New Britain Herald Newspaper, December 28, 1923, Page 24

[Lamsder reason become Harry nstructions same ha centric wide. live in South respected dea esty, and a treasures £ very difficult to was nduce them ! prepared fore. that th would be an 1 was 1 i wide, but an at The mosphers of wide hall w almost evers was occupied of curioe ar hest or we the hall ered with p and knowladges re I wondered was asen had been As e dowe werr ing w the r a winged a tooked rour 1 entered. but The Chronicles of Jeremy Screed FIRST AMERICAN PUBLICATION 1920, by The McClure Newspaper Syndicate. and let me look | re mot what Thr"i though anyhow | know you. The last time | was—well. my memory isn't but you were about 1 maybe, znd | swered, “at uppose your mother always did hate chil- that matter. 1al bedtime I'll stay Good but ve dined should be My have put whiskey about housekeeper. t somewhere his Ah u A round wing of the ook about the room s being an oeccasion to keep you com- and the old fellow vice with did Sinee were a appearance not s the case t out of his was some f pictures? t them By PERCY JAMES BREBNER THE TWISTING FINGERS commented when she back He h upon it as got lately,” she an- worse least T suppose he has.” Wi “1 sometimes wonder if he is the uncertainty?” as bad as he pretends to he. 1 have an idea that he gets about the house by him- self when there to see him. I have found things in places where T no one is am sure I never put them She took me to my room which was almost as big as the front one, and was It to me it was not =0 high pitched, but the heavier the fact that the walls were covered with full- just as crowded seemed moulding of the ceiling. and lengths accounted tor as portraits, probably 1t was this. was a bedroom inasmuch bed stand, b of there a in i ilet-tahle and wash-hand but it was full of al other thing ides, inlaid tables. periods—a And witht full- various fact nets, chaire showroom in 1l four-poster regular 2 bed! was the largest, tallest canopied ever I hope you'll he comfortable” said Ashe ned as if she enter Where was Sereed? 1 had position cted on his instruc wy had ri ut d of reception old wepared for his nephew, b my owr bearing seen, | grave came [ comings of the man who had posed for | to make me siare at it He was a knight up, in com- and a steel, came [ the picture {plete steel with his visor herse’s he also cased in into the picture. Perhaps it was the | incomplete horse which annoyed | me, the head brought in as if to prove | that the man himself did seem | he appeared to be posi {suit: he did not leok lik | had ever used armor strenuous purpose, Yet there was something ar- restin part of the face shown by the raised visc Somehow, by | happy chance probably, the artist had ot character into it In some walk ¢ ife a ma face like that must {bave done something. The lines were firm and determined, and th were at you what- ever . Tt an but 1 res it as 1 wol horse, fit had a man to his armor hired man who for in with a eves agg e, lool e vou took is he 1 port fasy k o ush it had tc effect just 14, 1 T Wy wide in znore the look up at it was that T by when T wanted Mys s, at intervals in to feel to he m ry of some kind w ind ¢ not que & Pi the old man had ne « boy. Where was have nger. me her < nephew whom was would se ma seen sin or and against my will try to see it more plainly, Those heastly eves must be looking at me in bed. Of course, T conld have drawn the curtains at the foot, had T done so I ,should have been asleep in - a few moments T faney for the bed was as comfortable as it was huge: instegd T lay staring at the dimly illuminated port now believing [ could see it distinctly, and again only con- of a blur. light coming in a singls Aim rav emphasize the darkness in room. and [ was in 3 condition to peopls the » shapes, the -esult ded hy portraits T 1oy seemed (o have i undertone of sound in it ten, that sound of silent movement which s felt not heard. I heard nothing. A definite sound, however slight, would have made me jump out of hed. It was Qifi- cult to lie there 1 be natural with my hand ping the revolver under m pillow. I was waiting for something happen, expecting it, even anxiou: that action should take the place of nense. Then a sound came, not with a sud- den shock which eauses a vielent star subtly, compelling perfect stillne bated br h. Tt was a low leak from a pneumatic tube Don ak,” ne a whisper Giet and partly the light.” quite scious The: served rest of the enough with va surron The the S co 1 but and dress on I WANDERED ABOUT THE ROGM EXAMINING THE FURNITUREAND LOOKING AT THE PORTRAITS, . heing e mo- from seen apart s i, and was vastly in Author of “Valentine We; Wisg | a mo- | ||rmmml hy the fact that the light ra was that such an angle that an enormous | shudow of the hand was cast on to the | wall, where the twisting fingers looked like the tentacles of an octopus feeling for prey. - The hand grasped the flattened knob and turned it, little effort being re- cuired, and the whole canopy of the bed slpped down evenly and quickly like a great press, Its weight must I have been_considerable by the mann in which it pressed upon the bed, mean- ing death to any one who lay there. Screed, for I no longer had any doubt that it was ¥ereed, clutched my arm, and drew me down into a crouching position behind an armchair in the cor- ner, for now that the canopy of the bed was down, the light ray might have a4 wide enough swing to discover us It did not reach our corner, but it} played about the room for a few m\-‘} | ments, and it was fortunate I had onlv | partially dressed or the absence of =uy | clothes on the chair near the bed| might have caused suspicion. The | light went out suddenly, but eed | kept me in a crouching position. | 1 think we must have walted arother | hogr, not a word spoken, but such reumsstances all trug sense of time | is lost. Then the light came acain, | | thie time from a point in the s voiled | | ceiling over the other head post of the | | bed. gain the thin hand was '|!