, 1914-12-24

AT
HOUSE
Il Story Of Loue,
Mystery and a
P7vate Iachf
BY MARY ROBERTS
RINEHART

Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure 4
Publications. Inc. 4
coovrisht, 1914. by Mary Roberts \
Rinehart 4
Ieam of smoke was rising. Some of
horror Of the night went with the
rkness. but the thought Of what
.i,ed in the cabin below was on us
suggested another attempt Q rouse
Turner. and Burns and Clarke
MT below. They came back in ten
|Dutes reporting no change in Tur
rs condition. There was open
rpmbllng among the men at the stu
lon. but we were helpless. Burns
I decided to go on as If Turner
ere not on board, until he was In
ndition to take hold
NE thought 1t best to bring up the
dIes while all the crew was on duty.
"a then to take up the watches. !
ranged to have one nan constantly
guard In the after house-a difficult
hitter where all were under suspicion
brns suggested Charlie Jones as prob
bly the most reliable. and ! gave him
revolver 1 had taken from Single
b. 1t was useless. but 1t made at
eA a show of authority. The rest of
Q crew. except Oleson. on guard over
he mate. was detailed to assist In
frying up the three bodies. Williams
|as taken along to get sheets from the
len room.
We brought the captain up FIRST, lay
& him on a sheet on the deck and
lding the edges owe him. 1t was
rrible work. Even 1. fresh from a
edical college, grew anauseated over
BE was heavy. itswas slow work
biting him up. Vail we brought up In
De sheets from his bunk. OF the three
was the most mutilated The maid.
{aren, showed only one injury, a
pashing blow On the head. probably
ION the head of the ak. for az II had
ben beyond a doubt
At three bells the cook brought coffee
|hd some OF the men took it. tried
\ swallow. but 1t choked me {
find It hard to recall calmly the
Fents of that morning; the three still
|hd shrouded figures. prone on deck:
be crew. bareheaded. standing around.
wing each other stealthily. with panic
fady to leap free and grip each or
penn by the throat; the grim determi-
fton. the reasonzfor which / did not
et know. to put the FIRST mate in
IONS, and. over all. the clear sunrise
an August morning on the ocean.
Pis and decks cleaning. an odor of
Pnee in the air. the joyous lift and
Plash of the bowsprit as the Ella.
Faded back on her course seemed to
Pake for home like a nag for the
table.
Surely lone of these men, some weep
Pc, all ~grieving. could be the lfend
mo had committed the crimes. One
y one, looked In their faces-at
'urns, youngest member Of the crew. a
Tue eyed. sandy haired Scot; at Clarke
nd Adams and Charlie Jones, old In
Pc service of the Turner line; at Nc
'amara. a shrewd little Irishman; at
'ieson the Swede. And. in spite OF
pyselt' ! could not help comparing
pem with the heavy shouIdered. sod
en faced man below In his cabin. the
Nwner Of the ship.
one explanation came to me. and q
faped at 1.-THE possibility OF a stow
way hidden In the hold. some mani,
SUI Fugitive who had found In the
'1le cargo boats empty hull ample
oom to hide The men too, seized at
Idea One and all volunteered for
'uat might prove to be a dangerous
ervice
! chose Charlie ZONES snnd Clarke as
eng most familiar with the ship. and
.e went down into the hold Clarke
arried a lantern. Charlie Jones held
ingleton's broken revolver. carried
oelaying pin. But. although we
satched every foot of space. we found
Umlhg The formaldehyde with
.uIcn turner had fumigated the ship
ung here tenaciously. and. mixed
i.n the odors OF bilge water and. the
iuescrloabie heavy smells left by
Vp'cal cargoes. made me dizzy and III.
we were stumbling along. Clarke
'p the lantern. / next and Charlie
'ues behind. on u way to the lad
again when ! received a stunning
~" on the back of the head. turn
: Iizzy, expecting nothing lessathan
,uuen death. when II developed that
'neS' having stumbled over a loose
mad fallen forward, the revolver
ead
ne picked himself up sheepishly. and
= went on But 50 unneryed was I by
u. fresh shock that II was a moment
TWO oefore | could essay the ladder. |
ulhs was waiting at the hatchway.
down Beside him on the deck |
= q blood stained az.
aa Lee on hearing the story of
eaI, Sloane, had gone to the
aus cabin and had found II where
Iau oeen dung into the berth of the
oul, after ali fhn H--A.