The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-12-30

/ Dale corrected MN quickly.
mo, the other one-thats the house
phone"
Anderson looked the apparatus
over.
mo connection with the outside,
eh?"
no" said Dale, absent-mindedly
'Just from room TO room In the
house"
He accepted her explanation and
answered the other telephone.
/ ''Hello-hello what the" He
moved the receiver hook up and down.
without result. and gave 1t up. This
line sounds dead he said.
1T was all right a few minutes
ago." said Dale. without thinking.
You We're using it few minutes
ago?"
She hesitated-what use to deny
what she had already admitted, for
all practical purposes.
yes"
The city telephone rang again. The
| detective pounced upon it.
"Hello-yes-yes- is Anderson
| go ahead" He paused, while the
tiny voice in the receiver buzzed for
some seconds. Then he interrupted
ii impatiently.
You're sure of that, are you? I
see. All right BY"
He hung up the receiver and turned
swiftly on Dale
THAT was headquarters, Miss Og-
den. They have found some letters in
Bailey's room which seem to indicate
that you were not telling the entire
truth just now"
He paused, waiting for her an
swer. what 1etters7' she said
YEARLY.
From you TO Jack Bailey-show-
ing that you had recently became en-
gagged TO him"
Dale decided to make a clean breast
Of it-or as clean a one as she dared.
very WELL" she said in an uneven
voice, that's true"
why didn't you say so beforeT
| There was menace beneath his suav-
ity. He came closer to Dale, fixing
her with his eyes. do you know
where Bailey is now?" He spoke
slowly and menacingly.
She did not finch.
NO"
The detective paused.
Miss Ogden" he said, still with
that hidden threat in his voice, ''in
| the last minute or so the Union bank
case and certain things in this house
| have begun to tie up pretty close to-
gether. Bailey disappeared this morn
ing. Have you heard from him since"
Her eyes met his without weaken
higher voice was cool and composed
"No."
The detective did not comment on
| her answer-she could not tell from
! his face whether he thought she had
| told the truth or lied. He turned
away from her brusquely.
I'll ask you to bring Miss Van Cor
der here" he said in his professional
voice This case is taking on a new
| phase"
"You don't think ! know anything
| about that money!" she said, little
wildly, hoping that a display of sham
| anger might throw him off the trail
he seemed TO be following.
He seemed to accept her words,
| cynically, at their face value.
NO" he said, but you know some
body who does"
Dale hesitated-sought for a biting
rerort-found none. 1t did not matter
any respite, no matter how momen-
tary, from these probing questions,
would be a relief. She silently took
one of the lighted candles and left
| the living room to search for her aunt
Left alone, the detective reflected
for moment, then picking up the
one lighted candle that remained.
| commenced systematic examination
| of the living room. His methods were
| thorough, but If, when he came to the
| end of his quest, he had made any
new discoveries, the reticent compo-
sure Of his face did not betray the
fact. When he had finished he turned
patiently toward the billiard room
the little flame of his candle was
swallowed up in its dark recesses-he
| closed the door of the living room be-
| hind him. The storm was dying away,
| now, but a few flashes Of lightning
still fiickered, lighting up the dark
ness of the deserted living room now
| and then with harsh, brief glare.
A lightning fash-a shadow cast
abruptly on the shade of one OF the
French windows, to disappear as alb
| ruptly as the flash was blotted out
| the shadow of a mana prowler-
feeling his way through the lightning
| slashed darkness to the terrace door.
The detective? Brooks? The Bat?
The lightning flash was too brief for
any observer to have recognized the
stealing shape-if any observer had
been there.
But the lack of an observer was
promptly remedied. Just as the
shadowy shape reached the terrace
! door and its shadow-fngers closed
over the knob, Lizzie entered the de-
serted living room on stumbling feet.
She was carrying a tray of dishes and
| food-a roll-a butter pat-and she
walked slowly, with terror only one
leap behind her, and blank darkness
| ahead.
tTo BE CoNTINUED)