Evening Star Newspaper, June 27, 1930, Page 21

—‘LfiE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1930. Ask No Questions By Bzldon Duff Copyright. 1930, by FIRST INSTALLMENT. SK no questions.’ That's an extraordinary restriction to place on a’ tenant!" Alva Cropsey, business manager, publisher and advisory chief of the New York Daily Free Press. glanced down at the lease, a copy of which lay on his desk. The clause read as follows: “It is hereby stipulated and agreed that during the term of this lease, no matter what occasion may arise, the tenant is to ask no questions. If this condition is violated. the lease is here- with terminated and the tenant must surrender possession on demand.’ The girl with the red hair smiled. A thoroughly disturbing girl. ~Cropsey thought.” “A most extraordinary re- striction.” he grumbled. “Isn't 1t?" agreed the girl in a crisp, | animated tone. | “At the risk of appearing ridiculous, I feel I ought to warn you. The place | has the reputation of being haunted— | ghosts, and all that.” “You're only adding another argu- ment in its favor. Ghosts make for pri- | vaey.” | “Privacy?” What does an attractive young woman like you want of pri-| vacy?” | “I must want something,” she fenced. *“or T wouldn't be willing 0 accept these absurd conditions.” She had popped into his office—a stranger unannounced and unexpected —saying: “Hello, Mr. Editor. It says| here,” waving the front of the real es-| tate section under his nose “The Free Press stands back of its advertisements. If vou don't get what' €« Youre after, come fo us and we'll get to nettle the owner of the Free Press it for you." “Do ‘you mean that, Mr. Editor?" he | eould still hear the fresh, young voice | chanting. North American Newspaper Alliance, |on the desk, open, the pages rumpled | for not disclosing h's principal's name?” ne. Jove! That's where your place is, t it i7" John Diamond resumed his marathon. | “IL’s about time you remembered!” was all he said. In the silence which followed the publisher of the Free Press took in two things, both of which had up till now escaped him. The chief was not as aggressively immaculate as usual, and as though it had been consulted fe- verishly, was a copy of “Who's Who.” “You say some lawyer signed the lease for the owner?"” “A little shyster named Silberstein. Birney, the man I sent up to investi- gate the advertisement, met him by appointment at the house. You needn't worry. The Free Press is protected. I saw to that. Everything legal and aboveboard. Everything,” Cropsey add- ed uncomfortably, “except the owner's name. We couldn’t find that out.” John Diamond kept his face averted. “What reason did this Silberstein give “Doesn’t_know it himself, Cropsey answered. Or, at least, says he doesn't.” “‘Alva”—there was & new and some- what_disconcerting seriousness in Dia- mond’s manner—"Bride’s House has no owner!" “Oh, come, that's absurd. Every house has to have an owner. If not, it reverts to the State.” “The State cannot seize a piece of property if the taxes are paid promptly.” “And are the {axes paid promptly?” “They are.” “You seem to be well informed,” said Cropsey, somewhat surprised. His managing editor’s tone appeared ‘And so would you be well informed, had you lived in Hales Crossing during the past year.” The proprietor of the Ark turned at last, his face white as chalk, his eyes popping. “B-b-boys,” he stuttered, “somepin terrible’s happened over to Bride’s house.” “You're referring to the disappear- appeared to lose interest in Terbune, I | should hate to be held responsible if anything happened to this young woman, Alva." “Don’t be a blessed ass, John.” “Ass, eh? Who was it suggested that advertising slogan?" Cropsey's answer was half apologetic, wholly humorous. “We got results, didn't we? And we may get more. I predict the Pree Press will be running a front-page murder story of its own be- fore we're through.” Having said his say, and not being one to unsay it, the managing editor rose, but for some reason his chief seem- ed loath to ses him go. “Withdraw that slogan and see there are no more like it." “It's already been withdrawn.” Absently Cropscy fingered the “Who's ‘Who,” still lying open on the desk. What was in his chief’s mind? Why was he beating thus about the bush? “I'd be the last one——" he had begun when his eyes dropped to the printed page— | a page that had been recently thumbed. JapAnnassa - West, daughter of the late ——" So Diamond had been looking up| Miss West, before he, Cropsey. had come into the room. Diamond, who professed an ignorance, utter and profound, con- cerning his new neighbor. And then, because the discovery of his chief's duplicity had rather stag- gered him and he wanted to get away where he could think things out, he moved toward the door. “Wait! Don’t go—yet!” The owner of the Daily Pree Press had slid for- ward in his chair. His fingers gripped the edge of the desk. Lines of anxiety furrowed the usually