The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-03-10
CHAPTER VI.-(Continued. J

put how that man got in. Here 1t is.
See?"
His finger had touched the spring,
for the Dashboard, which was at least
two feet high. suddenly split and
swung discordantly back. revealing
square hole and a clumsily constructed
panel opening directly into the house
next door! This building was lower
than the Desterle home. for while the
hole I'm the Dashboard ran from the
floor in the Desterle house, 1t was
merely eighteen inches or less below
the ceiling of the room into which the
excited group was gazing. Well fur
nished. lined with books, and illumi-
mated by a green shaded reading lamp
on low table. the room apparently
served as a library. Portraits of high
chokered. uncomfortable looking
statesmen filled the inches between the
book cases, and on the floor beneath
the trap door rested bronze plaque
very significantly the size OF the trap
door
What do you know about that
asked Johnny. narrating the appear
ance and disappearance of the stran-
ger.
Because he was the smallest of them
all. Johnny was delegated 10 creep
through the hole and investigate the
adjoining house. The others divided
into relays and began another branch
of the dsquisition.
Say. Farley. go telephone my paper
about this, will you?" begged Johnny
in a whisper. They're long on eX-
tras up there you know. and they
might want to get one out on this.
Honest, boys. l can't say much
in for making this twelve foot desper-
ado dive for life before bit. but guess
It's so long. Put the panel back;
think you'd better" and he swung
down through the trnpdoor.
Meanwhile the first relay went out
side to reconnoiter The block was
a crowded one with the houses stand
ing shoulder to shoulder. as closely as
masons might put them. Midway In
the block the name of the street chang
ed from Rankin terrace to Briar-
sweet place. The Desterle house was
Sc Rankin terrace and the house in
to which Johnny had disappeared was
ga Briarsweet place. Twenty years
previous the street had been a fash
ionable thoroughfare. but 1t had grad
ually become relegated 10 the second
best. with respectable boarding houses
of the variety usually catalogued as
shabby genteel." Some of the old
houses had been remodeled into flats.
and in only few We're the owners
now residing. OF these the major part
were those sentimental women who.
long after their families are married
and gone away, still cling TO the old
home that welcomed them in their days
of bridal joys and happy youth. or of
the conservative set now pushed out
OF the lead of the procession of fash
ionable society by the influx of the
newer and faster ideas Of life and liv-
ing.
Such a family had long tenanted "a
Briarsweet place. The owner, Mark
s. Flanders, was one of the few old
style lawyers who are fortunate to
have husbanded their acquired compe-
tence before the lean years OF age and
Oslerization have descended upon them
One of the first settlers In the town.
the Flanders residence had at one time
been the admiration and the eye
widener of the country over but of
late. and especially since the death OF
Flanders wife. both the old mansion
and the old lawyer had been reckoned
among the hopeless by the ultra smart
set.
Flanders had always borne a repu-
tation for the highest integrity and
greatest personal honor. He had even
| managed TO keep his record while
serving his city two terms as Mayor
That the bricks and stone OF the sup
posedly well-bred Flanders mansion
| should have opened up surreptitious
entrances to the plebeian boarding
house next door seemed incredible. es-
pecially in connection with murder.
Liberal usages of telephones and d.
rectories elected the information that
Flanders had sailed qeietly and unher-
aided for Europe week previously
CORN got Dunwiddy. Flanders partner,
on the wire and asked him about it.
Dunwlddy was out Of sorts at the call
The clock showed 4:30 a. m. and Dun
wildly was in the most delectable di-
vision of his early morning snooze.
YES, yes" he shouted over the tele-
phone, this is Thomas Dunwiddy,
Flanders partner Who are you and
what do you want at this disgraceful
hour of the morning? An Associated
Press man? Well you've got impu-
dence to get a man up at this hour OF
| the morning. Flanders may be impli-
Gated In the Wayne murder? Nom
sense. Where is Flanders? Winding
his own business. where you ought to
be- l don't know anything about him.
nope he's there by now. A panel cut
through between the closet and his
house? Dear me. that il unfortunate.
Come TO recall it now, Mr.. Flanders let
his house for the season just before he
left. did not see the tenant, but have
the leases on file. 1 think the mans
name is Hamley Hackleye and don't
know anything about him except that
he is an Englishman who has lived in
the tropics. Now. my dear sir. beg of
you to keep the Flanders name out OF
any utilization with this unfortunate
affair. If you possibly can. You under
stand me, OF course. Yes, suppose
you may see the leases, but you must
be careful swhat moves you make. in
ternational complications. you know,
and all that ood-by."
CORN whistled as he hung up the
receiver. and repeated over and ov'
again the name "Hamley Hackleye.
"Humph." he said, and dropped an
other nickel in the telephone slot. as
he gave the call, to direct his office to
cable London and find out If they could
discover anything about Mr. Hackleye.
a very careful external examination
of the premises at "a Brlarsweet Place
was made. There was a small back
yard, grass laid. and neat and digni-
: fled. with a few tulips a-bloor along
the path that led 10 the prirnly latticed
back gate. The shades all over the
house were closely drawn and there
WIS no indication OF Johnny nor ANY
other sign Of life any place at
lt quart of milk and 81
tie of cream had been left on
LEX steps. and morning paper bio
| By the wind rotated between the porch
| and the back walk
"Uxtry. UXtry," shrielzed q newsboy
! on the sidewalk. There was the scrape
ifarr -+rf4a f