Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-06-08
THE
SECRET
HOUSE
BY
EDGAR WALLACE
Author OF 1.-The Clue of the
Twisted Candle" Kate Plus
TO-" 1.-THE Man Who
Knew" etc.

II Twisted Candle" Kate Plus
II TO-" 1.-THE Man Who
II Knew" etc.
CHAPTER TX.
r. b. Smith came down to Grea,
Bradley with only one object II
view. He knew that the solution t
the mystery, not only of Earring.
tons disappearance! but possibly th'
identity OF the mysterious Mr.. Fal.
lock, was to be found rather In thii
small town than in the metropolis
Scotland Yard was on its mettle
Within q space OF seven days Their,
had been two murders, mysteriouI
shooting, and a suicide SO full o.
extraordinary features as to sugges
foul play. without, the police beini
in position to offer a curious ant
indignant public the slightest re.
semblanoe OF cue. This, following
as 1t had upon shooting ARRAY a
the Docks. had brought Scqtlant
Yard TO a position OF defense.
AASAS &Ao nOAAS IOSNCA SAiA00 JIG
ing said about us" said the, Chic
Commissioner on the morning OF T
BIS departure. He threw pape,
across the table. and T. b. picked i
UP with an enigmatic smile. III,
read the flaring column in which tn,
intelligence OF the police department
was called into question, without {
vsSrr ~ he No.
to his chief.
II think we might solve all These
mysteries in one swoop," he said.
am going down to-day to inspect thu
Secret House-that is where one ent
Of the solution lies"
The Chief Commissioner looked In.
terested.
ut is very curious that you should
be talking about that" he said. 'l
have had a report this morning
from the chief constable OF the
county on that extraordinary men.
age"
"And what has he to say about
it7"
Sir Gordon Billings shrugged hi.
shoulders.
ut is one OF those vague report.
which chief constables are I'm thu
habit OF furnishing" he said drily
apparently the owner 10 an Ameri.
can, an invalid, and is eccentric
More than this--and this will sur.
prise you--he has been certified b,
competent medical authorities az be.
ing insane"
'Insane?" T. b. repeated In sur
prise.
insane" nodded the chief: sand
he has all the privileges which the
Lunacy Act confers upon = man
That II rather q facer."
r. B. looked thoughtful.
II had a dim idea that might
possibly discover in the occupan,
one who was, at any rate. . close
relative to Fallock."
.'You are doomed to disappoint.
ment," smiled the chief; ..there II
no doubt about that. have had
all the papers up. The man wa,
certified insane by two eminent spe.
cialists, and il under the care Of q
doctor who lives on the premises
and who also acts as secretary e
this Mr.. Moole. Tho secret OF the
Secret House 10 pretty clear; It 10 Z
private iunatio asylum,-that. and
nothing else"
Z. b. thought for . while.
AT any rate no harm osn be done
by interviewing this cloistsred Mr.
Mools. or by inspecting the house.
he aid.
He arrived In Great Bradley In tn.
early part Of tho afternoon. and
drove straight away to the secre'
House. Tho lyman put him dowI
at some distance from the big on.
trance gate. and he made careful
and cautious reconnaissance Of thu
vicinity. The house was 4 notable
one. It made no pretense at archi.
tectural beauty. standing back from
the road, and in the very center OF I
fairly uncultivated patch OF ground
All that afternoon he measured ant
observed the petuliarities OF the ap.
proach, the lie Of the ground. thu
entrances, and the exits. and had oh.
tanned too q cautious and careful
observation OF the great electrical
power house, which stood in q clumy
OF trees about hundred yards from
the house itself.
The next morning he paid more
open visit. This time his fly pu
him down at the gateway Of thu
house. and he moved slowly up tb.
gravel pathway to the big front On.
trance door. He glanced at the til
OF the power house chimney which
showed over the trees, and shook hi
head In some doubt. He had fur.
lively inspected the enormous plant
which the eccentric owner Of tn.
Secret House had found it necessary
to lay down.
big enough to run an electric
railway" was his mental comment
He had seen, too, the one-eyed engi.
neer, saturnine man with die.
figuring scar down one side OF hi
face. and trick of showing hi.
teeth on one side of his mouth whe1
he smiled.
T. B. would have pursued his in.
vestigations further, but student,
he had felt something click under
his feet, an he stood peering In q,
the window, and instantly q gonl
had changed, and shutter dropped
noiselessly behind the window, cut.
ting off all further view.
T. B. had retired hastily and hak
cleared the gates just before the,
swung to, obviously operated b,
somebody in the power house.
His present visit was less furtiv,
and 1t was In broad daylight, with
two detectives ostentatiously posted