placid brow F “Alva, tell me the truth. What does this girl want with Bride's House?" | the Saturday night following Annassa West's final interview with Alva Cropsey. businees in Noah Pea. body's Ark, the lunch wagon center of | Hales Crossing's night life, was brisker than usual. Half a dozen’ men, among | them Seth Toby, chief of police, and yMyron Lefferts, acting mayor since | Mayor Higginbottom was away, were seated before the long counter discuss- | ing the new tenant of Bride's Ho “Come ridin' into town just a week ago today, Saturday mornin’ at dawn,” | volunteered Mr. Peabody. ‘‘Bar’headed. Flannel shirt on and pants, just like a man. Nobody with her for company but a German stable boy. The two of | 'em was leadin’ a lot of polo ponies.” | “There was another horse.” said an- | other man. “A rarin' devil in a box |car. I seen it up to the station, at | Branchville.” |~ Noah laughed. “Well. Miss West |ain’t afeered. She ain't afeereda nothin’ nor_nobody, that one." “Wait till the Summer's over,” came a voice from the end of the line; and | there ‘they were around to the subject of Bride's House again Farmer Gaylord wondered abruptly whether the Runnels family wouldn't turn over in their graves if they could | see a girl like this Miss West using their | treasured belongings. “How long has_Jane Runnels been dead?” It was Parmer Gaylord who asked the question. “Almost 30 vears mow.” Scth Toby | knew the number of those years better than any of the others, He had courted | Jane Runnels_in the days when the | daughter of the proud old Eezra had | been considered the most beautiful girl !'in"all Connecticut. STREEY AT SEVENTH after she and her husband moved to ary a one. ‘What was the name of the man she married?" No one answered because no one could remember. “Wouldn't know him if T met him, face to face, on Main street,” volun- teered Lefferts. “Well, I would!” put in Seth Toby with sudden venom. “I'd know him any time, any place—the dirty skunk!" “Old Jedge Runnels thought a skunk was a heap sight sweeter than Jane's | young man, I reckon.” One of the older inhabitants had come to life—a contemporary of the late and unla- mented Ezra. “Carried on so when he heerd about the weddin' he clean bustet | his heart." | A vivid flash of lightning tore open |the darkness beyond the tiny window | panes. The door was pried open about |a foot and into the Ark sidled a small | and pathetically bizarre figure | "Why. hello, Doe." called some one | “What you doin' so far from home at | this hour of the night.” | Dr. Derick Cranson was the town character. Left behind for dead by a traveling circus, the then not unprepos- sessing youth had gotten over the fall | which ended his brief career as an equestrian and had stayed on |+ (Continued in Tomorrow's Star.) | Prime Minister Macdonald and his daughter Ishbel attended a special | service in St. Giles Cathedral. Edin- ‘hnrul\. Scotland, in connection wi'h the | recent General Assembly of the Church Died the Summer of Scotland. HecHT Co. (Al styles but not in every The advertisement which had caused | Ance of Claudia Prentice, I take it.” all the trouble read simply enough.| John Diamond nodded. “My servants Only four lines: (‘m‘; Y‘:\:;i b:l‘x:: i;)‘(;nfime‘% wxhu:'e the “Connecticut: To rent furnished. Ten- | stigated. I ate my mogo ouse. Running water in Kitchen. | Meals to stories of a black-robed fig- | & face” Diamond replied, his voice earthbound member of the family is still | is this young woman? What do you queerly stified. “Even a-a ghost must|occupying Bride's House—a willing or | Know about her?” have a face. | an unwilling prisoner of the spirit.”| 'Only what every one knows. An- Cropscy said to himself, “Face or no | s i ¢ SPI *| nassa, daughter of the late Cyrus West. | face, why get s0 wrought up about it?" | With sudden agitation, “Yes, at all costs, \ She was engaged to Gately Terhune Fitty acres, partly under cultivation. | ure that had been seen to flit, at mid- | But aloud, “You do believe in ghosts, | the le this girl has made must be |for a while, but that's broken off. Gately Sl e i | night, through the family’ burying | then?" | canceled.” | Terhune is the junjor member of the “Of cow " Cropsey made a ground back of the old Runnels place.” | “Alva, strange things have happened | “I'm afraid Miss West won't brook | firm of Gately, Pembroke & Terhune— desperate attempt to get his thoughts |, X0l didn't put any credence in such | on this Runnels farm. A ¢ip into the | any interference.” Cropsey responded. | the architects who built your house in Back o the point from whence they | balderdash family history discloses a decadent| John Diamond frowned. “There are Connecticut. He's a sportsman of sorts.” 