The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-02

dead plum tree.
Look here. now. who be your" de-
manded Abraham.
..None O. your business!"
Don't answer me that way, w0m-
AMI BY what right are you here!
''You 60 to blaxes!"
what! What! Do you know thaf
you are talking to the law! Woman.
demand-'
Before he could finish he brought
up in thistle patch. and he scram-
bled to his feet to make them pear
ended the calls at the house OF mys-
terry. The people Of Fair Haven con-
tented themselves with talk. Once or
twice q week the woman entered the
village to make purchases. but she
hadn't q word to say outside OF her
Some one made the good pastor Of
one of the churches believe that 1t was
his duty to have a little talk with the
woman. He had heard of the kick
fnxs and didn't care to visit the house,
but as she had finished her purchases
and was returning homo one day he
waylaid her and began:
MY good woman. l haven't seen
you at church yet"
She answered never word, but,
setting down her basket, she picked
the man up without effort ana car
rfed him to the fence and heaved him
over 1t is among the records OF Fair
Haven that as the pastors body came
to rest it crushed and destroyed no
| less than six hills of growing corn In
| the field Of Philetus Shoemaker.
From that date on there were no
more exreriments with the inmates Of
the house Of mystery. There were all
kinds Of stories afloat, however, AMI 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
it to relate that when passing the
| house of mystery they heard the
screams Of q boy who was being
beaten, and the voice OF woman
saying:
you'll do az say or I'll beat your
brains out!"
The constable got eleven eminent
citizens to accompany him to the house
to, see and hear what was going on.
but the officer and his posse halted
while yet a 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
relative, and the second was Mr..
Claude Bell, WIN was going to write
a play and was looking for local color.
He wanted real cows End 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
anyway to put up with such a thing?
OF course, that woman has been hired
to bring about that boys death by
| starvation and abuse!"
well, everybody seems to be afraid
| to meddle," was replied.
| "And shame to them! 1 am a good
mind to take hold Of the case my
SELF
| What. what could you dor
when I broke my leg last winter
I read ten detective stories. If I was
on this case that old woman couldn't
bluff me a little bit. have got no
less than Eve clews just from what
you have told me-"
| At the inn Mr.. Bell was given full
particulars.
"of course. there's gang of coun-
terfeiters behind her." he said.
But our constable"
| Your constable-bosh! You are a
stupid lot not to have got on to things
long ago. Plain as the nose OH your
face! Clews are sticking out on all
sides Of it. like thorns on a bush.'
why. our constable
"Bosh! I am playwright and not
a detective. but in day I'll clean up
that mystery in a 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 ap-
parently dropped the matter out of
sight. but at II O'Clock at night of
the day Of the arrival she slipped out
| OF the house and made her way along
the road leading to the house Of mys-
|
morning she was not to be heard of.
The town of Fair Haven seethed and
dubbed and boiled.
1 So did Mr.. Bell. AS soon as he
heard that q good looking girl had
disappeared like a nickel ON a Sunday
school picnic and left no trace be-
hind her. he started out Others
started out. but while they were drag
ging the mtllpond and surveying the
tops Of cherry trees he was approach
ing the house Of mystery from the
bushes.
Miss Clayton was not to be found,
living or dead. About the time this
fact was announced another fact reared
its head. Mr.. Bell could not be
found. living or dead!
The constable busted three pairs OF
suspenders in one day hunting for q
CHEW. Stores were closed and business
suspended. All that long day and all
that long night. with everybody work.
ed up to the highest tension, and then
the two missing ones came walking
into the town arm in arm
Miss Eileen Clayton had gone to
the house OF mystery to SPY around
ana PICK up cleWs. The first she
knew she was picked up herself nv
the woman and tied hand and foot
and flung into a room
Mr.. Bell had gone shopping around
to pick up clew, sid he had been
hit on the head with q club and
a thrown into another room. Then the
woman and boy had departed It was
} the playwright who had worked him.
self loose only after day and a night,
and then relea2ed hfa fellou nri.o.o,