Show MURDER masquerade by INEZ HAYNES IRWIN copyright inea haynes irwin service SYNOPSIS ury avery a widow who lives live la in the har bar kor town of mass massa with two negro maids sarah darbe and nd bessie williams william writes write a manuscript describing the famous amoni second head murder which occurred oa an her state estate next to mary live mr and mrs pe reter t er stow who every year give give a summer r ad party one of at the guests guest of th I 1 unction function Is murdered nearby live dr and mrs geary and their heir married daughter edith and her husland alfred bray doctor myron marden and ins his step granddaughter caro prentiss it beautiful young girl el rl who was horn born in france franca next live eve paul and lora eames and their daughter molly molly was engaged to the murdered nan anan act Blat blackie kie she had been e n to walter treadway who had been the murdered scans nan secretary lecreta ry but the engagement was suddenly broken and be had bad left town other meigh neighbors bors are the fairweather sisters flora a hopeless invalid and margaret all but the latter two attended the masquerade marys mary eight year old niece sylvia sard is visiting her for obe he summer the wooded par part r ot of marys mary estate Is I 1 called the spinney in it is a tiny log cabin near a stone atone wall is a tiny circular pond called the merry mere this is the day of the masquerade and excitement is high mary decides to co take sylvia who is an unusually observant othild caro prentiss and molly eames came drop in during the afternoon soon blaikie doctor clarden and bruce heason a friend ot of ace aces arrive molly is impatient to leave and they all U excuse themselves at the be party sylvia identifies each of 0 the masked guests guest as they arrive ace comes garbed as julius caesar idolly eames ame appears appear as a a snow queen accompanied compa nied by a man era in armor whom sylvia identifies as a walter treadway they dance together continuously caro prentiss and marden arrive dressed in fo revolutionary costumes vic he doctor wearing jeweled shoe buckles when the h guests guesta unmask ace walter and 2 tolly molly lav have disappeared when mary avery leaves leave the party a little after two neither molly and walter or ace blaikie had returned sarau sarah darbe confides confide to mary that someone ap bently had spent pent the night in the little rouse bhae and returns she has found ace blackie stabbed to death in the spinney mary summons patrick obrien chief of ponce police who had been a schoolmate of hers her and aces acea her manuscript recalls early impressions ion of 0 he had been wealthy the most popular boy in ia town how bow he be had gone to paris to study medicine ine dicine became an aviator in the world war returning to practice in bow he be was recklessly generous and the principal in scores cores of love all afT affairs airs bruce had come back from the war with ace lie ile was a a lawyer a man of private means and tad had got religion become a virtual recluse sarah tells patrick that someone had bad slept in the little house the night of 0 the murder nia rier patrick reveals that thab ace had gone to the spinney to meet tony Tor torriano his bis bootlegger to talk business he does not believe tony guilty he be also discloses that walter treadway had bad been in the little house meanwhile walter waller and d molly come to marys house unaware of the tragedy walter readily admits admit he be had spent pent the night eight in the little house al since ce he be had come to town secretly molly and walter lie r are ar thunderstruck by the news new of the murder SUNDAY continued 8 9 did you hear anything the little litile time you slept not a thing I 1 I 1 was dead to 0 the world you heard ot of the murder until you got here beret 4 no to where were you yesterday in plymouth 1 what did you go to plymouth tor for for for purely private reasons when did you go saturday morning how did you go in hollys roadster did you stay there all day yes what time did you start from pa about half past nine where did you and molly meet s up at the marden house what time did you go to the marden harden house walter about a quarter to nine I 1 should say where did you breakfast there with molly and caro then about half past nine you and molly set out for plymouth yes entrance at his moment created a diversion she was wheeling the tea wagon on it were the coffee things back of her came bessie bearing my biggest silver tray on it was a stack ot of waffles mrs avery sarah explained 1 I thought au all be hungry by this time oh sarahl sarah t I 1 exclaimed bless you for this clairvoyance I 1 molly suddenly came alive hungry Hun gryl 1 she moaned hungry gryl 1 im famished oh please everybody stop talking about his awful tragedy long enough for me to tell you aunt mary walter and I 1 were married yesterday morning in plymouth for a moment there came a shocked silence I 1 stared at molly I 1 did not know whether or not patrick stared certainly he made no sound no move my thoughts went wild ace dead ace murdered and molly eloping in innocent triumph on the heels of his trag tragedy edyl I 1 and yet as I 1 kissed her I 1 was conscious of the first sense of letdown let down since sarah discovered aces body in the spinney for a tiny interval I 1 was happy patrick seemed happy too he gripped walters hand band hard and to molly he dropped an abrupt im so glad that you know your mind at bastl working swiftly the two maids had cleared my big round maple table transferred our second breakfast to it we drew about it T poured the coffee coff ee r the telephone rang As sarah started barted toward the hall I 1 said you answer this call sarah but if its for me ill answer and from now on IU ill take arty any calls personal ones j t mean heard sarah take off the re celver her soft voiced dellol Hel lol and then her oh yes sir ashes here sarah reappeared at the doorway its mr Hope stUll she announced in a happy voice I 1 lumped jumped to my feet just as sylvia is my favorite niece hope still blaine is my favorite nephew he is the oldest son of my oldest sister I 1 ran to the telephone oh Hop estill my dear boy I 1 called into it you YOL dont know how glad I 1 am to hear your voice you cant imagine how it comforts me you would have heard it much sooner if I 1 could have got to you Hop estill answered the moment we read the papers this morning mother and I 1 decided that id better beat it over to your place and stay with you ive been trying to get you the whole morning but I 1 been able to make a connection until now I 1 suppose everybody in the worlds been trying to telephone you everybody I 1 replied but until an hour ago id spoken with nobody and