The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-12-24
SYNOPSIS

Mary Avery, a widow who lives in the har-
Dor town of Satuit, Mass, with two negro
maids, Sarah Darbe and Bessie Williams,
writes a manuscripts describing the famous
Second Head murder which occurred her
estate. Next to Mary live Mr.. and Mrs. Peter
Stow who every year give summer masquer-
ade party. One of the guests of this function
is murdered. Nearby live DR.. and Mrs. Geary
and their married daughter Edith and her hus-
band Alfred Bray; Doctor Myron Marden and
his step granddaughter, Caro- Prentiss, beau
tful young girl who was born in France. Next
live Paul and Lora Eames and their daughter
Molly. Molly was engaged to the murdered
man, Ace Blaikie. She had been engaged to
Walter Treadway, who had been the murdered
mans secretary, but the engagement was sud
denly broken and he had left town. Other
neighbors are the Fairweather sisters, Flora,
hopeless invalid and Margaret. All but the lat
ter two attended the masquerade. Mary's eight
year-old niece Sylvia Sard is visiting her tor
the summer. The wooded part OF Mary's estate
is called the Spinney. In it is tiny log cabin.
Near stone wall is tiny circular pond called
the Merry Mere. This is the day Of the mas
querade and excitement is high. Mary decides
to take Sylvia, who is unusually observant
child Caro- Prentss and Molly Eames drop in
during the afternoon. Soon Blakie, Doctor
Marden and Bruce Hexson, a friend Of Aces,
arrive. Molly is impatient to leave and they
all excuse themselves At the party Sylvia
identifies each Of the masked guests as they
arrive. Ace comes CARRIED as julius Caesar.
Molly Eames appears as a Snow Queen, ac-
companied by a man in armor whom Sylvia
identifies as Walter Treadway They dance
together continuously. Caro- Prentiss and Mar
den arrive dressed in Revolutionary costumes,
the doctor wearing jeweled shoe buckles. When
the guests unmask, Ace, Walter and Molly
have disappeared. When Mary Avery leaves
the party little after two, neither Molly and
Walter or Ace Blaikie had returned. Sarah
Darbe confdes to Mary that someone APP
parently had spent the night in the Little
House and returns screaming. She has found
Ace Blaikie stabbed to death in the Spinney.
Mary summons Patrick O'Brien, chief OF po-
lice, who had been a schoomate Of hers and
Aces. Her manuscript recalls early impress
sions Of Ace-how he had been wealthy, the
most popular boy in town, how he had gone
10 Paris to study medicine, became aviator
in the World war, returning to practice in
Satuit, how he was recklessly generous and the
principal in scores of love affairs. Bruce Hexson
had come back from the with Ace. He
was a lawyer, a of private means and
had got" religion, become a virtual recluse
Sarah tells Patrick that someone had slept in
the Little House the night of the murder.
Patrick reveals that Ace had gone to the Spin
ney TO meet Tony Torriano, his bootlegger, to
talk business. He does not believe Tony guilty.
He also discloses that Walter Treadway had
been in the Little House. Meanwhile Walter
and Molly come to Mary's house, unaware Of
the tragedy. Walter readily admits he had
spent the night in the Little House, since he
had come to town secretly. Molly and Walter
are thunderstruck by the news of the murder.