Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-13
|Mary Roberts Rinehart' S
Thrilling Mystery of
"The Curve of the CatenarY"

| got my call and my destination. He
was determined not to let me out of
his sight. For when I went out he
was waiting at the corner in a taxi,
and the chase was on.
When I saw that he was comfort
ably settled, I started, and we had
very nice run. I took 1t easy, let him
almost catch me now and then. and
stopped at the top of steep hill to
look at a tire, while he crept up.
But a bit more than half way out
opened the throttle and cut loose
In two minutes 1 had lost him. In
four I was sliding quietly down steep
lane with the power Oft, and in hVe
was headed back to town on the lower
| road.
I'D like to know what that fellows
taxi cost him that night, for at
O'Clock 1 telephoned to the country
club that I'd changed my mind and
would dine at Whites, out in the
country, and I've every reason to be-
lieve he went on out there.
had no definite plan at first. But
wasn't exactly surprised when
found myself within a mile of the
Hazeltine place.
1t was dark by that time and 1 got
out and left the car in a lane. The
hilltop is almost country.
What I wanted was to see Hazel
alone and to tell her about the
camera, Yes, I called her Hazel to
myself. But I give you my. word I'd
no intention of making love to her.
She was engaged to Martin, and may
be flippant and all the rest of 1t, but
I'm no trespasser.
L had a certain amount of curiosity
about the place. There was almost
an acre of ground around it, and 1t
led to the brow of the hill and even
over it for a few feet 1t seemed to
me that it would do no harm to take
a look about the place. If they were
in trouble, and 1 was to save them,
I'd have to know what l was saving
them from.
Naturally, I didn't intend to go
around peering through windows. 1t
was the garden 1 was interested in.
I'd got the idea of an aeroplane in my
head.
silly? Well, of course it was, but
had to have something to work
from. But it took just one minute to
discover that nothing larger than a
dog could be concealed on the place.
And there was no dog.
There was hedge, but no gate. 1
went in and made the rounds of the
place in the shadow. At the edge of
the hill there was a sort of pergola,
a simple little thing, covered with
grape vines.
"Td got as far as the pergola-I
arbor, I've found they fall 1t, and it's
a much better name-when the old
gentleman came out on the porch and
looked about. I slipped into a deeper
shadow, feeling like a house. breaker.
He'd heard me. or more likely, he'd
seen me. Don't talk to me about the
failing sight of age.
''Is that you, Hazel?" he called.
When there was no reply he spoke
again.
I'm going for a little walk" he
ment and offered a small reward"
He muttered querulously when
there was no reply, and / watched him
out to the street. Then 1 turned and
went toward the house.
1 suppose, crossing the lawn as I
did, I made no noise. For the next
ding behind me, followed by a second,
a metallic clang that rang out like a
bell.
1 half expected to see the old man
come running in from the street. But |
he did not come. Then I remembered |
that he was deaf. Deaf and placid |
with age.
Two muffled blows Then silence.
Then two more.
I turned and went back across the |
lawn. 1 don't know what 1 expected |
to find. I'd got in the way of ex-
pecting trouble. The noise had come |
from over the edge of the hill. I knew |
that. The place was black-dark and |
could hear some one moving about |
among the dead shrubbery.
If you ever read that people are
coolest In moments when they face a |
crisis, don't believe it. It's one of the |
lies we tell to cheer ourselves. Just
remember that I'd come to the con-
clusion that something extremely
baleful and uncomfortable, and given |
to deeds Of darkness, was housed on |
that hilltop, and you'll understand why |
was covered with a hot sweat as I |
crept on my knees to the edge of the
hill and looked down.
There was something just below me, |
moving about on what was evidently
a ledge. So close was whoever or
whatever it was that 1 could hear
iabored breathing, and once a pole, or |
what seemed to be pole, almost |
touched my face.
[ don't know how long T listapad |