until an hour ago id seen nobody but patrick obrien and mattie stow and now molly eames and walter treadway are here walter and molly treadway I 1 should say they were married saturday morning but perhaps I 1 have told you ill tell ar Z W im so glad that know your mind at last you about that later I 1 shall love to have you come dear boy molly mar married riedl im well you tell her im jittering jitt ering over the phone where are you I 1 asked week ending at the abbots ill be over there sometime in the next half hour I 1 said yet how awful we think it is nor given you any of mothers messages ashes prostrated you know she was very fond of ace blaikie everybody was I 1 put in its a terrible business hope still went on but I 1 wont ask you any questions now ill be there as soon as the speed laws will let me and ill stay as long as you need me im glad Hope stills co coming molly commented you need somebody here aunt mary and hopes such a swell kid chos that patrick was sitting with his back to the piazza and he spoke without looking around then I 1 heard the sound of a motor sarah appeared miss prentiss would like to see you mrs avery I 1 looked at patrick he nodded tell her to come in sarahl sarah I 1 said caro appeared good morning mrs averyl avery 1 she said to me hello there you kwoll two she said to the treadways Tread ways good morning mr obrien she said to patrick an awkward pause intervened I 1 did not want to make hollys great announcement it if she wanted to make it herself apparently she wanted to make it herself caro darling come over and kiss me she ordered finally since I 1 saw you yesterday I 1 have become mrs walter treadway caros face grew radiant but she did not seem surprised oh im so glad she exclaimed she rushed over to molly kissed her kissed walter im so happy then as one remembering As happy as any one can be molly shivered the light drained out of her face ive just heard idill it 1 I brought these flowers for you dear mrs avery caro said prettily 1 I knew have no time to fill your vases today and I 1 cant imagine your house without flowers you angell angel I 1 exclaimed were dashing off in a moment molly said just as soon as ive got hold of myself where are you living may I 1 ask mrs treadway at present mrs avery with my husbands people molly answered they dont know it yet but I 1 think take us in were going to look around for the tiniest house bouse we can find ja in and I 1 shall begin presently to experiment in cooking 1 I shall give you a dining room table for a wedding present I 1 promised old maple if I 1 can find it 90 that win will be grand aunt mary molly approved miss prentiss patrick took over the conversation again 1 I 1 find that I a shall have to ask you some more questions I 1 hope you wont mind I 1 bother you its merely a matter of routine oh please aasc me as many as you want mr 0 brien caro replied simply patrick fumbled in one pocket and found a little leather notebook 1 I have to warn you again that anything you say now can be used against you and that there are witnesses present ile he fumbled in another pocket darn I 1 a pencil on me do you happen to have anything I 1 can use walter walter handed him a fountain pen patrick held it poised over a notebook his eyes fixed intently on it miss prentiss did you know that walter and molly were going to be married 9 no mr obrien not definitely I 1 suspected it when did they beave your house saturday morning somewhere between nine and ten about half past nine perhaps did they tell you where they were going no did you ask where they were going no patrick made a few notes in the notebook handed the pen back to walter did you know you were going to elope with walter when you went to the masquerade molly my suitcase was all packed in my car heres Hop estill patrick exclaimed again without looking around the runabout crunched to a stop outside and Hop estill came striding into the room he is is a big tall stoop shouldered lad my nephew not lanky exactly but angular perhaps the most noticeable thing about him are his eyes steely gray and deeply set with his characteristic long swift ste step P he crossed the room to me 1 I never thought id see you on such a tough spot aunt mary he exclaimed putting his arm about me oh im all right I 1 answered 1 I 1 had all told about six hours of good sleep last night and ive just had some strong coffee have a cup you bet he turned to the others hello there you two what do you mean getting tied so suddenly congratulations I 1 ile he kissed the bride hello patt he concluded he shook hands with patrick youve got your work cut out for youl you ill say patrick wrung hope stills hand glad to see you I 1 think your aunt needs a man about ive transferred police headquarters to her house its a ghastly business busine hope still commented soberly gee you read about murders in the paper with the greatest calm but when it strikes home well you suddenly realize that youve never really known what it meant before the way I 1 feel hope still 11 I 1 agreed a little drearily youve never met miss prentiss my nephew mr blaine caro Hop estill strode to caros side shook hands with her we all sai sat down Hop estill ensconced himself on the couch his eyes following caros movements molly and walter arose 1 I think well be going aunt mary molly said unless patrick you want us no patrick answered in a meditative tone 1 I dont think I 1 want you any more at pr present besent however walter 1 I guess ill have to ask you to stick around for a while I 1 may need any time walter gave him a quick intent look he nodded ill be at the housel house he announced briefly could I 1 go down to the spinney Hop estill asked patrick after the treadways Tread ways had left id like to see the spot 91 oh yes patrick permitted its ball now weve taken all the photographs we want go down there and root around as much as you like if you find a few clues ill be grateful may I 1 go too caro asked suddenly 1 I dont know that ive ever been in your spinney mrs avery and people are asking me so many questions by all means I 1 answered 1 I dont want to go with you hope still you understand that it will be a long time before of course not aunt M mary iry lo 10 ill go down with you patrick off offered ered ill be back in a moment mary he called over his shoulder to me patrick was back in a few moments apparently he took only the time to point out the spot where we found ace and to give them the ghastly details he took up his hat with a long sigh those two are down there examining every inch of ground but all found so far is a four leaf cl clover overl ah I 1 thought Hop estill estUl he was one of those maddening people who pick ick out four leaf clovers everywhere I 1 TO RE BE CONTINUED |