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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1930-06-26, Page 7$•*A T THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE WT tfemple ^otiferj by » 3 THE STpRY SO F£B ‘ ' Hugh Drummond and Peter Farrell are interested in Mr. Granger, Wbo lives at Temple T°wer, which is strongly fortified. Miss Verney accepts a position as private se- • cretary to Mr. Granger and her - friend (Freckles) Tom Scott is 'Staying with' Hugh, John, an old, friend of Hugh’s, has the plans of - Temple Tower but someone stole ' them out of his room, A boarder ' at Spr-agge’s Farm hides a rope ladder near the tower and. at night F uses it to climb the wall. Hugh land his three friends also ,gp. in to find the big dog poisoned and the servant Gaspard choked to -death. They ' meet Victor Mat­ thews, a member of the New York • police, who retuns with them and ijgives the historjf of this myster­ ious person in black. . ; WW GO ON WITH THE STORY "“What is the result, Mei’ely that Time becomes all important. He hears time that disadvantage is gone. We the map belonging to Sir Johnr he know exactly,, and all, we have to do 1 cs if ^ NTni* ‘V’ftnwinff Wf Um « r. »_ M i _ «« “My dear old- lad,” laughed Freckles, “we haven’t get a blink­ ing bean between us, if that is what you mean.” “Then there is an unprecedented opportunity of getting fifty thousand of the best,” sajd ^Iattheivs, “Be mere explicit,” said Hugh after a pause. “Le- Bossu will' return to ’Temple Tower,” said MattHews quietly, “You disturbed him last night, but there is no power in Heaven or Hell that will deter -that man from doing what he has come here to do. He may or may not kill Le Crapeau, according to the mood he is in: but he has come to get the stuff stolen twenty- five years ago-—the stuff which, as Captain Drummond says, Miss Ver­ ney has been engaged to sell. Well, gentlemen, my suggestion is this, [ Let us lie up and wait for him. In the past *we have always laboured under the disadvantage of not know­ ing where he would turn up:' this sSl-eals. itZ'Not knowing of the verse iiehind, he thinks that he has solved fthe method of getting into Temple ‘Tower,;,. And^ was" looking for the en­ trance to-niglit when the dpg found Saiin. Probably alarmed at the din dilie animal made, he hid for awhile %3iear by, and it was then that Gas­pard stumbled on him, o'nly to be j_ __ _ ____ __ ___ _ sfcrangl’pd. Who‘knows why he <did j anion *’of a"couple of policemenWisn’t fthat? It is possible he did not. know [going to help much. I’m all for Mr. won were in the grounds, and thought. Matthew’s Suggestion.” Sxe might gain,^access to the house ....... ...... ____ gjy pretending to be Gaspard: it is that. What do you want, Denny? possible he had no alternative. But1 ‘ — ..... ..... of one thing, gen tiemen,;I am very [ house in an obvious state’of sup- rare: time is now even more impor- pressed excitement. jtant to Le Bossu' than it was a few .ghoxiTS ago. '^‘jn view of the fact that he hot gain access to the house, Jillling- Of Gaspard .was an error- ibafi error. But it is done auid can­ snot be undone. And of another thing I am very sure, too.” His voice grew jgiave and he stared over the Marsh, thoughtfully, “f trails’ programme, M_. ------- — he. And I do not think it would find1 Savour .in his eyes—far from it. I hold no 'brief tor either of them, but. He said no more, but the little ShTug of his, shoulders ^filled in the salience myope .,omi?JQu?U’‘ than any. spoken word. . !W , f , “Had he got info the,, house to-( foisght the Vandalia Wpiilcl not’ have spattered. F t Lz iffifey- do. HoweveV, they can look after themselves: 'the point we can ' after all. His dead body must have decide is what we are -going to do.1 been quite close to us during the Shall we .-call in the police, or shall hour we had lain up waiting, before -n nt 9 Th ora cm.-it aooms. tn mn ' we found that the ladder had gone. And- horrible and repulsive as he had been,, I could not help -feel­ ing a twinge of pity for the poor brute. I could imagine him there in the darkness of the wood search­ ing for the rope ladder he had made so labouriously, and then suddenly feeling the grip of the silent strang­ ler on his throat. Perhaps that same chocking cry that Gaspard had given —and then silence. “Your friend,” said Hugh grimly, when the butler had gone, “is evi­ dently no believer in half measurers. Matthews was silent: this new de-* velopememt seemed to nonplussed him. He paced up and down with quick nervous steps, and a look of frowning concentration cn his face. “This alters things, getnlemen,” he said at length. “Now the police must conie into tlio uEfuir “True,” remarked Hugh. “At the -''-’A time. I-don’t see why we should rurtoaround _telling 'them .what we know^ In 'fact, • *.it niafc.es .it' even more difficult to do”*so, hecaitse.we lay oufoplves .open to grave blame' for- not haying informed them 'afrbut wli’a-t we knew about. the Nightin­ gale’s intentions.” “That is /so,’ thoughtfully. /As. ft is even worse speaking', if only as a courtesy,/-I am passing as an ordin­ ary tourist.. Dr u mln oh d. ing'abotit'it. tire road, .if local Inspector.”' -Hugh started to fois feet. . , •“I’ll get him ,ih,” he exclaimed, gojng towards the gate. * - ■ .