The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-07-13
REGIN HERE TODAY

Claire Fosdick sets ont to drive
to the lonely mountain home left
her by her eccentric uncle, Lyman
Fosdick. Claire is trying to de-
eide whether to marry Nick Baum,
to whom she owes money. She
also hopes to find valuable and
mysterious jewel owned by her
uncle and believed to be hidden in
the house.
Her car is wrecked by a log
across the road. Pat Magyar, an
old friend, and Bob Steele, young
engineer, arrive on the scene and
take Claire to the mountain
house where Eb Spratt and his
sister, Susie, are the caretakers
and Dan Dallas is the hired man.
A strange series of events be-
gins. The watchdog is shot.
Claire sees a curious arrow carved
on the wall of a bedroom and fol-
lows it to the cupola. The lamp
in her hand is shattered by a
noiseless bullet. Eb SPrstt dis
appears. Bob starts for the viii
lage and is found seriously in
jured.
Hannah, Claire's housekeeper,
arrives. Pat, trying to solve the
mysteries, wanders into a desert
ed mine shaft where he is attack
ed by an unseen opponent and
falls. When he regains conscious
ness he hears a tapping noise and
follows it.
Nick Baum comes to the noun
tain house. Later Claire sees him
take Susie in his arms and kiss
her.
Claire goes again to investi-
gate the root cellar. She hears a
noise and, terrified, runs up the
stairs.
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER X
The swift twilight of the noun
tains was beginning to fall as
Claire gained the open air. Every
thing about her seemed normal
and peaceful, and already she was
beginning to feel ashamed of her
fright.
"a fine treasure hunter you
make, running away like scared
rabbit from the first noise you
can't explain" she scolded her
self.
She put down the empty lamp
and walked resolutely through
the aspen grove to the toll house.
'I'll get a crowbar or something
and see if l can't find out what's
going on down in that cellar" she
told herself. Maybe Dan Dallas
could dig" But on second
thought she decided to see what
she could do alone. She was not
at all sure about Dan Dallas.
After securing the erowbar and
a can of kerosene, she passed the
open kitchen door. She could see
Susie, moving about getting sup
per and talking to Dan Dallas who
sat by the table peeling potatoes.
Claire paused as their voices came
to her.
"Heard anything from your
brother yet, SUSSEX the man was
asking.
''No." Susie did not turn from
the stove. But he's all right. l
amt worryin' none. He often
goes off half-cocked like that, If
ne happens to think O. something
he wants down in the city. Eb al
ways was closer mouthed than a
ward politician. At first couldn't
help think of the white miner, but
when / got to figurin it over, |
decided Eb'd gone to the city, and
that's all there is to it."
Gum" grunted Dan. "How do
you explain the cap with the
blood markS?"
"Say, you amt trying to work
UP murder mystery round here,
are you? / never see such scary
crowd! Eb probably banged his
head on something or other and
come in and got his other hat. It's
gone out of his room, anyway. l
looked to see."
at is?" Dan glanced up at her
quickly. "And you figure Mr..
Steele was hurt in an accident,
\ too?"
"Sure. / heard the Doc say he
probably slipped and fell against
something. It's easy to do on them
pine needles. They're slick as
grease after you've walked on 'em
long enough"
whats Miss Fosdick up here
for, anyway"
The housekeeper shrugged. It's
her house, amt it? | suppose she's
got the right to come and upset
things any time she takes the
notion. But /, for one, will be
glad when she goes an dtakes that
old hellcat of a Hannah with her.
The men are all right-but that
woman
"Then you think she Just hap
pened to come up, here?" he per
sisted. "How do you explain the
gun with the sileneer and the dog
being killed, and the broken ar
row mark?"
"How should ! know2' Sussie's
voice sounded sharp. Then she
turned with a coquettish smile.
"Try one of thees fritters. If !
do say so, as | shouldn't, can
sure make EN-"
Claire waited minute longer,
but they did not return to the
subject, so she went on to the cell
lar, Queen that Dan Dallas should
be ouizzing Susie. If he had put
the silencer on his own cabin
roof, why should he mention 1t
at all? Was he testing her to see
if she knew Eb had borrowed the
gun2