1 did not accept the ghost without ' streak. It is barely possible that some ' ways of accomplishing everything. Who | The owner of the Daily Free Press SIZE) had strayed. “Of course, as you say, the conditions imposed in the lease are absurd. In a court of law I doubt if they would hold.” The girl had drawn the lease toward her. Her hand reached for the pen. *“Where do I sign?” she asked. “Here.” Cropsey indicated the dotted HNne at the bottom of the page. When the scratching of the pen had ceased, , you won't have cause to rgain.” - o Mail and reated, but discour- é‘fise Bllflll’-l!bl’ editor continued the Phone Orders Dist. 7200 Semi-Annual " SALE - L MILLER . Beautiful Shoes Q85 Formerly $12.50, $14.50 and $16.50 Formedy $16.50 1o $22,50 Fifth F toor, The Hecht Co. te. “A farm house with an . Your nearest neighbor away. Not even a telephone to assistance in case of necessity. For a young, \lfllnlchflé I]eml.lc lfikz yourself, it's unsafe—positively unsafe.” “What—with you and your paper back of me?” Cropsey stirred uncomfortably. about time between us. w1ty Saturdéy and Monday Only— TUBE FREE With Every KELLY-SPRINGFIELD “BUCKEYE” TIRE, At The New— REDUCED PRICES! —Kelly-Springficld “Buckeyes” have been RE- DUCED again. But that is not all. Tomorrow and Monday we are going to give a tube FREE with every one of them—because the quantities are limited and we want to clear them out. If your size is listed below hurry in. You won'’t find such a tire bargain again in a long time. 1t pleased her to member.” A e A Cropsey made one ppeal. “Young woman, the last tenant died the night she moved in. A stee] of steps—a broken neck. And ant before her was equally unlucky. Found one morning, drowned in the pool at_the back of the house. These , T grant you, happened years ago. But recently there was another woman —not a tenant—who spent a night un- der the roof. Or, rather, part night.” The red-headed girl sald sharply: *Go on. T'm listening.” “Claudia Prentice was her name. Overtaken at nightfall by ‘woods lost their way, had the added bad luck to stall the engine, and were final- | 1y forced to abandon the car by the | roadside. They plowed straight ahead | until they came to an old farm house. To be specific—Bride's House—the place you're so set on taking.” | His listener making no comment on | this, Cropsey went on. “There was a light in a window on the ground floor—the husband after- | ward swore to the light—and that guided them to the door. But though they knocked a dozen times, there was no response. The door was ajar. They stepped in out of the cold. | “What happened after these two en- tered Bride's House constitutes a pretty mystery. According to the reiterated statements of Willle Prentice, his wife, ‘whom he had left alone in the living room for moment, vanished—melted | into thin air.” | “Let me get this clearly.” said the red-headed girl. “You say Mrs. Pren- tice was alone, in the living room, at the time of her disappearance?” “Alone—on the hearth rug—before the fireplace. ‘To this day the majority convinced that the hus- | y with her. But there's a | minority which holds that a ghost | Saturday and picked the girl up bodily and carried er oft " Monday! The girl's attitude was exasperatingly WY b, Y} i ¥ e riles Fizias, w cites et Grenada Models were $10.50 and $12.50 to be lifted by this time. Here's my $7.85 b ! AN S T I T4 IMang LTIl This Sale Is For Two Days Only— check. I've made it payable to cash, as you directed: and for the full amount Tm not leaving my eccentric landlord | any loopholes.” | “Eccentric! That's a mild way of | putting it. Why, even the little fihys(!r‘ who says he's empowered to act for the | owner admits he’s never seen his em- Pl W hat & lark!” | “I'm afraid youll find it anything! but that. Don't go. I beg of you.” | “I start tomorrow.” | “Madness i T wonder!" she said in a small, agi- | tated voice. And before Cropsey could | recover from the shock her sudden change of mood had given him she was The publisher of the Free Press stared at the chair where his extraor- dinary visitor had sat. His eyes traveled to the check, with its bold shing sig- nature, to the lease where that sig- nature was duplicated. Reaching some abrupt decision, he crammed both pa- | pers into his pocket and proceeded | with more than the customary man- | agerial haste down the corridor to a | door. on the ground-glass panel of | which was the simple inscription, | #John Diamond.” - | John Diamond was as imposing a | figurehead "‘as any business concern could desire. Six feet three, of well | padded frame, a cutaway affected for | w Low Tubes FREE! ....$10.60 (Tube free) 11.05 (Tube free) . 13.60 (Tube free) .+.. 14,10 (Tube free) —_———————— Prices! Limited Quantities! CORDS 32x4 (6-ply) . 33x4 (6-ply) ... 32x4Y; (6-ply) . 33x415 (6-ply) .......... BALLOONS 29x4.40 ......................$5.55 (Tube free) 29x5.25 29x4.50 ... ... 6.30 (Tube free) 30x5.25 . o 30x4.50 6.35 (Tube free) 31x5.25 28x4.75 ...... 7.55 (Tube free) 28x5.50 . 29%4.75 ..c000 7.65 (Tube free) 29x5.50 30x4.75 ... 7.95 (Tube free) By . ...... 29x5.00 ... 7.95 (Tube free) 30x6.00 ..... 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