The Washington herald., 1913-12-02
DAILY SHORT STORY

hills OF growing corn IN the field of Phi
Ietus Shoemaker.
From that date on there were no ex-
periments with the inmates Of the house
of mystery. There were all kinds of
stories ahoat. however. and a new one
was born every week
One night, months after the house had
been occupied. two tramps who were
making for the village. reached II to re-
late that when passing the house Of mys-
terry they heard the screams Of a boy
who was being beaten, and the voice Of
woman saying:
You'll do as I say or I'll beat your
brains outi''
The constable got eleven eminent citi-
Zens to accompany him to the house TO
see and hear what was going on, but
the officer and his posse halted while yet
hundred feet away and came to the
wise conclusion that the screams heard
by the tramps were only the believing
of frogs down in the marshes.
The next morning there were two ar
rivals Of noted persons in Fair Haven.
The first was Miss Eileen Clayton, who
had run down from the city to visit a
relative. and the second was Mr. Claude
/ Bell, who was going to write a play and
was looking for local color. He wanted
real cows andN hogs and mudholes and
village constables.
Miss Clayton was told about the house
OF mystery. and she exclaimed:
| What sort Of people are you here any
way to put up with such a thing? or
/ course. that woman has been hired 70
bring about that boys death by starva-
/ ton and abuset'
We'll. everybody seems to be afraid
to meddle," was replied.
/ And shame to themi I am a good
mind to take hold OF the case myself"
! What, what could you do?''
When I broke my leg last winter
read ten detective stories. II was on
this case that old woman couldn't blur
me a little bit have got no less than
/ five clews just f.om what you have told
| me-
At the inn Mr.. Bell was given fun par
ticulars.
"of course there's a gang OF counter
feiters behind her." he said.
But our constable"
Your constabIe-boshi You are a stupid
lot not to have got on to things long ago
Plain as the nose on your face. Clews
are sticking out on all sides OF II, like
thorns on a bush
Why, our constable
/ "Bosh. am a playwright and not a
detective. but in a day I'll clean up that
, mystery in way to open your eyes"
Miss Eileen Clayton. who had read ten
detective books, did not wait a day or
two. She had her say and apparently
dropped the matter out Of sight but at
| II o'clock Of the night OF the day Of her
arrival she slipped out OF the house and
made her way along the road leading to
the house OF mystery. When called to
breakfast next morning she was not TO
be heard Of
|. The town of Fair Haven seethed and
bubbled and boiled.
So did Mr.. Bell As soon as he heard
that a good-Iooking girl had disappeared
like nickle on a Sunday school picnic
and left no trace behind her. he started
out Others started out. but while they
were dragging the millpond and survav-
ing the tops OF the cherry trees he was
approaching the house Of mystery from
the bushes.
Miss Clayton was not to be found liv-
ing or dead. About the time this fact
was announced. another fact reared its
head. Mr.. Bell could not be found, Hv-
ing or dead,
The constable busted three pairs OF sus-
penders in one day hunting for a clew
Stores were closed and business sus-
pended All that long day and all that
long night, with everybody worked up to
the highest tension. and then the two
missing ones came walking into town
arm in arm.
Miss Eileen Clayton had gone to the
house Of mystery 10 spy around and pick
Up clews. The first she knew she was
picked up herself by the woman, and tied
hand and foot and flung into a room
Mr.. Bell had gone shopping around 10
pick up a clew. and he had been hit on
the head with a club and thrown into
another room Then the woman and boy
departed. 1t was the playwright who had
worked himself loose only after a day
and night. and then released his fellow
prisoner.
by John Rogers" exclaimed the men
OF Fair Haven
Did you ever.' exclaimed the women.
And Mr.. Bell got the local color for his
play and a bride besides