Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-06-18
THE
SECRET
HOUSE
BY
EDGAR WALLACE
Author of "rhe Clue Of the
Twisted Candle" kate Plus
TO-" "The Man Who
Knew" etc.

|
vious position, and continued his
study OF the decadent aristocracy.
-Four hours he waited, and assailed
by II most human hunger. his pa
! thence was pnrdonably exhausted.
! He rose slowly. harnessed the horse
and drove the victoria ostentatiously
| before the window OF the little sit
ting room which Lady Constance
DeN used as u study. Another half
and he got down from his box and
| knocked at the door.
There was no answer; he knocked
again; still no reply.
In alarm he went to the window
| and peered in. The floor was strewn
with papers scattered in confusion.
4 chair had been overturned. More
| to the point, he saw an overturned
! inlSpot, which was eloquent to his
ordered mind of an unusual happen
| ing.
increasingly alarmed, he put his
shoulder to the door, but it did not
yield. He tried the window: 1t was
locked
| 1t was at that moment that a mo-
| tor came swiftly over the hill from
the direction of the rectory. With n
jar it came to n sudden stop before
the house, and r. Il. Smith leapt out.
Brown had seen the detective be-
fore on his visits to the rectory, and
now hailed him as veritably god sent.
| Where is Lady Constance?" asked
T. b., quickly.
The man pointed to the house with
trembling finger.
| She's in there somewhere" he said
fretfully, but I can't make her an
swer and the room appears to
be very disordered."
He lea the way to the window. T.
=. looked in and saw that which con-
firmed his worst fears.
stand back" he said
| He raised his ebony stick and sent
1t smashing thru the glass. In n Sec
ond his hand was inside UNLOCKING
the latch of the window. few sec
onds later he was in the room itself
He passed swiftly from room to room
but there was no sign of Lady Con
stance. On the floor OF the study
was piece of lace collar. evidently
wrenched from her gown.
"Hullo!" said Ella, who had fol-
lowed him. He pointed to the table
On sheet Of pape> was the i'm
print of bloody palm.
harrington" said r. b., briefly
'he has been here: but how did he
get out?"
He questioned the coachman close
~ but the man was emphatic
mo, SIR" he said, 1T would have
been Impossible for anybody to have
passed out of here without my seeing
tage from where I sat but the whole
hillside"
us there any other place where she
could beg"
There is the outhouse," sale
Brown, after a moments thought
we used to put up the victoria there
but we never use it nowadays ir
fine weather."
] The clubhouse consisted of a large
coachhouse and a small stable. Their,
was no lock to the DOORS T. B. no.
|
There was n heap of straw in ont
corner. kept evidently as provision
against the need of the visitin,
coachman. T. B. stepped into tn.
Clubhouse, then suddenly with a or,
he leant down. and caught a figure
by the collar and swung him to hi.
feet.
will you kindly explain what 70,
are doing here?" he asked, and ther
gave gasp Of establishment for tn,
sleepy-ey prisoner in his hands wa.
Frank Doughton.
ut is a curious story you tell me,
said T. b.
Il admit it is curious. said Frank
with smile, and I .ssaa. so sleepy tina
do not know how much have told
you, and how much have imagined.
You told me-" recapitulated T. B.
that you were kidnapped last nigh
in London. that you were carried thr,
London and into the country in a,
unknown direction, and that yo,
made your escape from the motor
car by springing out in the earl,
hours OF, this morning, whilst the ca
was going at a slackened speed"
THAT is it." said the other. "
have not the slightest idea where
am; perhaps you can tell me?"
You are near Great Bradley" sal,
T. b., with a smile. II wonder yo,
do not recognize your home; TO-
home it is, as I understand"
Frand looked round with astonishe,
What were they bringing me her,
for?" he demanded.
THAT remains to be discovered.
replied T. B.; my own impression /.
that you"
DO you think that l was beint
taken to the Secret House?" inter.
rupted the young man, suddenly.
T. b. shook his head
Il should think that was unlikely
l suspect our friend Poltavo of hay.
ing carried out this little coup entire.
~ on his own. further suspect hi.
having brought the car in this direc.
ton with no other object than tt
throw suspicion upon our worth,
friends across the hill-and how die
you come to the outhouse?"
Il was dead beat" explained Frank
Il had a sudden spasm of strength
which enabled me to out distance
those people who were pursuing me
but after 1 had shaken them off
felt that I could drop. came upor
this cottage, which seemed the onl,
habitatton in view, and after en-.
-
did the next best thing, 1 made m,
way into the coachhouse and fell
asleep"
T. b. had no misgivings so far a.
this story was concerned; he accept.