Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-05-23
MYSTERY AT
RABBIT HILL
81
BY r.. Ell. WILKINSON
e Bell syndicats-wNU Service

Yet It's brevity served TO de.
tract not at all from the atmosphere
OF glamor and excitement and
heavy intrigue which 1t created.
Mysteries are not common In our
town of Midway.
Those of US who abide here the
greater part of the time live a
mediocre life, 4 life of routine that
scarcely. IL ever. deviates from the
path of normality.
Hence, mystery brief though 1t
may be, logical and disappointing
though the solution, because Of Its
sheer incongrulty In our staid old
town, is something to talk about.
Our mystery occurred two months
ago.
The Taylor Winslows, who have
occupied the big white house on
Rabbit Hill for generations back.
departed one bright June morning
for an extended motor tour of the
White mountains and Canada.
Toward dusk of the same day an
automobile containing four people
swung into the Winsiows' drive and
stopped Just outside the garage
door.
The car was 4 roadster and two
Of its four occupants. 4 man and a
woman. occupied the rumble seat
II was a fine summers night, with
a crescent moon hanging above the
pines beyond the house, with stars,
clear and white, blinking overhead,
with the air warm with the smell
of growing things.
The four people In the automo-
bile had driven far and were weary.
The present setting was a far cry
from the city home they had quit
ted several hours before.
II was restful here and cool.
They remained In the car for a
quarter-hour or more, conscious of
the magic spell of peace and quiet
that EMBODIED them, and thankful
for 1t.
Presently the man In the rumble
seat stirred and sat erect.
Let's go inside, Bob. It's getting
cold. and there's a fireplace In
there"
At the exact moment he uttered
the words the young man was con.
scious of an unexplainable sensa-
ton of weirdness.
For no reason whatever be found
himself staring into the darkness
beyond the car: he sensed, he
thought, a mysterious presence 9th.
er than that of his companions.
The youth looked at the girl.
Her eyes were open and her face
had assumed an attitude of listen.
Ing.
Those In front were rigid and
still.
The crescent moon had disap-
peared behind the pines.
It was dark and deathly still.
The young a who had spoken
uttered a laugh that somehow
lacked In mirth. and at the exact
moment the sound left his lips
something neither soft nor hard yet
seemingly malleable crashed against
his head.
He reeled. groaned, instinctively
lifted up his arm, only to have II
down.
One of the girls screamed, and
then the other.
The young man at the wheel
swore. and pressed his foot against
he starter button.
The roadster leaped ahead, dis
appeared inside the open door OF
he garage and stopped. F.
Ten minutes later the village tele-
phone operator had summoned Med
police chief from his regular
evening beat In response TO an ur-
rent summons. Chief Tom Car
nody cfamped the switchboard re-
over his head.
"Hello," came a voice. "Chief
This Ia Bob Winslow.
up at Taylors place on Rabbit
Hill. Come up right away. will you?
hurtr
Chief Carmody. who himself was
lot immune to a little excitement
ow and again 20 relieve the monot-
my of a law-sbiding community,
made short work of the two miles
o Rabbit Hill
He listened TO Bob Winslow's ac-
cunt OF what had happened, ex-
mined the wound on Harry Car.
er's head, made mental note of the
expressions on the faces
4 the two women, and, fiashlight
nd gun In hand, went out to inves-
lgate.
After ten minutes time Bob
yinslow began to wonder what had
appened to the chief. and when
mother ten minutes had passed
yithout word from him, went him.
elf to investigate.
Bob found the chief lying In the
before the garage, a nasty
'ound on his head, bis sensibilities
eparted.
Bob herame ranninalx alarmed