Show alie arhe desert moon A SYNOPSIS sam barn stanley wealthy owner of 0 the desert M moon on ranch into inforno role his bla housekeeper mary alary magill that bin former cifes twin do daughters u abler danielle and ar com coming ing to the ranch to live their their mother being dead and th their r other father daniel Canne ziano wh who had bad been the cause of sams sam divorcing g 1 his is wit wife e in the penitentiary penig tent iary lary sams adopted boy john tin bag a grown to manhood and a girl martha weak minded mrs airs ollie ricker marthas nurse hubert hand and chadwick caufield ar are the other members member of the bou household hold the girls arrive arrhe john becomes engaged to danl dani a elle ile gabrielle Gabr lelle seeks becks to win john fro from in her sister and be her r actions when ehe ha rec receives elves a letter from fr france anc in mystify tire mrs his gin sam learns Canne ziano Is boon to be released from the penitentiary urs mrs magin finds gabrielle Gabr lelle eh choked 0 ked to death Cauti caufield eld corn zit atta 3 so suicide cide the coroners coroner verdict Is in murder and suicide cide sam dulcide Cul finds a note left by caufield con on he killed 0 abrien in bu but the rancher her p proves 0 ve 0 he be could not have d done it it n and ad t the he entire household Is IB under suspicion A conference Is held in an attempt to 0 o solve the mystery it la in revealed that the b two girls came to the ranch seeking the 1 ceede do or of a train robbery in which their father participated participate martha a a 1 Is found dead mrs airs ricker nicker asserts asser ser to martha killed gabrielle CHAPTER XI continued 11 was it written la in code no you see sec file lie hotel where I 1 was putting up oil just then was one might sy say over regulated letters written in n code were not favorably regarded there 11 could you read a letter written in his 8 code 1 I 1 fancy I 1 could decipher it it with it a bit of 0 study do they speak spanish in Mc Mex itco teo I 1 questioned and was rewarded by having all present look at it us its if they thought eliat I 1 had bad lust just developed a yearning yearn ng for or cultural geo graphical knowledge 1 I am getting ot at something I 1 ei explained pla ined ans this Hau Bou ermont man everin ever in mexico 1 unfriendly persons Canne ziano answered insinuate that mexico Is h his is I 1 cadre land did anyone ever call him mexico to his bis fury yes Is it relevant sam asked where were you do you know at the time of 0 the tono train robbery three years ago 1 I was to ID denver deliver since 1 you insist tills this friend of yours told the girls that ou and he be robbed that train face went dark and ugly so the girls say ugh he told theta them that john said there was threat enough in his voice to make Connez Jano come on off his bis perch Is that possible he questioned but pleasantly enough 1 I 1 cant see bis big motive it if he had not included himself in tile his confession confes bloo to girls i I 1 would think that thai he nod nad some friendly renson reason for preferring me in captivity no I 1 dont get it we think he has denied it since sam said we think that the code letter which none ot it us its can read Is lits his dellal no mattei your story tots up straight enough with tile the one we have 0 ratifying gratifying I 1 am sure I 1 wonder whether I 1 might see tills this code letter I 1 am rather clever with the things I 1 went upstairs to get it IL I 1 am not denying thol it gave me the creeps to go into gabys room alone at night when I 1 opened the door and saw that the file light on the table was lit end and that so someone mentle was war standing beside it I 1 aall all but jumped out of my shoes it was mrs flicker SO turned to me and apologized quietly fur for having startled me N 1 was looking at uiese these things she went on they know they were there if only one of them could talk I 1 was so go lut ut out with her tor for startling me and for being in gabys room goinn anyway poking around though land knows site she had a right to be there and I 1 might have done the same game thing myself with my list lists ot of clews clevis and so on that thai I 1 just picked up the letter at the same lime look inn ing over the file othet things bilings on the table to be sure nothing was missing perhaps she said 1 I 1 should not nol haye hate come in here I 1 suppose when the detective comes heslie he slie she would like to see ece the room as nearly as possible undisturbed do you yon think it would be a good plan to lock it and to give the key to sam until she does docs come she went around with me while I 1 locked the doors on the inside we went into tile the hall through dannys room I 1 locked that door after os as she told we m goodnight and went to her own room I 1 went downstairs and gave tho the key hey and the letter to sam barn wise idea mary ue ae sald said when I 1 told lold him that I 1 had locked tile the rooms room 1 11 I suppose Canne zIano would tell you though that locked doors do not a prison malic make ile be handed banded the letter to him loohs rather confusing it said when lie he had un folded and straightened the pages what price deciphering it still sam no price to you sam cowered Canne ziano returned the letter to tu fis envelope and tossed it on