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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1930-07-03, Page 3I ✓i III — fey >- SAPPER " •<- llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll / THE STORY SO FAR Iliigh Drummond and Peter Farrell are interested in Mr. Granger, who lives ay Temple Tower, which is strongly fortified. Miss JVerney accepts a. position as private se cretary to Mr. Granger and1 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 Spragge’s Farm ^hides a rope a. ladder near the tower and at night uses it to climb the .wall. Hugh and his three friends also go in to- find the big dog poisoned and ■' the1 servant Gaspard choked to Sleath. .They meet Victor Mat thews, a member of the New York rpolico, wh&t retun? with them and gives the history of this myster ious person in, black. 'The next flay the body 'of the boarder who 3ias been staying at' Spragge’s JParm was found outside the -(grounds, he also has been choked to death. The inspector is’then called.-. Mwp Verney discovered the dead dw tod Gaspard’s body and returns to Hugh’s. ago should .have its denouement in such a peaceful English setting. Who was he—this sinister thing—who had baffled the whole French police Had we seen him in the Was he had half Matthews it was hardly likely But the problem THE TJMES-APVPC&TE NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY "“That’^ not likely to worn? us,” isaid Hugh. “And I quite see your 'point. Still, the offer holds if you -care., to make this your headquar ter's?’. ■ “Thank you ‘ again,” answered JMattheWs. “I won’t bother to move xny kit here, but. if I may drop in when I want.-.to I shall greatly ap preciate it'.. And if I may stay now far a little lunclj; I should be most grateful.” “Of course, my dear fellow,” cried JEJugh. “And in view of opr rather •erratic time-table and hours at the moment, X’m rather in favour of a tut of food at once. It’s twelve •-Q'«lock."‘ He shouted' for Denny, who, ac customed as jw was to Hugh’s vag- ’ .arses, betrayed no astonishment. And then, whilst we waited, we went on -discussing from every angle what was likely toabe the next move. With Sils previous knowledge of "Le Bossu, it-was only-.natural that Victor iMat’-l ’thews, should take the lead but even i lie confessed himself (beaten. How was the §ileni. strangler to rectify lais inistalW ■ '"Le Bossu knows,” he said, “as ■every other criminal knows, that the English police, once they get their teeth into a thing, never let it go. They may chew slowly, but they ■cli'dw surely. And he must know that the dicsovery -of these two mur ders is (going, to make the police swarm round Temple Tower, which as the last place he wants them at. So what is. he going to do? Be cause he’ll do something: of that you can rest assured.” And. it is safe to say that .not one of us thei;e, in our wildest dreams, • would have guessed what Le Bossu ‘did do that very afternoon—so stag- jge’ring was it in its simplicity, so ‘inoredible in its ferocity. But of that in its proper place. Lunch was over, and the first pro blem to be settled was what the girl was to do.. >Slie, on hearing the whole story, was as keen as mustard helping, but Freckles—in fact, all of us—were ’absolutely opposed to her returning to "Temple Tower. She already knew, at any rate, one the secret 1 Hiding-places, of the ‘Stolen jewels, and though she offer ed to' -go back, we vetoed it unani mously. And, finally, it was decid ed, tlidt she should stop at Hugh’s liouse for, the present at any/rate, with Freckles as her guard, an ar- j-angemeht'Tw-hich •Sb'einM’to satisry everybody.concerned. John had de- ■icided Jo motor back to Laidley Tow ers, returning again in the evening, And as soon as he heard that, Victor Matthews askdd1 for a lift to Rj^e. jHe was of the opinion that develope- •jnents might take place there in con nection’ with* the two murders, and Hie' had decided, if necessary, to tell the police something, if not 'all, of what he had told us that morning. Later, John might pick him up on . his way bdck. ’ ' “‘What are you going to do, Hugh? I* said. “I dunno, old lad," he answered. “Don’t, you...worry about me." And sure enough he disappeared soon after Itmch and I was left to my ^resources. At first I tried to sleep, but I boon gave up the attempt. Sleep •simply would not, come, and after a while I decided to go for a walk. I gdthbred from Denny that there was a short cut over the fields which led to Rye, and witlf the idea of pos sibly getting a lift-1 back in Johii’s -car I struck out aloilg it. There was always1 a -chance, I thought, of finding out somethihg, and if iiot, iRye was a- town Well Worth. explor- 7ng. It*.w^s a. drowsily Warm afternoon, Aftd- ■ ! ^IjSWly, J my, (thoughts full of ^Matthews.’ astounding story, seemed wellnigh unbelievable that this atnaziiig. crime of d generation I en- little once have "A wonderful fire- very famous.” the room, leaving It is from uncomfortable feeling without making things obvious, au4 they were evidently xiot going to raise‘their voices.. Apd i was on the point of getting up when some dirt: fell down the chimney at the end bt' the roo'm ’and -lay^'in- a little heap on the whitened heartstones. A very ordinary phenomenon, and yet; '—was |t? I felt my pulse begin to go a little quicker. Had. that fallen naturally* or had it been turbed hidden post? unless The ing. continued their conversation shrugging his shoulders irritably, the man got up and left the room, while the girl lacked up an illust rated weekly. In a fever of im- patience I waited for her to go too: I wanted to have another look up the chimney, had no intention of companion’s example, while >she took out case. I watched her out of my eye, as she began her bag for a. match. by something? listener even And yet he was in other two For about Was now at how could lie the room? had noticed five minutes dirt d!s-? the his be noth- they the a. But apparently she following her and after a her cigarette' of “A man doesn’t fortify himself like that unless he in afraid of some’ thing," she said. “Some .such idea had occurred to me,” I agreed. For a while she smoked in silence then she seemed to come to a sud> den decision. "What do you think he afraid of?” she demanded. "Presumably callers,” : "Shall the bush, ly. "For that your found as. "Iff it enabled me to talk a little longer, Madame,” I "I would wish it were even inoro profound." She waved aside the clumsy com pliment with a frown. "You know who the man is who was found murdered in the wood,” The remark was a statement, not a question, the entrance of I remarked.. we cease to heat around Mansieur?” she said quiet- ’ I reajly cannot :• ignorance is quite you make out. believe so pro to you replied, ............ ................... ....... ... served, made a dart for the chim ney. And this time it w&s pot all -darkness; Hugh was right. About six feet above my head was a square opening through which a faint light was filtering. Add even as I stared at it something- moved’ behind it, and I saw a pAir of sav< age eyes staring down into Then there were gone, and I ed out into the room again. My pulse was beating a faster than usual, but my brain, was perfectly cool. What was the next move? That those eyes had her longed to Le Bossu Masque himself I felt sure, but what' was going to happen now? According to Hugh, the Vandalis.’ room was above us, and Madame Vandali had just gone upstairs, So that she would he bound to find him, and what then? Because, from niy reading of the nt ine. ®tepp- shade . THURSDAY, MTUY 8, 198Q case, she 4Mn’t know -of his ■exift-* Auce, f i waited—but there was no sounA Then j took another look up tke chimney, but this "time ..all was- dark-5 ness. And after a while another fhought struck me. IL as I be lieved, the* Vandalls did not know about him, would he have dared to go into their room? (To be Continued) s There is nothing a woman enjoys hior'e than running up bills; unless running down her neighbors.—* London Calling. ; , *«►•■ "Ages ago somebody told ns that ‘truth is stranger than fiction,’ but We' went right along reading fiction." —Clarence Dayrow. force? Dolphin the night before? the clergyman, as Hugh suggested? Futile surmises: if ■didn’t know, that I should, haunted me: I coudn’t get it' out of my thoughts. And suddenly' I ar rived at a decision. I would stroll around Rye, and • then go to the Dolphin for tea. With luck I might find the little room empty, in which case 1 would investigate the , fire place, and see if there was anything in Hugh’s theory. It' could do no harm, and it gave me an object for the afternoon. Possibly even, I might solve the problem of the ident ity of Le Bossu himself. A neighboring clock struck three, and shortly after I reached the out skirts of the town, I strolled aimless ly round, looking into old curiousity