^.‘Please don’i mention Who-, I^am, called Matthews after him, and Hugh nodefod in Answer* “Htil,loL 'inspector “what’s /illis ■.Iv hear­ being murdered?” . "Quite right, Sir1, gravely, haltfog by’ come from there myself.” “Come in and have a spot of ale,” said Hugh, “ and tell us all about it, I think you know Siif John, don’t you And these three other friends of mine.” “A bad business, gentlemen,” said the Inspector, putting down his glass “Very bad. And as far as I can see, at present, there is no trace of a clue.“What ’ happened?’* said 'Hugh. I‘V6„ heard vaguely from the butler', who had heard vaguely from the is to wait for him. And this time,” he added softly, “ we are going to catch him. What do you say,” Hugh glanced around at all of us. .“It, seems to me,” he.said, “that Scott must decide.” “Well, old birds,” answered Freck­ les, “it seems to, me that if five or us can’t tackle this bloke, the ad- “Good,” said Hugh. “Then that's ?” The butler had come out of the | .“Have you heard sir, what they ’v'e found in the wood opposite Tem­ ple Tower?” . “ No.” said Hugh quietly. “What? ■ “A dead man, sir. Hidden in the bushes. A terrible looking thing he was, sp the postman told me-—more a great monkey than a man. iLvou heard the’van-: They say that lle has been stopping z, Mr. Darrel so did at sWaSge’s farm.” For a moment or two there was silence; then Victor Matthews spoke. “How was he killed?” he asked.* And I think all of us knew the answer before it Came. r, “Murdered, sir, so I hear. From j the marks around his neck they' say' , ’ he .was strangled.” did the —a | postman.” «. » “Jt was Joe Mellor that found him 1 sir—him^that keeps the dairy farm along the road there. .Found him quite by accident,, he did:’or rather, not him but his dog. He was walk­ ing past Temple Tower, and his dog i was in the wobd opposite, Suddenly ;dt began to bark and make rather a -.blather, and Joe went in to see what was happening, He found the dog standing by some bushes, and, when lie looked closer he saw a man’s lea sticking out. The rest of the body Was carefully covered, and Joe tells me that he’d never have seen it but for the dog, He gives a- pull on the leg and hauls put the body. Well, gentlemen, in the course of my life I’ve run across some pretty queer customers, but I give you my word that the dead man js. the queerest./ He don’t look like a man at all; he looks like a great ape. A terrible face he’s got, and not improved by- the manner of his death. He was strang­ led, and the face is all red and puffy. “You’ve got no clue at all?” asked Hugh. “No idea who the man is,” “None at present, sir,” answered the Inspector, “But I .shall soon, Bill Matcham, who works down on the Marsh, happened to be passing, and the instant he saw him he recognised him as a man who had been lodging at Spragge’s place,- Maybe you know the farm, sir?” “Vaguely,” said Hugh casually, Somewhere down there, is’nt it?” He waved a comprehensive hand at the Marsh. “That’s right,z sir. And Spra-gge himself is a queer .customer. Well, I don’t mind if I do, sir,” He took the, refilled glass from Hugh. Hot work this morning.” “By the way,” speaking for the .............. how long had this man be'en dead?” “The doctor said somewhere about twelve hours, sir,” answered the In­ spector, “So it happened last night,” cried Hugh, in affected surprise. “That’s .right, sir; last.night some­ where around about ten o’clock this man was strangled and his body hidden in the wood by Temple Tower. “You’ve got something in your mind, Inspector,” said Hugh quiet­ ly. “Well, sir,; we’re all of us entitled to our .thoughts, and maybe I mine. Ever see anything of Granger, sir?” Hugh smiled slightly. “So- that’s how it is, -is it? I “May I ask whu this, young lady is?” said the Inspector. “Miss Verney was engaged to do secretarial work for Mr. Granger,” answered Freckles. “And her gagement Is now terminated,” concluded firmly. “This is most extraordinary,” said the inspector, scratching his head ,with a pencil. “I must go buck !there at once. One inside—— “Quite so, inspector,” interrupted Hugh with a warning sigh, “But Miss Verney is a bit " tired at the moment, I’ll stroll with you to the gate. Come along, Peter. There is no good upsetting her any more,” he went on as we got out of earshot, “by telling her about the other.” “What said the the road. “Well, r/' en- he do you make of it, sir?’’ Inspector as we came to r lieviug that he would be able to get into the house—-this time by the front door. And what defeated him was your sudden -appearance. I know I’ve said much the same before, but when one is dealing with a man. ov his calibre there’s no harm in being clear in one’s hand- He didn’t mind in the slightest if ^lese twp murders were discovered afofo he had settled, things with the Toad: but mow the' discovery was made before the settle­ ment. And that is why I say matters have come to a head and there won’t be much staying before the epc? combs, We are going to find things moving at breakneck speed, and. the only comfort is that even Le Bbssu can’t do anything. by day. But I think yon can dismiss the idea of sleep at night for the next day or (To be '.Contiaued) ***, J Mr. James- JR. Edmonds, of the To­ ronto Dentrf College, son of Mr. and Mr#. wBHIam' ^Edomde, Seaforth, graduated with” Jj&tors m the head -of a class 4£'61 and fofo been award* ed the MCAslY'Scholarship ‘of $150, -■A very pretty wedding took place at the home *9# Magistrate and Mrs. Andrews, Clipton, wh$n their young* hsf daughter, Marion,t was united in ’marriage to* Fergus, second sun p£ Mr. and Mr$r Jafoes Van Egmond, all. of Clinton; Refo J. E. Hogg, of* flciated an,d*Miss Amy A. Andrews,, the bride’s cousin was bridesm'aid and Mr. Scott Hawthorne, the bride* groom’s ^cousin, groomsman. said Matthews first time, “for n f have Mr. can’t say I do, Inspector. I’ve met him out walking once or twice, that’s all.” “A queer gentleman, sir: very from what Miss Verney said,” remarked Hugh, “it would ap­ pear as if the servant Gaspard had also been strangled. And if thht is so, the strong presumption, and then lowered his voice impressively, “What did I tell you, sir; what did I tell you? Mr. Granger is a queer customer,” “Queer customer he may be," an­ swered Hugh. “But one thing is certain as that gate in front of us. He had nothing to do with the two murders. With his physique, he could no more have strangled Gas­ pard than he could have .strangled me.” “I don’t say 'he did it, sir,” said the other, “but mark my words, he could tell a lot about it if he chose to.” “I wouldn’t be surprised if you are not right,” said Hugh gravely. “Drop in on your way back and let us know it ydu find out anything.” For a while we-stood leaning over the gate, watching his retreating back. “What uo you make of it, Peter?” said Hugh suddenly. “It is oue of the most extraordin­ ary affairs answered, explanation without it, wonder he It’s a mig: 'Bossu missed him “Mighty lucky,” ing a cigarette, being an extraordinary of bloke, he repeated, as we started to waiK back to the house. “In fact, I was proposing to ask him to come and stay here.” “Not a bad idea at all,” I agreed. “Then we’re all on the spot together.’ We found him alone with John, the other two having disappeared I've ever heard of,” I “Even with Matthews’ it's amazing enough: as the Inspector is, no is scratching his head, hty lucky thing that Le >» he agreed, light- “He strikes me as sound sort Extraordinarily sound,” But he didn't, and now, In Which fMeet “Le Bossu Masque” I So Le Rossignol had been there w.e not? There arefit seems to me, ttwo main objectioins. The first is This.: What are’we going to tell them Nothing that we can do' -can bring The man Gaspard back to' life, and we tell them anything, we must them all. And frankly, gentle- aheii, though you are, of course, the foest judges -of that, I think an ac- icouut of*, your recent doings, told in mold hlobd. at a police station, might Strove a little awkward.” “I know the Inspector pretty well,* .isaifl Hugh, but perhaps you are right “The other objection,”, went, on Matthews, “ is this. And to. me it as a far bigger one. If we tell them ^anything arid they take the matter we drop out, or at any rate you stoi. Atj-d-,-” —he thumped his fist in­ to his oppn palnv—“for the loefal 1 ■police ,to. try "and tackle le Bossu Is about equivalent to asking a board ■school child- to' explain Einstein's Theory. They are naturally ■Sviammelled by the law, and Le SSossu would laugh at them. No, gentlemen, the only way of catching Sfim, if you are prepared to do it, is Jtor ns to join forces, and act' outside The law .on our own. Keep the police <mTt of ?it> and We will catch hinu thbm in and our hands are tied.” “My dear fellow,” said Hugh With m ■grin, “no one loathes the idea of Setting tile police.