The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-03-09

own nephew, from the staircaseY
Aren't your" asked Bailey, sur
prised. The more he thought of 1t, the
less clearly could he visualize 1t any
other way.
Miss Cornelia shook her head de.
cidedly.
"No."
"Wells tried to get out Of the house
tonight with that blueprint. Why?
Because he knew the moment we got
it, we'd come up here-and Fleming
was here"
Perfectly true" nodded Miss Cor
nelia. "And thenf"
"Old Fleming killed Dick and Wells
killed Fleming" said Bailey succinct-
ly. "You can't get away from It'll"
But Miss Cornelia still shook her
head.
NO." she said. mo. The doctor
isn't a murderer. He's as puzzled as
we are about some things. He and
Courtleigh Fleming were working to-
gether-but remember this-Doctor
Wells was locked in the living room
with us. He'd been trying to get up
the stairs all eyening-and failed every
time"
But Bailey was as convinced Of the
truth of his theory as she Of hers.
He was here ten minutes ago
locked in this room," he said with a
glance at the window-ladder up which
the doctor had assembled.
.I'll grant you that" said Miss Cor
nelia. "But-" She thought back
swiftly. "But at the same time an Un-
known Masked Man was locked In
that mantel-room with Dale. The doc
tor put out the candle when you
opened that hidden room. Why? Be
cause he thought Courtleigh Fleming
was hiding therei" Now the missing
pieces of her puzzle were falling into
their places with a vengeance. But
at this moment" she continued, "the
doctor believes that Fleming has made
his escape! Move haven't solved the
mystery yet-there's another element
AN unknown element" her eyes rest
ed for mome2t upon the Unknown.
"And that element is-the Batr
She paused, impressively. The 9TH
ers stared at her-no longer able to
deny the sinister FEASIBILITY Of her
theory. But this new tangling of the
mystery, just when the black threads
seemed raveled out at last, was al
most too much for Dale.
mered, on the verge of hysterical tears.
Lets get through with this thing! i
can't bear any morer
But Miss Cornelia did not even hear
her. Her mind. strung now to concert
pitch, had harked back to the point 1t
had reached some time ago, and which
all the recent distractions had mo-
mentarily obliterated.
Had the money been taken out of
the house, or had it not? In that mad
rush for escape of the man hidden
with Dale in the recess back Of the
mantel, had he carried with him his
booty, or left it behind? 1t was not
in the hidden room, that was certain.
Yet she was so hopeless by that
time that her first search was purely
perfunctory.
1t was when Bailey finally opened
the lid Of a clothes-hamper that they
stumbled on their first clew.
Nothing here but some clothes and
books" he said, glancing inside.
"Books?" said Miss Cornelia dubi-
ously. 81 left no books In that ham,
per-"
Bailey picked up one of the cheap
paper novels and read its title aloud,
with a wry smile.
"Iittle Rosebud's Lover, or the
Cruel Revenge by Laura Jean"
That's mine!" said Lizzie prompt
ly. "Oh, Miss Nelly, 1 tell you this
house is haunted. left that book in
my satchel, along with Welded but
No Wife and now"
isn't that your satchel, Lizzie p
asked Miss Cornelia, indicating a bat
tered bag in a dark corner of shadows
above the window.
Lizzie approached 1t gingerly.
"Yes'm," she admitted. But she did
not dare approach very close to the
recovered bag. 1t might bite her!"
Miss Cornelia started for the satchel.
Then she remembered. She turned to
Bailey.
"You open It," she said graciously.
"If the moneys there-you're the one
who ought to find It."
Bailey gave her a look of gratitude.
Then, smiling at Dale encouragingly,
he crossed over to the satchel, Dale
at his heels. Miss Cornelia watched
him tumble at the\ catch of the bag
even Lizzie drew closer. For a mo-
ment even the Unknown was forgot
ten. e
Bailey gave triumphant cry.
1.-THE moneys herep'
"Oh, thank God!" sobbed, Dale.
1t was an emotional moment. 1t
seemed to have penetrated even
through the haze enveloping the in
jured man in his chair. Slowly he got
up, like man who has been waiting
for his moment, and now that 1t had
come was in no hurry about it. With
equal elaboration he drew the revolver
and took step forward. And at that
instant red glare appeared outside
the open window, and overhead could
be heard the feet of searchers, run
ming.
Fire J" screamed Lizzie, pointing to
the window, even as Beresford's voice
from the roof rang out in a shout,
"The garage is burning"
They turned toward the door, to
escape. but a strange and menacing
figure blocked the way.
1t was the Unknown-no longer the