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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1930-08-07, Page 7»THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE THURSDAY, AUGUST Uh, H>3(> <q>■fr T" in mini III •temple «7ower| 7!•$ THE STORY SO FAR Hugh Drummond and Peter Darrell are interested in Mr, Granger, who lives at Temple Tower, which is strongly fortified. Miss Verney accepts a position as private se cretary to Mr. Granger and her friend (Freckles) Tom Stcott is staying with Hugh. John, an old friend of Hugh’s has the plans of •Temple Tower, but someone steals ■' them. Gaspard, Granger’s ser vant, his big watch dog and a a hoarder at Spragge's Farm are all ’ ffoifod strangled. The men meet Victor Matthews, a member of the New York police, who also retuns %vith them and tells the history of Im Bossu Masque. While at the Dplphii^ Inn Peter- noticed some- ®ne watchings them through the fireplace and goes upstairs to in vestigate and someone nearly .strangles him, When he recover- <ed he discovers the lost plans ly ing beside the bed, Before leav ing the hotel Vandali and Madame Vandali.were found strangled, the mian hanging from the ceiling the woman in a cupboard in ■room. /While Matthews . was ling in Hugh’s house a shot dived and Le -Bossu entered nearly strangled Jiim. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY I sat down and began to weigh up Aiw points for and against. And the uaore I thought of it, the more likely did it seem that he was right. Le Bossu had been in no hurry: he had Hqnietly and systematically packed, Aaking about half an hour over it, rand had been left,’ Was it likely that lie would have dropped such a val- axahle asset as the plan, or, having stropped it in a conspicuous place, float he would not have seen it? Against that, why in the name of Aortune should he have done it at all? Matthews’ theory that he would Mill carry on'was based on the idea Shat, though he had lost the plan, Sie would turn his. loss to good ac count, by letting us find the entrance for him. But it put a very differ ent -complexion on matters if he had arranged- for us to have it. To make llie best of a bad job was compre hensible: deliberately to make the jjo'b bad was not. And it was absurd Ao say that only by “using Miss Ver- axey could the location of the enrance Una found. There must be other ways, even though 'she affordest the simplest. The devil of it lay in the fact that Airis new idea complicated things so xnucb. While it had been left as an .accident—as a slip op. Le Bossu’s •part—everything had seemed plain ^sailing. Now that we :know who he was, it had only seemed to be a sqnestiion of waiting until he walked into our hands, either an. the grounds «of Temple Tower, or somewhere out side. But this notion of Drum- anond’s, if it was correct, altered the whole situation. What was at t-he Sba-ck of Le Bossu’s mind, that had caused him to do it? He must know ifchat we would take advantage of the worse and would find the entrance. Then why had he done it? And the ■jmore I thought of it," the more in comprehensible did it seem, Unless—J sat up suddenly—unless fhe whole thing was a trap. Step by sstep I raced it from the hypothesis. JLe Bossu wished, to get rid of us, as lie had got rid of the other four who Mood in his way. He wanted to anurder us, as he had murdered them. 3Bpt with us he was confronted with ,a difficulty: he couldn’t get us in dividually as he got them. We were ^always together. So he decided to Ary and do us in collectively. He ^presents us with a definite spot to gather together at, and prepares that spot beforehand, with some infor mal machine like ia bomb. ,1 checked there: how could he I’ind the place? Ke might have got Unto the grounds after lie had left us the preceding night-—waited for the ilhe first faint streaks of dawn— sand found it then, why ang 3nlo do. And then in a flash it came to me. The spot was not prepared, but Le "Bossu was. Once when we were Ixunclied together there, he would Meal as near as he could in the darkiibss, and throw a bomb among ms, either killing or wounding the flat Then he would go calmly along Ahe secret passage, probably