The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-03-08
,er at the Gray mouse has been mur.

| tanei a. the utd5 uVuSe udS uccu uiua
| dered II
| Hilton Handy came back to his
guests after ten minutes at the tele.
| phone.
"A very unfortunate thing ne told
them. "a man named Kesr, whom
e-gaged through my lawyers only
| yesterday, has been killed. ! must
go up tomorrow and see about It."
| "I'll so with you. dad" Junior said
promptly. s'Telt us the details"
"There are none. Kerr was an I'M
married man of good character. a
veteran of the Spanish-American war.
who had been living at Kingston !
wanted caretaker, because we
shan't be living there for time. and
I've been warned that thieves make
a speciality of new plumbing fixtures.
If there's nobody to guard them"
"But you haven't had time TO put
any in" said Dina.
That's the mysterious part OF it
there's nothing to steal. Kerr moved
a bed and a. few household belongings
into ground-floor room, and they
have not been disturbed"
"Was ne killed inside the houseY
Celia Demanded.
..NO-outside. His body was found
in the lake"
Handy shot quick look at his
wife as he said this. From the little
frown she gave he saw that the MEM
DRY Of what Smoker had said lin
gered with her and assumed . new
Importance at this tragedy.
"Was he drowned?" Dina asked.
Moths head was battered in with
the handle OF a pick. Why they
threw him in the iake>l cant imagine.
.'They did 1t TO conceal the body" =.
suggested Junior. 1.-THE weights
probably slipped OF and the corpse
came to the surface again."
Lakes are always dragged" Han
by replied. 1T seems q silly, mean
ingless crime"
There's always motivation. II you
know where 10 look for It," Junior
answered wisely. ION the whole, it's
rather fortunate that I'm going up
with you tomorrow"
1.-THE police will be delighted" his
father said.
Handy was annoyed 70 think that
this crime had obtruded itself ON bis
birthday. It was d bad he2innlng e.
his ownership Of the Gray holisb.
1.-THE policel" sneered Junior.
what DO the police know Of the psy-
chology Of crimeF
"Pity them, don't caide them"
Celia Knocked. "POor policemen, they
haven't been to Mercersburg and New
Haven"
There's probably a whole lOt. more
In this than you think" Junior went
on, mistaken. ION the face Of 1t,
it's crazy, motiveless crime. We
may run into all sorts OF amazing.
things-wheels within wheels Kerr
may not have been caretaker. He
may have been sent there TO spy
on u.s."
.Then who killed him?" Handy
snapped he could see that Dina
was disturbed more than he liked.
"And why?"
''That we shall find out" replied
Junior. when first You spoke Of the
Gray house, thought there was
something mysterious about it. Why
did It stand empty so long? Haunt
ed, probably. oh. these things hap,
penl In your generation they scoffed.
but we are wiser. In my psychol-
ogy class"
"Teli me about It tomorrow" In
terrupted his father. "Come on. peo-
ple-let's dancel This is my birth
day. Away with gloom!'
he seized Dina. and they began
elaborate improvisations on a fox
trot motif.
"You don't think there's anything
in 1t. do your Dina asked him. Il
mean, anything to do with what that
awful little man was saylng?"
"Of course not" he answered.
I'VE shall find at the inquest that
some rowing tramp killed Kerr to
steal his savings"
'Trampsw she said. She was city
bred. and distrusted remote places.
".There are always tramps. aren't
there2"
"They won't worry us. We shall
have house filled with people, and
therell be gardeners and workers.
Aiso-this is my great surprise--Pm
taking year OF from business. /
Gun afford It."