-, ju more than I do aBht do not forget thht there Is a lady anv-olved.”' . *T don’t,” remarked Matthews, gravely, and turned to young F.rec.kf- 'Tes.. “I quite , appreciate yoqr ^position, Mr. Scott. BUt I am going $.0 say soipetlting which I hope you will not consider impertinent. There .aS a reward of fifty thousand po'unds sa'tkthke. Wait, please,,— he held up 2dS hand as Freckles started to speak —- ’and- then bite nfe afterwards. iCaptaia Drummond, if I^may say so, shardly seems the gentleman in need mf money, i- am in this show for one Reason only- Je .BO&sti. •property, ^pounds. And, do- not , be under any ^fusion. -Cbiriit Valditnai’ dan pay dhat Sum withdpt feeling it.' Which hvhigs hip to my'ipojiit,’. -Your fiancee ■nan be of invaluable assistance to ms in finding it, aii$ as a natural re- sssilt would kb ‘»pii tied ..to’ the whole re* wArtl SWtt, •svMea robbed his words of any of­ fence. “But young Jadies do not a^ a general rule thke oh jobs, of that sort their futhre husbands’'nre« Wealthy to get to grips With If between us we find that we get fifty thousand •Count Valditnai’ dan pay Withdut' feeling it.' Which Please understand me, Mr lie . pOitifided'with A smile, i I said Matthews a matter of fact, for me. Strictly matter ■ of You al’e tight, Captain We pnist still say hoth- . 'And'"there», going1'along I’m .not mistaken;' is-the „ he hailed, about someone said the the gate, other “Just queer. Who ever heard before of a [ somewhere, and Hugh at once pro­ man .coming to live m a place like pOsed it. this'and fortifying his house with all I “That’s very good of you, Captain *^inSS’ to sayj.Rrunrmond/’ he said. “But, frankly' n-otltuig of the bars over the 'wIhrfSiyqakingr I'dQ.n’t'think there will be much staying.” “What do you mean?” said Hugn, looking puzzled. g “Simply that masters have come to a head,” he answered. “I am as certain as I can be of anything that Le Bossu never intended to be in Rye to-day. He murdered Le Ros­ signol, and then got into the grounds , by the ladder, believing that, once ^.sir>” j he was inside, Sir John’s plan would en-' dog the and be-4 dows?” The worthy officer put down his glass and wiped his lips on the back of his. hand. “Well, gentlemen, I nfost be go­ ing. This affair is going to keep" me busy.” ; “But surely you don’t ‘suspect that Mr, Granger had anything to' do with lit?” said Hugh. “I don’t suspect no answered the Inspector. is that Mr. Granger is a queer cus- __ _ tomer, and this is a -queer affair.” came for him and' disturbed A most sapient conclusion,” re-(household. Then Gaspard came, marker! ivrnHhew«, win, a FninF lie murdered him, once again Z ’ ] llvJ VV C-l-O IXiOlvlV/j kill V Uli 1a 55 W “All I say enable him to find the secret * —* trance. It didn’t. Then the “A most sapient conclusion,” marked Matthews- with a faint smile as the gate shut behind the Inspect­ or. “'One* wonders what the worthy man would think if he knhw that a precisely similiar corpse lay inside the fortifications.” “One also wonders,’’ said Hugh quietly,, “what steps our Mr. Granger is going to take over that similiar corpse.” But any surmises on that point proved unnecessary, ,fbf at that mom­ ent who should appear .at the gate but Miss Verney. Even at that .dis­ tance one could see that she was in ’ a state of great agitation, and she had left Temple Tower in such'a. hurry that- she had come without a’ hat. And as she stood for a moment the Inspector returned aryd joined her. Then they both came towards Us. f Then they both came towards “She’s found Gaspard’s body,’’ said Matthews with quiet conviction. ■”Be very careful what ail of you say And he proved to be right. It ap­ peared that, going .out after break­ fast the first thing that had struck, her was the, dog’s kennel was empty/ jA ’ll fl t ll <hIV 1 TV 4" /I i >*» —» ftl-i 1-4 ft seen the’ brute, lying asleep as. she thought. For a time she had watched it, ready to dart back the house if it moved. But after awhile it had struck her that from its attitude that it couldn’t be asleep: one hind leg was sticking-straight up in the air, and she Had approached it cautiously to find that it was dead. “I was sov am&zbd,” she went on, “that for a moment or two I just Stood there staring at it. There was no sign of blood,\or any wound, so I guessed it must have been poisoned. But, who by? I had heard it baying furiously in th0‘ middle of the night, and then 4t suddenly there wasn’t another trying to puzzle it out, into' the undergrowth, found”—she grow a little white at the recollection, and her voice trembled—“the body of the servant Gaspard, He looked too awful, with his face all ;red and horrible. And I simply lost my head and flew to the gate and came here.” 7 Ah extrapfdiiihriy wise proceed­ ing, Miss Verney,” said Hugh quiet­ ly. - ' And then, ,in the distance, she hadV^xi < ? i* j x . ..............v 7 . t stopped and sound. 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