murder ©ranger, take the jewels and clear mitt. If alarm was caused by the ^explosion of the bomb,- he would Arfist to luck to escape in tho con tusion. Once again the incredible audac ity of 3 had mnce .right, ♦could would have caused him to give us a adeco of informatioti, which above and the sit- was and all others It would seem he would have kept to himself. And the ob jection which might be advanced— namely, that without the plan we should not have found the spot— was easily met, True,, we might not have found the exact spot, but we should have -been wandering about in the locality. We had al* ready interrupted him once, when he was killing the wretchbd Gas pard, and he was not going to run the risk, a second time. And as the full realization of the man’s cold blooded ferocity sank into my mind, I was inclined to agree with Hugh that compared to him Carl Perder- son had been a turtle-dove. ’The morning -wore on -slowly,- Mid day came, and there was still no sign of. Miss Verney or Scott, though an increasing num hex- of cars had passed the gate on the way to Temple Tower. And then, at half past twelve, the Inspector looked in, ostensibly to See Drummond, but in reality to quench his thirst. “Reporters like flies,” he said. “Axxd there’s oue—probably a photo grapher—circling ovex’ the house in an aeroplane. Look— there he is now.” I glanced up: sure enough there was a machine passing backwards and forwards over Temple Tower, “You’ve found out nothing, I sup- tribution, he must be a pretty ungodly wag* got. Still, you know what women are—queer fish.” I nodded (gravely. “Is that why she is staying with him?” I asked, “Not on, your life,” he said, low* eying his voice mysteriously. “The old bean thinks she is well on the road to spotting some more cubby holes, Secret hiding-places,” he ex plained kindly, us he saw my look of bewilderment, “where he has the rest of the stuff hidden. She’s got one—the panel by the fireplace— already, and she strongly suspects the waste pipe in the bathroom to be another. Apparently he gave tongue like a wounded hare on hearing the water turned -on, but that was probably due to fright at the thought of washing. However, she thinks, to cut the thing short, that if she does a bit of nosing about ths afternoon she might find put some pretty useful information. I thought it a bit risky myself, .but she said that that was what Mate: thews had said she ought to do. And so I pushed off, and trickled back here. Though I don’t like the idea much—leaving her in a house with a fear.” Undoubtedly the awkward position, self, with hundreds of ihousands of pounds worth of stolen stuff in his possession,- he dared not avail himself of police protection. ,-Nbr was he in a position to give the po lice any information as to the real terror that was hanging over him —Le Bossu—for the very good rea son that, unlike us, he didn’t 'know who Le Bossu was, no description struck me that example of evil that years, flying hiding-place, in mortal terror of unknown Rossignol, sight, but been Le at last he got his loo: over from Prance, to be run to earth by both of them, unable to do anything save sit and wait behind his bar ricades.” “I wonder if he knows about the secret passage?” I said thought fully. But to- that question there was no answer: all that we could arrive at was that he had said nothing about of bomb idea was but there seemed objections to the Boiled down to If live of us who And we when he would, telephone rang said Hugh, we were practically alone bloke crazy with Toad was in an A criminal him- fiut in that case didn't he beat it while the go* was good, and go straight .on the house? So that wouldn’t Salada Orange Pekoe I gives greatest satjsf&ction WG zjll« *IA)tpekoe / TEA 'Fresh from the hardens* •m ans- the funeral from Buffalo, Windsor, any* London, Pt. Huron, Detroit, Exeter, | Parkhill, Arkona, Warwick and Pt. relapsed into silence again■ Edward. | Interment took place in Sylvan It seemed to me to ‘ cemetery. course I‘m certain,” I “I'd know his voice i That only possible solution, Hugh’s theory was to me Oibviotis. There other reason which the man staggered me. hit the granted seemed bo no