shops for about half an hour: then, striking up. the hill, I made for the Dolphin. Once I thought I saw Vic tor Matthews in the. distance, but I wasn’t sure, and I wondered how his line of inquiries was progressing. The hall was deserted when tered: so, fortunately, was the room. And I made a dive at for the fireplace. It was, as I already said, an enormous affair, in which in which it' was easy to stand with on’s head and shoulders up the flue. I peered upwards, but could see nothing. Evidently there- wais a jink in the chimney which stopped the light. At any rate there was only blackness to be seen. “Do you require tea, sir?” I emerged hurriedly, to find a waiter staring at me. “Please,” I said, feeling remark ably foolish, place, this.” "Yes, sir. He stalked me with the that he regarded me with grave sus picion. Admittedly the beauties of the fireplace were best seen on the (outside: at the same time I failed i to see any .reason why I shouldn’t stand' inside it if (/wished to. How ever, having satisfied himself on his return that the fireplace was- still there, lie thawed so-mbwhat under the influence of a substantial tip. “Hotel pretty full?” I said cas ually. “Yes, sir. They comes and goes,” he answered. “Week-ends we’re al ways full up, but we’ve got some rooms now if you want one.” I-Iis interest waned when he found I didn’t,- and after a while he drift-, ed away to some new arrivals in the hall. They were obviously Amer ican tourists motoring through, and. therefore could be given a clean bill of health as far as I was concerned. Presumably, also, the waiter might be excluded, though his case was not quite so certain. I had already made up my mind that the most un likely person would prove to be the man we wanted, and that even wo men must not be ruled out. After all, men had masqueraded in female clothes before now. -'Other people came drifting in, and I eyed them all like a lynx And then, after a while, the absurd ity of the proceeding struck me: how could I possibly know? . It was more than likely that Le Bossu had already left the ing h§ had ever Suddenly my Vandali and. the the hall. For a moment or two they ■seemed undecided as to where they would sit: then turned into the little room.* The past me as if unconscious istenoe, but Vandali gave bow. “Been doing any more lately?” “Been getting conic • at Temple returned. 1-Ie paused and I thought for a moment that he was going to have an actual discussion. Then apparently he thought better of it and passed on and joined the girl. I picked up a pa$er and pretend ed to read. It was a clay old but I wanted a screen behind which I could study them. They had begun to low tones, and it was impos- hear more than an odd word But it seemed to me that; urging some line of action. and that she was oppb^ed to hotel, even assum- been there. interest revived:= girl had come into and camd girl swbpt of my ex- me a curt botanizing, he said sarcastically. the Yuletide wel- Tower again?” I /' stared at me, and the corner to hunt in And it sud denly struck me that the opportun ity was too good to miss, "Allow me,” I said, rising and striking one for her. She thanked me, and a little to my surprise she laid down her papei* as if quite ready to talk. “A ghastly affair,” I said, "these two murders,” "Two!” she cried, staring at -me blankly. “Two!” "Yes,” I said. “One outside, and one inside the grounds of Temple Tower.” And now it was obvious that not only was the information a surprise to her, but surprise. “I heard one outside, murdered inside?” • “Mr. Gfranger’s servant—a called Gaspard. It appears both men were strangled.” “But this is amazing,” she.cried. “You’re sure it wasn’t Mr. Granger who was killed?” “Perfectly sure.” I said. “Tlie police are investigatih'g both crimes now.” A look of face, though still obvious, situation by knowledge of the Vandali’s plans. The reason for the relief was- clear: it would have complicated matters for them considerably if Granger had been dead. “It is incredible,” she said 'once again. “Who on earth killed the \nan outside?” “The same who killed the wered, but her it was, threw a ■on what she was thinking reason for her surprise at my news. Evidently she must have assumed that Le Rossignol had been murder ed by Gaspard. And* the informa tion that Gaspard himself was dead completely nonplussed her. 