Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-04-18
Anna Mcclure ShOll
Copyright BY W. @. Chapman
WNU Service
CHAPTER Ix-continued

down there wouldn't set anybody spy
Ing" The psychologist In him was up
permost now. obliterating even his
sense Of danger in the effort to track
down the curious states of mind Of
Gordon Haskell and his confederate
And when find an old Christmas tree
In its stand carefully preserved be-
bind locked door. know that fear Is
back of its being there. You were
afraid to burn It'll Somebody might
be looking on. and you were afraid
tree Is "A horrible tree-a tree of
death Oh. murderer is always see
Ing trifes as huge signposts. The uni
verse Is one great eye, and the eye Is
on him. You bring It down with its
nag on-because you don't dare not to
notice 1t when Jerry is with you. II
you're careless toward that tree-if
you leave 1t up here. its very look will
tell some passer-by there's something
wrong with It,"
Balder grunted. "You know a lot
you DOR
"Yes-l know that undiscovered
murderers can poison the very air
about them. The infection of small
pOx would be light in comparison. Peo-
pie weren't afraid of those figures.
They were afraid of what they stood
eor-horror and strange. hidden kill.
Ing. and wrecking Of all the joy and
Innocence Of life"
"Ya-ah! You've talked too much
You'll never talk againl" He rose
slowly; then. with a spring like jun.
gle beast. he leaped for his prey. will
ton had already calculated that he had
but one chance for life-to face his
foe, never taking his eyes from him.
and. when he sprang, to dodge him
with the hnndredth chance of him
self hurting Balder into the whirlpool,
AS the huge creature jumped, Wilton
lodged. Balder had over-calculated
the width Of the ledge and landed on
Its extreme ice-covered edges. He
slipped, and for a fraction of time per-
formed strange. wild piroutte, his long
arms like the huge wings of sawmill
In motion. Then, with a shrek that
echoed and re-echoed between the
black walls Of the gorge, he plunged
into the whirL His great body was
swung around and around Lille a cork
for a moment, then disappeared.
Shouts at the same moment .'everber-
ated above the roar of the fall.
"Wiltonl Wilton!"
Wilton had suddenly sunk down on
the. rock, feeling faint. not really sure
--sac Balder had been gulped down the
black. icy throat of the whirl. He
turned his head and saw Arthur and
Jerry hurrying up.
''Thank God, we're not too late"
"Too late" he pointed to the whirl.
'He's gone-there's no getting him out
Of there nowl"
"You don't want him out, do your"
He sprang at me-he meant-to
throw me in."
''That's plain enough. We saw It
all! We came up like mad-nearly
fell in ourselves once"
"How on earth did You track me up
here?"
"You dropped this" he held out the
note. II missed you by Eve minutes.
This bit of paper was lying near the
gate. Looked to me like Berenice's
handwriting-and ] couldn't help but
read 1t. l went in and asked Jerry
AZ you had gone to the whirl, because
It seemed strange to mel Berenice is
sick In bed with q cold"
"'The whirlr says" broke in
Jerry. "'No man in his senses would
60 up that ravine In dead of winter
It's known to be dangerous
ga man in love might told Jerry,
but as 1t happens Miss Bracebridge
couldn't keep this appointment, II it's
q genuine one"
II knowed it wasn't when l read the
bit of paper. It had queer, fshy look
to me. l says to your friend, Miss
Berenice never wrote this note"
"Who did, them" Wilton broke in.
II asked that same question" said
Arthur. Jerry wanted to know II
had seen Balder anywhere. and then
we both agreed that, whoever wrote
the note. only Bladder could keep an ap-
pointment at the whirl. Haskell has
never been up the ravine since the
Bracebrldge children were drowned
there, Jerry tells me. We decided at
once to come to the mouth of the gorge
and look for footprints. We both felt
that If Balder had decoyed you up
there with fake note. II was for
nothing short of murder. We found
the prints at once-Balder's huge foot
steps. and the smaller ones we knew
were yours Then we hurried like
mad"
Wilton grasped their hands. "God
bless you I made him know ] knew
that he had killed the Bracebridge
childrenl"
His two companions gasped.
There's his weaponi He never
denied the charge. There's his
weaponr" He pointed to the tree.
Jerry and Arthur gazed in horror at II.
II always knew somethin' was