pose?” I asked him. “Nothing, sir,” he said. “I can’t 'say that I hold with those newspaper chaps myself, but I’m bound to ad mit that I think that red-haired fel low has. got it right this time. That is, as far as the actual murders are concerned. The man Vandali .them, and then hanged himself. But as to more think, “At said. “That's right, sir—at the inquest. That man Granger will have to talk then. I’ve been up there this morn ing, but he says he is sick and can’t see anyone.” “By the way,” I said casually,” “these Vandalis had a chauffeur, didn’t they?” He nodded, and drained his glass. “I’ve examined him already,” he said, “but he can’t' tell me anything. Speaks very little English. From what lie says he has only been, with them about a month, and knows nothing about them at all. -Secretive sort of chap: I wouldn’t be surprised if his past was a bit hectic. But as far as this show is concerned, he doesn’t come into it, He has no idea whatever as to why they went to Temple Tower; didn’t even know they had been there, in fact. ~No, sir, 'Granger is the though he had nothing the actual murders, he they were committed.” He took his leave, and I sat on thinking idly. The aeroplane liad finished its manoeuvres over Temple Tower, and was making off in the direction of Lympne; presumably the photographs had been takeji. And then, happening to glance at my watch, I found, to my surprise, it was one o’clock. “Will you ’have lunch now, sir, or will yo wait?” said Denny, com ing put of the dining-room. Mr. Scott lias just arrived.” “Hasn't' Miss Verney come?” I cried. “She has not,” said‘Freckles, ap pearing on the scene. “I did my level best to persuade her, but when a did why, he doesn’t know any than I do. To-morrow, I should help us a little there." the inquest, you mean?” I man. Even to do, with knows why He could give of him. And it if ever there was an bringing its own re- was it. All these from hiding-place man. What at any rate, any stranger Bossu. And to an Le by a life! he knew might have then, when, own was obvious, hut by what post telble method of subtlety Le Bossu hoped to outwit us defeated me, His objection to my sound, I realised, equally powerful use of cunning, rock-bottom facts, all knew Jean* Picot by sight were sitting round the entrance of the passage. It would require the deuce of a lot of subtlety to get past us, Force would, be out of the question,, and so what was going to happen? ; And the more I thought of it, the more did I come back, to- my origin al answer to the question—nothing at all. We should spend a night of intense discomfort' for no result whatever. Dinner was over and we were sit ting in the smoking-room, In half an hour it would be sufficiently dark to start, but there was still no sign of Victor Matthews, were just wondering roll up when the close to my chair. “Probably him,” “Take the call, Peter,” It was, and I^told him all waiting, “Rood,” came his' voice, Mr. Darrell; the most extraordinary development has taken' place: I’m baM on Le Bossu’s trail. I think he has lost -his nerve. Will you home at once—all of you—to Tent- erden to the—£)h! my God,” His voice rose to a scream, then stopped abruptly, and for a mom ent or two I was too stupied to speak. Then, “Matthews!” I shouted wildly. “Matthews! What’s hap pened?” But there was no. answer—only silence, though again I shouted into the instrument. “Steady, Peter,” can Hugh’s voice. “What is the excitement?” “It was Matthews,” I said “He’s just said he was hard on Le Bossu’s trail, and wanted us all to go- to Tenterden at once. He was just go ing to say the name of the hotel, when he screamed out ‘Oh! my God.’ Then nothing more. Le Bossu must have got him.” “Give ' me the receiver,” -said Hugh quietly. "I’ll ring the ex change.” We waited eternity. “That last to me,” he come from?” Again an interminable delay, and then he turned round. “The A.A. road box,” he remark ed, “on the road to T’enterdon. I know it well. How very extraordin ary.” “Extraordinary!” I said. “It is more than that: it is uncannily dev ilish." It seemed so easy to reconstruct the scene. Matthews pausing on his way to Tenterden, 'believing himself hot on Le Bossu’s trail. He sees the A.A. box; decides to ring us up. And them as he stands there, uncon scious of his danger, the very man he thought he was. hunting steals on him from behind. The hunter hunt ed. And ’now a fifth murder to Le Bossu’s credit. “Come on,” said Hugh quietly. This requires investigation." We tumbled into the Bentley and started off. I could see Hugh’s face silhouetted against the reflection the headlights, and it was. like expressionless mask. “It’s simply amazing, said suddenly. “I can’t it. You’re certain it thews?” “Listen tor what seemed an call you put through said, ’ “Where did it werea, where. He, * ....V , and I tried to make out what was| puzzling him. ’* ‘ be a development quite in keeping with the whole affair. (To be continued) ELEC TION CELEBRATION AT ZURICH Pat sticks her toes in she’s like mule.” “We’ll have lunch, Denny,” said, “Now what lias happened?" “After the devil of a lot of fuss we managed to get in,” he began. “And, incidently, it’s lucky we went when we did: when I'left the place, ten minutes ago, a crowd of some fifty people hailed me as the muy-. derer. However, we got in all right and Pat went straight into the house while I oozed around in the grounds. There was no difficulty whatever about spotting the ti*ee. It is a big oak standing by itself in a bit of clearing, and you couldn’t pos sibly fail to get it, even at night.” “Did you find the entrance to passage?” I asked, “I can’t say I did,” he said, tell you the truth I wasn’t quite tain which way North was. I a vague clip, but the only thing I saw was a rxibb.it scrape. “Doesn't matter,” I said, “We'll get it to-night by the Pole .Star. Go on.”- '.‘Well, I sat about the grounds for over two hours, when Pat sud denly appeared, her, the bloke his room absolutely blotting-paper With frigh' far worse, apparently, i been before, can’t get In wanting to. know if they could force him to go to the inquest if he were lit In fact, she seemed almost sorry for him, though I pointed out to her that, fgom what we’d heard, 1 the “To cer- had it to Miss. Verney. Which, course, proved nothing nt all. The afternoon dragged slowly until at about seven o’clock Hugh returned, and I lost' no time in put ting my theory in front of him. “I haven’t said anything to Scott, I told him. “But; it your idea is right, and that plan -was left there on purpose, I don’t see any othei* solution that' fits. He wonts to get us bunched, and then out us,” But somewhat to my surprise Hugh would have none of it. “Not that' I put it a bit beyond him, Peter,” he remarked. “If it suited his purpose, he would blow up a babies’ creche without scruple. But I cannot think that that would suit his purpose. Killing a stray individual silently is one tiling: but to burst a bomb in the middle of a night is a very different matter, In all probability Temple Tower will have a certain-amount of police at tention to-night, and if the hell of an explosion takes place, it will be the scene of considerable activity. And there is another thing-too, Pe ter. Supposing this entrance is all. rusted over; supposing it takes a' considerable time to get in? Then, according to- your theory, he is go ing to draw the atteiition of every body to the one'.spot' which he wants to keep private.” “Well, what the devil I* your idea then?" I said peevishly. “Something far. more subtle, old boy,” he remarked with a grin, and from his tone of voice I knew that that as all I was going to get out of him. There are times when an oyster is chatty compared with I-Iugli. “Here is John,” he said, glanc ing out of the window. “But no Matthews. I wondei* where he has strayed 'to.” “I left the policeman wallah run ning round in circles in Rye,” said John, as he came in. “I’d fixed to meet him at a quarter1 to seven, and he didn’t appear till ten past, From what he said he seems to have found something completely new this afternoon. And he told me to tell you not to wait dinner for him, but that lie would come up after.” “Good,” said Hugh. “Then we might get down to it,” “And what have you been all day, old horse?” went on chattily, “This and that, laddie." Hugh. “Trying to make four six, to be exact.” “Presumably