Evening star., 1918-03-31
The Mystery Man

S
and he saw Jim Dunham's gun and just
took it along for luck-it might come
in handy. Now, why did he tell his
wife,"
who tell whose wife," asked Allie.
why did the murderer tell his wife?
Why did he tell her he had shot man
with Jim Dunham's gum
Did he tell her that?" asked Allie
"If he didn't tell her." asked Shag-
bark. why did she go over to Mrs.
Dunham's when she saw jim Dunham
come home?"
you mean that Mike Mullarky killed
the MANI" asked Allie.
Now. Allie!" complained Shagbark.
Il can't make out why daughter OF
mine is so stupid. I got to talk to you
like l was reading out of primer.
What was Mike Mullarky doin' in de-
serted kiln at IL at night when he
found a dead man there? You've got a
town that is all abed by 10 O'CLOCK,
even the saloon closed, and a deserted
kiln that nobody would want to go into
anyhow; and man whose wife went
next door to find out if Jim Durham
knew who took his gun goes into that
kiln and finds a dead mani He goes
there at an hour at night when nobody
ever goes anywhere, let alone into de-
serted kiln. Now. who did he kill and
what did he kill him for?"
He raised his eyes to the cheap alarm
Allie. he said. do you reckon folks
at White Clay connected you up pretty
well with me? Do you reckon they
thought you was from You're a pie.
Dees. and was snoopin' 'round for the
Mystery Man,"
81 know they did" the girl answered.
We'll. we got time yet said Shag-
bark 1T amt II yet, and they won't
dare go to the kiln before midnight for
fear somebody might happen to be UP,
sick or something. But go they will.
Soon as they knew Shagbark was
comm they started to get uneasy.
They tried to remember if everything
was safe in the kiln. They're getting
more anxious and worried about it
every minute, and along about mid
night they won't be able to stand it
any longer. So you got to go to the
kiln. Allie. Orlando can go with you
if you want him."
"I don't, dad" the girl answered. be-
ginning to draw on her stockings.
'What'll they do. and what shall do?"
Which way does the door of the kiln
Toward the town"
Then they won't strike light. lest
somebody in town sees it," said Shag-
bark. You'll hide in the dark in the
along and come into the kiln. They'll
go over things. If they run onto you.
just groan-groan like a sick man.
They won't stay there. They'll scoot"'
he SlFl nuTTleu HeE preparations.
Tomorrow morning." said Shagbark.
you'll go back and say that Shagbark
Jones, the Mystery Man, is coming to
town and he wants the dead man dug
up. You'll say he's goin' to ask the
dead man who killed him, and that the
dead man will answer back and tell the
truth"
The girl slipped out into the dark.
Shagbark stretched himself out on the
caved-in sofa and slept Orlando and
Pete hy1n
slept.
Through the deserted kilns and the
kilns not deserted Alice lodged her
way. She was not in the least afraid.
She stopped at the entrance of Null
larky's kiln. went inside and crouched
low in the dark far from the entrance.
Suddenly the thought came to her that
within touch of her hand, almost the
arose in goose-pimples: her hair crept
at the roots; she began to tremble
She did not tremble long.
She heard noise. the sound of feet
cautiously treading the shards outside,
and black form darkened the kiln en-
trance-a man: she knew it was a man
by the black bars his legs made against
the dim light. She saw him stoop and
enter, and Immediately the entrance
was darkened again. She heard the
soft whisper of hand feeling along
the bricks of the inside of the kiln. The
sound came from over the mans head
rs it there. Mike" she heard a wom-
an whisper.
Yes"
Come on. then. and let it be-
The woman went out of the kiln and
the man followed her. Alice waited
until their steps had died in the dis
tance. She heaped a few bricks on the
floor and stood on them. feeling where
the man had felt. Some of the bricks
were loose. and she moved them until
her hand touched something soft and
fat-a leather wallet. She went back
to her corner and struck a match: the
wallet was filed with money. She did
not count it. but it seemed to be sew
eral hundred dollars. In the other side
of the. wallet she found folded paper.
a letter: Lighting one match after an
other, she read:
To whoevery you are-I found yure
stun in my kill and I've took it away
and hid 1t. if you want it back YOU
can fetch me four hundred dollars Fri
day mite to the kill or lie turn 1t over
to the constabel. Its worth d lot moar
than four hundred
MIKE MULLARKY.
The girl slipped the letter back into
the wallet. For moment she hesitat
ed: then she placed the wallet under
the charred wood in the center of the
moor ana giided out of the kiln. Ex-
cept for a barking dog or two, the vii
lase was as if dead. When she reached
the boat her father was sleeping so
heavily he did not awaken, and she
stole into the little cabin set aside for
her and threw herself on the bed she
slept instantly.
The moment, the next morning. that
Alice left the boat. Black Pete pushed
1t out into the stream. The girl walked
to White Clay and through the village
until she came to the Durham house
Mrs. Durham welcomed her
seen Shagbark last night" Alice .
said. Hes coming down-river TO-DAY
and he says he'll stoD here. | told hin,
about your Jim and all He seemed
sor+ of curious about it, ,
Did he think Tim done it?, oueried
the woman. intensely
He won't say" Alice answered "ue
says: Why don't the nassal of foo,s
find out. if they want to? WHY don,t
they ask the dead man. What thew
come pestering me for? | don't knoyv-
the dead man knows"
What did he mean?"
He meant that if he wanted tx frd
out. he'd have to ask the dead man
and he didn't see why vou folks
wouldn't do it if you wanted to Know
so bad. I got him to say he'd do it"
DO what?" asked Mrs. Dunhsm
trembling. .
ASK the dead man" safd Alice at
got him to say he'd do it, but some
body has to dig the dead man I'M for
.ttN, Il