The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-04-22
CHAPTER VI.-(Continued.)


oiled Johnny. I'm attempting to find
out 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 anu
swung discordantly back. revealing
square hole and clumsily constructed
panel opening directly into the mousse
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 Deiow
the ceiling of the room into which the
excited group was gazing. Well 1ur-
nished lined with books, and 1lluml-
mated by a green shaded reading lamp
on a low table, the room apparently
served as a library. Portraits or n1gh-
chokered. uncomfortable looking
statesmen filled the inches between the
book cases, and on the floor beneatn
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 disquisition.
Say, Farley, go telephone my paper
about this, will your" 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. can't say I--much
in for making this twelve-foot desper-
ado dive for life before bt, but l guess
it's so long. Put the panel back;
think you'd better" and he swung
down through the trapdoor.
Meanwhile the first relay went out
side to reconnoiter. The block was
q 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
previous the street had been 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 flats,
and in only 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 the death OF
Flanders wife, both the old mansion
and the old lawyer had been reckoned
among the hopeless by the ultra sma RI
set
Flanders had always borne a repu.
tation for the highest integrity an6
greatest personal honor. He had ever
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 surreptitiou.
entrances to the plebeian boardins
house next door seemed incredible es
pecially in connection with a murder. s.
Liberal usages Of telephones and di
rectories elected the information tina
Flanders had sailed quietly and unher
aided for Europe week previously
CORN got Dunwiddy. Flanders partner
on the wire and asked him about il
Dunwiddy 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 Dunw.ddy
Flanders partner. Who are you an,
what do you want at this disgracefu
hour of the morning? An Associates
Press man? Well. you've got impu
dence to get man up at this hour O
the morning! Flanders may be impli
Gated in the Wayne murder? Non
sense! Where 10 Flanders? Mindin
his own business. where you ought {
be. don't know anything about hin
He sailed for Europe the 18th and
hope he's there by now. A panel Gu
through between the closet and hi
house? Dear me. that il unfortunat,
Come to recall Il now. Mr. Flanders IL
his house for the season just before b
left did not see the tenant, but hay
the leases on file. / think the man
name II Hamley Hackleye, and don
Know anything about him except this
ne 's an Englishman who has lived
the tropics. Now. my dear sir. beg {
you 70 keep the Flanders name out I
my amliation with this unfortuna,
Anair. u You possibly can. You unde,
slAno me, Of course Yes .urro,