'So much was apparent: what was not clear was whether or not she knew of De Bossu. Her expression at the moment seemed to be that of a per son who had heard an inexplicable piece/ of news: but' surely if she knew of Le Bossu the matter ceased to -be inexplicable at once, continued to discuss, the began more and mlore to that’ she did not know of strangler. Which only tended to make it more baffling. - ' If Hugh’s surmise was right: if our plans had been overheard by ■someone listening in the chimney, and if, further, the Vandalis’ room was the one overhead, something must ■ be wrong somewhere. I-Ie had put his theory forward when the idea was that the person who had heard our plans was the very woman I was talking to. Of bourse, it might well be that there was no . one there at the moment, and that the dirt had fallen accidentally. And even as. I thought so, some more fell dow;i the chimney and lay in a little heap on the whitened hearthstone. “I beg your pardon,” I said, sud denly 'conscious that’ she had asked a question and was expecting an Answer. “I didn’t quite catch your remark.” “I asked if you knew anything about this man Granger?” she said. “I fear I am only a stranger here,’ I answered lightly. “He seems a man of curious disposition.” “Is it worth while,” she said cold- “lying in quite such a stupid fa- does not go and beside the road on day for fun.” while,” I answered "calling a man a two, was her, What it was I had no idea, but talk in sible to or lie on it. Once I distinctly heard him mention the word “police.” I .strained my ears, but they .were fitting too far dway. Only it became increasingly obvious that there was a fundament al difference of opinion between them over something, and that neither could apparently convert the other. <■ I laidxdown the paper and lit a cigarette. There did not seem to be ihtich object in. waiting any longer. I couldn’t move closer to them it was' a very agitating of one,” she said, “the But, tell ine, who was man that relief appeared on her her bewilderment was and I tried to read the the light of my, inside person presumably one inside,” I ans- remark,' phrased as- sudden ray of light and the And we tiling, I feel sure the silent ly, shion? A man conceal himself a hot summer’s “Is if worth equally coldly," liar until you are quite certain of your facts? The reason for my con cealment, as you call it, was simple. Mr. Granger has recently engaged She happens to be the was- type that the a secretary, fiancee of the youngster who with me. .And in view of the of house it had been arranged she should throw a letter over wall telling him if .she was all right. Hence our presence there.” She stared at me suspiciously, but with the serene confidence of hav ing told the truth—or very nearly —I returned the look blandly. "You mean to say. that that is all you were there for?” she cried. “What else is there to be there for?” I countered. Let us, suppose for the moment What then?” " then you must know ” she cried irritably. that I do. "Why, everything, “Why not come out into the open, Monsieur? “ of us. And now that he is there is no hurry. We can our time.” At last her meaning was and with, it the absolute certainty that she was ignorant of the exist ence? of Le Bossu. -She believed that', with the murder of Le Rossig nol, the only people left-to share the reward for the stolen property were themselves an.d us.- But one thing it seemed to me she had over looked even from her own point of view. "/Madame,” I remarked, ‘‘we agreed, I think, that the object of the fortifications was to keep out callers, and it would not appear to have been successful. Someone must have been the grounds last night'.” “Precisely,” me straight in someone powerful as your niglrt' or For a meaning, ed on me, and I burst out laughing. “My dear lady,” I cried, “you surely are not accusing us of hav ing pulled off a double murder, are you? That is a bit too rich alto gether.” She rose without answering, and with a feeling of relief- I realized she was going. There was nothing more to be gained by prolonging the conversation, and I wanted to have another look up the chimney. It was certainly not my intention to enlighten her over Le Bossu, and if she chose to pretend to me that she thought we had murdered Gaspard and Le Rossignol, she was quite at liberty to do so. I watched lier step out into the hall, and stand there for a moment or two as if undecided then she turned and stairs. 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