Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-06-10
CHAPTER vI.-(Continued.,

That's what I'm trying to do" re-
piled Johnny. I'm attempting to find
out how that man got in. Here II is.
See?"
His finger had touched the spring,
for the Dashboard, which was at least
two feet high. suddenly split and
swung dlscordantly back, revealing a
square hole and clumsily constructed
panel opening directly into the house
next door! This building was lower
than the Desterle home, for while the
hole In 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 library. Portraits Of high
chokered, uncomfortable looking
statesmen filled the inches between the
book cases. and on the floor beneath
the trap door rested a 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 to creep
through the hole and investigate the
adjoining house. The others divided
into relays and began another branch
OF the disquisltion.
Say, Farley, go telephone my paper
about this, will your" begged Johnny
in whisper. They're long on ex-
tras up there, you know, and they
might want to get one out on this.
Honest, boys, 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; l
think you'd better" and he swung
down through the trapdoor.
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
SO Rankin terrace, and the house in
to which Johnny had disappeared was
94 Briarsweet place. Twenty years
previous the street had been a fash
ionable thoroughfare, but It had grad
ually become relegated to the second
best, with respectable boarding houses
Of the variety usually catalogued as
shabby genteel" Some of the old
houses had been remodeled into fats,
and in only a few were 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 tho 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 md
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
nosedly well-bred Flanders mansion
should have opened up surreptitious
entrances to the plebeian boarding
house next door seemed incredible, es-
pecially in connection with a murder.
Liberal usages of telephones and d.
rectories ELECTED the information that
Flanders had sailed quietly and unher-
aided for Europe a week previously.
CORN got Dunwiddy, Flanders partner,
on the wire and asked him about It.
The clock showed 1880 a. m. and Dun
WILDLY was in the most delectable d.
vision of his early morning snooze.
"Yes, yes" he shouted over the tele-
nhone. 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 man up at this hour Of
the morningl Flanders may be imph-
Gated In the Wayne murder? Nom
sensel Where is Flanders? Winding
his own business, where you ought TO
be. 1 don't know anything about MIN.
He sailed for Europe the 18th ana l
hone he's there by now. A panel cut
through between the closet and his
houssi Dear me. that is unfortunate.