The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-01-29
bY EIlery Queen
CHAPTER I


pushed its way along the narrow
winding road, rising steadily. It's
two passengers looked out and
up.
The car stopped at a quaint
bridge. From a matched hut
stepped ruddy little old man.
He pointed wordlessly at a swing
ing wooden sign above the door
which said, in old English char
acters: mo trespassing = II e
Hamlet"
The other man, large and
square, leaned out and yelled:
Eve want to see Drury Lane! He
expects us!"
The bridgemaster scuttled for
ward to the bridge, manipulated a
creaking iron gate, stood back.
A short drive and the car
emerged into spacious clearing.
A castle sprawled before them,
staked to the Hudson hills by pu-
ny granite walls.
The immense oak-and-iron door
beyond the drawbridge, twenty
feet high, opened and, an astonish-
ingly rubicund little man in liv-
cry stood there, bowling.
"District Attorney Bruno? In
spector Thumm? This way,
please" The pot-bellied servitor
trudged cheerfully before them.
Out of a door in the farthest
wall stepped hunchbacked fig
ure-bald, bewhiskered, wrinkled,
wearing a tattered leather apron
like a blacksmith.
The newcomer advanced spry-
ly. "Good day, gentlemen. Wei
come to The Hamlet" He turned
to the old man in livery and said:
"Whisht, Falstaff," and District
Attorney Bruno opened his wide
eyes wider.
"Falstaff .. " he groaned.
''That can't be his name!"
The hunchback ruffled lis
whiskers. "No, sir. He used to be
Jake Pima, the actor. But that's
what Mr.. Drury calls him .
This way, please"
Everything was redolent OF
Elizabethan England. Leather and
oak, oak and stone. In a fire
place, twelve feet wide, a small
fire was burning. The ancient
stood very still near the wall,
grasping his beard; then he
stirred and said, quite clearly:
|'Mr. Drury Lane"
A tall man stood regarding
them from the threshold.
Mr.. Drufy Lane-strode into the
room and extended a pale muscu-
lar hand. Gentlemen. I'm deligh-
ted"
Bruno looked into gray-green
eyes of utter quietude; he began
to speak and was startled to OBJ
serve the eyes drop quickly to his
lips. Good of you to receive In
spector Thumm and myself, Mr..
Lane" he murmured. "We-well,
we don't know quite what to say.
You have an amazing estate, sir"
"Amazing at first glance, Mr..
Bruno, but only because it pre-
sents to the Notwithstanding
eye, surfeited with severe angles,
an anachronistic quaintness." The
actors voice was serene, like his
eyes, but richer it seemed to Bru-
no, than any voice he had ever
heard. "Quacey!"
The gnome stepped to the ac-
tors side. Gentlemen, this is my
inseparable familiar and, assure
you, a genius. He has been my
makeup man for forty years"
In some mysterious manner the
two visitors sensed tremendous
link between these completely
antitypical individuals and began
to speak at once. Lanes eyes
flickered from the lips of one to
the lips of the other, and his face
curved into the merest smile.
"Separately, please. I am quite
deaf, you see. can read only one
pair of lips at time-a latter
day accomplishment of which I
am very vain.
Bruno cleared his throat. EN-
spector Thumm and I both feel,
Mr.. Lane, that we're presuming
a bit in coming to you this way.
I should never have sent my tele-
gram, of course, if you hadn't
solved the Cramer case for us in
that really astounding letter OF
yours"
Scarcely astounding, Mr.. Bru-
no. You wished to consult me, &C
cording to your wire, on the
Longstreet murder?"
care you sure, Mr.. Lane, that
the Inspector and I-Well, we
know how busy you are"
1I shall never be too busy to
dabble in the most elemental
form of drama, Mr.. Bruno" The
voice was colored now with the
faintest animation. ut was only