there is some mean ing in your remark,” said kindly, fess. It eludes me.” “And yet the fact' that under cer tain circumstances four are as good as six will, unless I've bloomered badly, pimve to be the deciding fac tor, laughed Hugh, “Come on, chaps: let us go and feed our faces,” doing John said equal And, according to was entrenched in gnawing the Worse, he’s ‘He 'and than Kept on saying he can't get hi? John But at the moment I con- CHAPTER XII In Which AVe Hear the Noise of Turning Wheels One of the most .spectacular .elec* tion nights ever held in a town the size of Zurich, w'as celeibrate’d in Zurich on Monday evening, after a great -number of the reports of the election results were jnr/and ' the public found out who the winners o£ the big contest were. Mr. T(;jMc-' Millan, the elected Liberal .candi date arrived with part of the Clin- ton Kiltie Band, this was joined by’ the local members of the Zurich? band, and a most wonderful proces sion took place through the town, with the famous broom torches and what not. It sure livened up things and both parties of politics were out on parade cheering and expressing their happiness, the Liberals that their candidate, Mr. T, McMillan was again elected with a majority of some 368, and then on the other hand the Conservatives were happy because the King Government was defeated, and Mr. R, B. Bennett, the leader of the opposition in the last house will be the premier of Cana- MARY E. HALL, PARKHILL, PASSES SUDDENLY One of the best known and highly respected residents of Park hill district, Mrs. Malry Elizabeth Hall, died suddenly at her home at Sylvan on; Sunday, July 20th. De ceased was born in Westminster township on July 6th, 1864, later moving to Parkhill with her par ents, Mr. and Mrs. Jonah Bradt. In the year 1884 .she married J-ohn D. Campbell* and moved to Sylvan where she devoted her entire life. Her husband predeceased hex* in 1916. Later she married the late John T. Hall. (She left to mourn her loss, four daughters aud four sous, Fred, of Detroit; Mrs. W. T. Johnson, Mrs, J. Hall, Mrs. W. Romplif, of Sylvan; Mrs, E. Whitelaw, Lloyd and Gor don at Point Edward and Charlie at home with whom she resided; also three sisters and one -brojther, Mrs., Pascoe, of Parkhill, ■ Mrs, Greer; pf' da for the next five years. Port Huron, Mrs. Baird, of Buffalo and Samuel Bradt, of Exeter; and twenty-four grandchildren and one' resentatives and his assistant', Mr. great grandchild. ’ | A. iM, Barr, left to attend the con- The pallbearers were Frank Ber- ’ ference of District' Representatives ton, Russell Campbell, Charlie j which is 'beiiig ’held in N(0|rthern George, Joe Bradt, Bruce Baird and Ontario this,, 'week,—Clinton: News- Elmei’ Pascoe. Relatives attended Record most ■Mr. I. McLeod, Agricultural Rep- Peter,” understand w as Mat he leading Calgarians and visitors on her arrival. Inset shows her peering out of her pneumonia jacket aboard the plane.i &***■ That Hugh had some theory of his} /Vest, leaving 9.30 p-m. for Brandon, R aki, Winnipeg, _____ _ „„ ina, Saskatoon, EdmontonJ^isper and Vancouver. EQUIPMENT pped Compartment aition—Library—Buffet Car $th Valet Service; Standard Sleep*, ig Cars, Tourist Sleeping Cars, Dining Car and Coaches. AsJt any Agent of Canadian National Railway* for further particulars. TO EVERYWHERE IN CANADA « Fairy Rhymes Come True “Hey diddle, diddle! The cat and the fiddle The cow jumped over the moon . In our childhood days we accepted the above as gospel, the world being then new and wonderful v where anything might happen. But it remained for the year 1930 to make it partly true with the airplane flight of Strathmore Hahna Fairchild, prize Holstein calf of the C.P.R. Experimental Farm at Strathmore, to Calgary and back, Little Hanna whose mother’s half sister is the famous Strathmore Sylvia with a record of 29,371 pounds of milk in one year, was clad fox* her journey in a pneumonia jacket. Hei* feet were secured and a strong sack placed around her up to the neck. She lay quiet in the plane and Seemed to like her trip. Lay-out shows Hahna who Was named after John H. Hanna, secretary of the Calgary Board of Trade, greeted by a number of