The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-07-13

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 to look shipshape.
 her house, aint' it3 [ suppose she's got the right to come and upset things any time she takes the notion. But. I for one. will be glad when she goes and takes that old hell-cat of . Hannah with her. The men are all right - but that womanl"
 Then you think she just hap- pened to come up here7" he per. sisted. How do you explain the gun with the silencer and the dog being killed, and the broken arrow maFk7"
 How should know7" susle's voice sounded sharp. Then she turned with . coquettish smile. Try one Of these fritters. If I da say so, as shouldn't, Tin sure make 'eFn."
 Claire waited Q minute longer, but they dld not return to the slb- Ject, SO she went on to the cellar. Queer that Dan Dallas should be auizxing Susie. If he had put the silenceF on his own cabin roof, why should he mention t at al? Was he testing her to see # she knew Eb had borrowed the gun?
 She walked to the farther wall Of the cellar, where she had heard the tapping sounds. Dead silence. She put her ear against it and thought she heard something, but could not be sure. Experimentally she struck the wall with the eroWbar. Almost at once there was 6 response, like 6 big pulse beating with horrible reg ulaFity back there in the darkness.
 AwkwaFdly she began digging, and after several minutes had quite Q slzeable hole. Painfully she fleyed her cFamped muscles. On the floor at her feet lay pile of dirt half as high as the huge bar- gel of salt pork nearby,
 Mercy shat . messl" she gasped aloud. If ! don't find anything. whatever will Susie say7" But Claire could not feel very penltent. After all, the House Of Long Shadows belonged to her, not Susie.
 At last she was forced to stop, and enee more she put her ear against the wall, Certainly soiae- thing was stirring behind there. She must 60 on, if only she dared t0 ask Dan Dallas to help heFl
 These thoughts raced through her mind as she worked. When she was forced to stop for breath, she taneled the sounds were grow Ing louder. Could she De nearing the solution Of the mystery And What would she flndf Suppose she should suddenly break through | Q retaining wall and encounter some | horror better left buried.
 ClaiFek nsFy0usnsss by this time | was beginning 10 get the best Of her, though she still worked on steadily, | When next she stopped for breath, | she thought she could hear Q new sound against the wall. Like R0mes | one breathing heayily-0F gas t only her own lab0Fing lungs and | heaFt9 She aat down on | the pile ef earth te rest, then moved | the lamp te the top Of the pork | barrel so that llS rays fell directly over her shoulder, She examined the hole closely, but, So faF as she could zee, all sides Of it were firm enough, Apparently there vas no sign Of lngthlDg falling from above,
 WeaTlly she started in again, lnd the very nekt stroke thuddad gllh . different sound, GlalFe stop ped lp lTlebt and listened, Dead silence, IT there had ever been any movement 0r n0lse beyond thai ] aaTknesf, f eeTiRinly was not there II nov, HalfFlllnldly she dug farther,
 h0w the eT0whaP was cutting through an opening, There could be no doubt about that, nTeathr lsssly she brought the lamp and held ' close 70 the amall place where the sharp point Of the lns slTumeDt had gone through, What was her ast0nlshmant 70 see ~ not dRTknass, Rs she expected Aawbut A dlm, WaVeFlng radiance, She bllnked her eyes and looked Agaln, V vas gone, Then N had heAD only her imagination She carried lle lamp back end slaFsed mskIns the hole lAFgeT,
 Alter much Rlf0Ti she again | bTgneDi the lhmp, f0T n0w the | opening vas large enough 70 pnl heF eWn head thF0lah, Carefully she m0yaa the llRht go that she could see f0l anlie a radius lD lhe Raplng aAFknaas,
 AppaTenllg she had out Into AnE 0ihhF small tunnel The RlT kRena fresh ana cool Piles 0i fresh dlTl Icy before heT, and al one hlae 2 pleAe af wood Then She RaVf . klaTt EonlAlhlng black was nTumplaa close to lhe Hall
 lust belgW her, hbR turned ihe
 a.nIp he khe could ses, then gave 2 Bianl ThOusb he vas sa covered wllh dlEl bf looked haFaly human lie whs lglng face a9wn lD lllf h0fi haTib, guile mnll0fiasa, Glalre Waiehad fQF q taFrlhad mes maDi, ihAn spoke % hlm, ihaueb heT voice A0llhdea slIRneely aTaaks Ha and unnalugal,
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