the table war fait Bno he said my apropo bu kal KAI CLEAVER 4 0 bj 1 S brahan 6 0 ly by doubleday doran co tue in 11 service sidon cards on the table tit la this it I 1 beat lynn linn macdonald Ua cDonald to it discover the murderer before she does will you pay me lue what you have agreed to pay her sam said get this get it now ill pay imy you ou not one red cecii beut for anything ani thing not oue cue red rei cent fair enough Canne zinno repeated and my mistake undoubtedly I 1 should have worded it differently for instance what will Y you on pay me not cot to discover the m murder on the desert moon ranch A week ago sam would have hare got up and kicked him out through throng h the door for that question this evening sam sat still and looked him in over sort of sliding his eyes up and down over ills his smooth dapperness dappern finally he be drawled on do as fat far as you like Ianne zinno Only you wont get gel anywhere you d like to be not on that line presently perhaps rier Canne zinno answered no hurry ill be switched it 1 sam sit there and muru murmur jur mildly said the carpenter to himself CHAPTER XII lynn macdonald on bildiy afternoon late I 1 went with john and sam bwl to to meet tile train just before it stopped with its usual roii of i protest against rattail attall ll clarence iette swung off it miss bliss Is on tills this train lie ile said to sato saro onil and tit me Is there anything else elbe I 1 can do for youa buu not a tiling thing if you are positive that she to Is miss macdonald except to take your fiely here it asand vamoose vamo oie im positive thanks here she comes now I 1 looked up to see tier her coming I 1 could hardly belle bellee iii my eyes I 1 dont don know what I 1 hit had expected hut but I 1 surely had not exper ted anything an thing to get off that smoke dirty train in the middle of a nevada desert on a ewel cering hot july evening that looked as she did in the first place in her pongee silk dress with coat to match rind and perky little green hut hat she looked as if she had been fresh picket in the last nice and had been kept under glass on tee ice ever g since ince she was tall taller than most wo women en and with elou h to look look durable and useful hut but not a mite fat slie she had eyes that were as gray as pussy gussy willows and that flint did no monkey tricks ricks of changing to green or blue she hit had wavy carrot colored hair that was so full ol of life it looked ns as if it t were trying to break the bonds bond 9 of its neat boyish bob and go float ing off on its ts own to make maybe a tiny sunset cloud tier her nose was wa small her mouth was a mile too large showing freely in a smile her teeth little and polished white like a her voice was low and pleasant but there was something brisk and crisp about it and about all of her that seemed to say plenty and plenty ol of time for everything but not one prec lous inus minute to waste naste in the background during this meeting john and danny had been hugging bugging ad kissing at last to my relief they come came over to join us danny looking paler and more snuffed out than usual by contrast maybe with miss macdonald john beaming with triumph at having her home again you girls get acquainted on the train sam asked i we bad breakfast together r in the diner this morning miss macdonald MacDon alil answered did you know who I 1 was danny questioned 11 it II was my business to know that wasa t it miss bliss macdonald suil smiled led we got into the sedan and were riding along tile the victory highway J lust as I 1 was thinking how much more wholesome everything felt fell since I 1 had shaken hands with miss mile mac donald danny who was riding in tile the front s t reside john spoiled it ull all by emitting a shriek it was not a very loud load one but it was thick with horror and repulsion john explained over his shoulder to us that he had told her about that man being on the ranch uncle sam gain lanny pleaded do I 1 have to see him well danny sam eam apologized im right domi sorry about it but you see he Is staying claying on the place well keep him out of your w way ny as much as we can danny put her head oo on johns der and began to cry weak choking little sobs that hurt hurl like having to watch a sick baby I 1 leaned forward and tried to soothe her told her that thai we ire would ull all do what want we could to keep him away from her and to make it easy tor for her ber it cant be ninda mad s easy she an you cant cani keep him away fauni me ine I 1 wont see him I 1 tell boj le ive been so homesick and now to come home to this I 1 cant see sec him I 1 wont mlis allos macdonald Mac Donnld who the minute before had seemed all pity fur for danny began suddenly to talk right through and over her sobs to sum sam to talk ta la rather a 1 loud 0 U d voice about stock ra raising sing g a DO 0 more attention to dannys troubles than she paid to tho the humming of the motor I 1 out ant and sulked and nursed my disappointment if I 1 had been a man which praise the lord I 1 am no not it would have baie been a calof case f love at ai first sight with me toward lynn macdonald but now I 1 told myself bitterly that I 1 had bad been a tool to expect real womanly sympathy and kindness from it a person to in her profession fes sion ferreting out criminals