheek bnln. his countenance was 3 , ky two strips of black adhe-- . ? taPe bound tight over his mouth ea? 0Ver hi eyes. Each band was ried clear around his head, dou . dead w pat-ter- disturb-suggesti- , 1 con-siv- ve V rm tions, Tope explained. And asked some of my own. They tell me eight cottages were full Saturday night. I figure that was the night he was put here. He asked: Adam, how many people were here last night? What time did you get here? You werent here Saturday night, were you? Bruce shook his head. I was here Tuesday night, he replied. Left Wednesday, and then came back Sunday. Thats yesterday afternoon. Bee and I went for a walk after supper last night, upon the ledges back of Amasas barn. jfl a in -- Vii rfftT1 Who was here? How many? Tope insisted. Well, Vade and the Murrells, Bruce said. And a man and his wife a Maine man, by the way he talked. And two Harvard men in an old flivver, on their way to Chicago or California or somewhere. And a fellow named Bowen, a hardware salesman making this territory. He likes to tell Bee how his wife mis- him. Harmless, thing about him? Bruce hesitated. Why, his particular hobby is rivers, and waterfalls. Hes the secretary of an association for the protection of our streams. I dont know whether there is any such association, but hes the secretary of it, anyway! Well, son, we know some things, We know Tope reminded him: there were two people in it, because one of them struck matches to make a light, while the other did the job. And by the way the bed was made, I wouldnt be surprised if one of them was a woman. Not many men can make a bed right. Then theres another thing: Thats electricians tape around this mans mouth and eyes; and the wires hes tied up with are old ignition wires off a car; and the clothes on him are greasy. Maybe whoever tied him up was a mechanic, a chauffeur., Thats just guessing. Well, I believe in guessing, Then those pieces Tope insisted. of blanket wrapped around his hands and feet and head a dog had slept on that blanket. A police dog, I think. You can see the hairs. Plenty of police dogs around! Tope considered; and then he asked, in the ton? of one who has This was, as Tope said, a body of made a Adam, why discovery: a man. were his feet and his hands and his The gags and the blindfold looked head wrapped up in pieces of blanklike kidnaping. This may be in et? Why were his hands tied to his body behind? your line. Bruce shook his head. I dont Who is it? he Bruce nodded. I dont Tope shook his head. know. I havent touched him, except to make sure he was dead. Theres been no kidnaping reOr wed ported, Bruce reflected. have known. The Chief knew where And he exclaimed increduI was. was here last night, Tope! I lously: Do you suppose he was here then? Yes. But Tope spoke, in a tone of finalWell, there it is, he said. ity. Quill, this is up to you and Adam. Bruce objected: Ive no standing unless this chap was carried across And he urged: Bea state line. sides, Inspector, youre not going to walk out on us! Mat Cumberland will keep you on the job if he has to handcuff you. Cumberland? Tope echoed. Is he still the D.A. up here? I worked on the Hichens case for him. But Joe Dane Quill suggested: does all the work in the office. Hell be back here, later, when he-brin- Adam urged: Its not up to us to call Joe, Ned.. Well get Mat. If he wants to turn it over to Joe, thats up to him. You ought to get the medical examiner too, Tope suggested. But Ive a notion it might be a good idea to keep this quiet, just at first. Dont use the telephone. Its a party line. I left my bike up at Amasas, I can ride Ned Quill explained. Cumberland. to town and get Tope, when the trooper had gone, laid a sheet over the naked springs of the bed, and he and Adam and Mrs. Tope drew near the fire. Adam stood leaning against the mantel; Tope filled his pipe and lighted it; and Adam said: Looks like a tough one, Tope. Well, it may get easier as we go "Aftalong. He puffed contenfedly. er I found this man, I did a lot of listening. Your friend Miss Dewain, she talks without much prodding; and theres a woman, a Mrs. Murrell, that likes to ask questions. Maybe you know her? Sure, Adam agreed. I listened to some of her ques healthful and rugged old age for the brush. SPASTIC and PARALYSIS Two of a Kind CORRECTION Two casual golf acquaintances were walking towards the green when they sighted two women coming over the hill. Here comes my wife with some old hag shes picked up somewhere, said one. And here comes mine with anretorted his companion other, icily. Why-y- es! But you just said, she argued, that the reason they tied his hands and feet, and muffled them with blankets, was because he was alive and might make a noise. Of course. But She cried triumphantly: dont you see that wont fit? If he was already tied up, they couldnt change his clothes without untying his hands and feet; and if he were already dead when they changed his clothes, there wouldnt be any point to tying him up again afterward. So he was alive And she urged: when they changed his clothes; and he was alive, when they brought him here, because otherwise there was no point in muffling his hands and feet and head to keep him from making a noise. They heard the sound of footsteps on the drive Ned Quill returning, with Mat Cumberland and Doctor Medford. Cumberland was a large man with an almost bovine calm; one of those individuals whom other men trust as they do a stone, or a hill, for their very immobility. 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You mean they changed his clothes after they killed him? . Food spilled in the refrigerator should be wiped up at once. Wait Always open a can of asparagus and the acid may eat the porcelain at the bottom end. In this way as- glaze. paragus can be removed from Heres the way to touch up your the can without breaking tender cretonne curtains. Wash and faded tips at top. iron them and while they are still Nail a piece of molding in con warm from the iron, go over the Lay plain trasting color to the edge of the design with wax crayons. shelves of your linen closet for paper over this and press with a hot iron. an enhancing effect. anything. though! Some one here wasnt harmless, How about this Tope suggested. man with the violin! Know any- muttered. Although plywood is an excellent Dip that new brush in hot soapy water before use. Dont rinse. Hang base for linoleum it is not satisdownward until dry. Result? A factory as a flooring material. Theres a moon, you know. We got back late. But I didnt see anyone understands home.1 III iri RICH COUNTY REAPER. RANDOLPH. UTAH ble and triple for full Also, his hands were boundsecurity. behind him with lengths of insulated wire twisted around the wrists; and these wires held in place around his hands a thick fold of blanket. His feet in the same way had first been wrapped in a blanket and then bound with wires; his swaddled hands were secured to a rope that circled his body like a belt. As for his garments, he was dressed in a very old sweater, gray too large for him, stained and and a pair of overalls, also toosoiled; and stained with grease andlarge, oil. Through the rents in them no hint of underclothing was visible. This was the whole picture. They looked, and Mrs. Tope closed her eyes and clung to her husbands arm, and Tope covered her hand with his. Adam Bruce was pale and shaken, his face a drawn mask. Save for the cheerful murmur of the brook outside, the night was completely still. 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