criminal a ivorid gouid make anyous as 88 hard bard as nulls mills not until dating bad quieted down and had turned to us ua with stammered apologies and attempted ex lit did miss ask who Is this man many dreadful dread fat as it must seem to you danny answered lie la Is my father hut tie he hn hns brought I 1 I 1 sorrow a and t daear fear and t trouble ro ibl to my mother and to roy my sister and to me whenever he c came a me near us lie he Is a wicked man dut but for all the fuss slie she made about tt it I 1 will say that danny did very well wel 1 when a hen we all went into tile the house bouse and slie saw Canne ziano standing over hy by the east windows smoking a cigarette what ho dan he said smiling ids his smooth smirking smile nt at tier her you are looking seedy bad times around here lately she t go near him she edged closer to john but she answered looking at hint him straight and lifting her do you trust trus your housekeeper thin chin in it a pretty dignified way she had very very bad times indeed she and john walked through 7 the room to the stairway and up the steps and out of sight eight Canne ziano stood watching them i i dark ugly took look on oil his face theres there R filial for you lie he said an and d then with a half laugh as he lit it n nn n other cigarette and the fla flame me from the match the girl is a fool 6 4 bliss alias macdonald acDonald Bl came down to breakfast lu iii the morning trim and white while as a new candle when we bad finished breakfast rhe ilic asked sam if she might detain him I 1 stayed on when tile hie others had bad left the dining room slie site said pointedly though po kitely and to sam not to me that she wanted to speak to him alone I 1 took myself off the open window windo in the PUBS pass pantry was too MB big a temptation so I 1 went in there softly nod and far back and to the side her very tart words took me right olt off my feet mr BIT stanley she ques cloned do you yon trust your housekeeper wan ary surn sam drawled well now I 1 dont know as to trusting hilt bill J d mary was going on a long journey Jou iney to indefinite foreign parts and felt fell the need of my right eye ee to take along with id loan it to ner for us as long as she n wanted anted it no questions asked I 1 cant my that id go much further thin than that though I 1 was warm and slowing glowing sam the old wray ninny getting his dander up and to a beautiful woman like that just because she had asked him a simple question she laughed a cheery escaping sort it if laugh like something with will bright wings suddenly lying flying loose come back bach into the dining room th then M tin she called ed to me you can hear hotter better in here I 1 came in 11 4 mite shamefacedly it 1 t was naj my overweening curiosity I 1 explained 1 like people with curiosity the she said 1 I 1 understand them too because c 1 suppose I 1 am one of the most culous cu lous persons id ab the world another thing I 1 have hare never found a truly curious person who was a wicked person of course one has bag to be able to discriminate between innate nate curiosity and the slyness of sell protection cut but forgive me mr stanley I 1 am chattering away your time now then later we became accustomed to that brisk professional opening of her flint now then as L t signal for getting right down to business but it was n surprising beard for the first time as filling biting your tongue gabrielle Gobr lelle Canne ziano was last seen alive where and at about what hou hour r 7 we told her did slie she seem at ease happy untroubled I 1 said she was unhappy troubled and frightened did she speak to tiny any one of fit you as slie she walked through the room I 1 told her abut about gabys gesture to chad and about him following her to the porch and talking to her there chadwock Chad ivIck canfield the man who killed himself when the body was found 1 11 yes did he leave the lie porch with her berl no ile ie came straight back into the house what other members of the household were in the alie room at that time sin told her that leaves her sister nod and your son and daughter as the only members of the household who were absent tit nt the time how long before martha stanley returned to the house sam said 1 I was playing chess but I 1 know it long it atvas it more that than five or sla six minute I 1 sald said illow how long before danielle can come carne downstairs I 1 told tier lier about dannys calling after gaby it much more than ten tei minutes afeei she called not lot fifteen I 1 am sure before danny came downstairs she on with tier her questioning we vo ha had d flushed thili led breakfast at eight thirty 0 clock at eleven thirty I 1 felt fell that slie she knew everything that sam and I 1 knew about the case and a deal more she had ached ed sam to explain in detail why he lad hid entIre entirely jy discounted child s note of confession sam said the body was cold and stiff when we found it that la is proof it that site she had been dead more than nn an hour it you are curtain of 0 that it Is positive proof that she had been dead much longer than one hour 1 I am certain well until seven the boy lad had not been out of my sight eight for one minute after gaby walked through the room alive for or us as all to her at four miss bliss macdonald Mac Dunald wint |