|'||~l| | down, the knob was turned, and the anopy rose glowly to its originai posi- | n, as steadily as an ascending lift. | "he nt at once this time, “They think you are lying there shed. pered ! Horrible!™ T muttered Did you hand? thinking from which T had an 1e hand. Did Screed 1 had heen asleep that he asked wheth- er 1 had noticed the hand? | twisting fingers seemed to have 1 | plaving with my nerves, | I cannot say whether or not there| was any sound, but a moment came ! auickly when the edge of my uleriress tonched immediate peril. Screed and 1 | were no longer alone. The darkness n the room scemed to move, ad then with a click the beam from a powerfal | torch cut across the room like i sword | blade, Pigott and Mrs. Ashe were n | he room. They were just inside the door, but the door itself was no: open Mre, Ashe had advised me to iock i, had heard me do so, and knew it was | | na protection at all, The whele frame- | | wark of the doorway formed whor Adoor, opening with the locked Jdoor within it. She was so surs that the Aoor was locked that she had not teste) t. had she done they miglyt have entered with greater caution, hey cted to find A man whom had baen and smothered to death lving in the bed and it is impo<sibla at what exact instan "y failure, With that realization would come a moment twa of brain nert'a, a blank during which [ action would present itself, this moment that Screed | great panther on his A« 1 followed him a sharp lick fire scemed to scorch my arm, and the woman and I were struggling ther fiercely for the long bladed knife which she endeavored to use a second time with more deadly effoct ttack had knocked the toreh % hands before he had iime off, and the beam shining carpet gave some light in the as out Screed wh notice T said me¢ exy | pressed imply ealized like a pre of then Hereed's om 1 to switch it 1 the she-devil courtesy,” Truse up that There's 20 fon for Fereed pumped out these instructions he struggled with Pigott, but the Wwomun was strong enough to eliminate all of gentleness and court- ey, and | was speedily conscious that to my arm was considerable whe had managed to teiet woman's grasp, wild cat, kicking at my hande. 1 think difficult proposition until 1 did she re limp. 1 knotted with my handkerc all and lieht fuil length heside a e out badly ne questions e knife o she fought my Jegs, | Lke a at a me the man nan wae N her knees - other wme sudd wriste t 1 then came “m hea ewitehed or at eha'r ompletel arm t me enid master th apped the ety hande Yatea? mer poner of rosigtan walis Iy to 1 seemed tr nig ‘ t the eves did not A His » ave gone alt 1 ing. and ¢ te « scemed tried 1o = comet t 1o sleep wer At some feur of 1 fancy Ache blond B Ae because might be Hapnil ng, but and my the retired list in sling me time. Betty Camecron seemed to vl me rather interceting like this, and pent quite a tot of ime in her was there that the real Tlar A\ chuckled acter either, it i8 to he hoped 1 don't know about waid Rameden, “but 1 helieve 1 was cons'd (ered like him in face. mother used | he midal. representative of the had omitted t d given me a b «he arm . on for m Screed introduced Tiam=den M nor in char- cerd character | somewhere | somewher ,” “The Turbulent Duchess, “The Master Detective,” etc. to say, so, and on it based her belief that my uncle would do something for me some day.” “He did best,” T remarked drily. “Mr es doesn't know the whols story vet,” said Screed. “T was not allowed to go and tell him In hospital, and Betty here has monopolized him for the last few days. Mr, Namsden has Deen abroad a great deal, Mr. Yat: and has corresponded with his uncle at intervals. About eighteen months ago Mr. Pigott's letters ceased. An occasional note came from Mrs, Ashe, written at her master's request, as he was suffering from one thing or another which made holding a pen a painful process. Mr, Pigott in his last two or three letters, T must tell you, had expressed a desire to see his nephew, and had made tentative sug- gestions that Mr, Rameden should come home and carry en the business, One or two things caused Mr. Ramsden to be suspicious at last, and very wise- Iy he wrote to Scotland Yard, and the Yard put the matter in my hands— very wisely too.” b Ramsden was quick to endorse this, but knowing Screed T only smiled, @ § le some careful encuiries® Screed went on. “Apparently Mr. Pig- ott was ill, more or less confined to the house, and not in condition to see people on business. Deals were made, however, through James Ashe, who for three or four years had been his con- fidential man.” ‘Mrs. Ashe’s husband? “Yes, quite a T asked. clever fellow ‘n his way, but less enterprising than his I fancy. T shouldn't wonder if he 't the rudiments of a conscience Macheth and his lady over You know the play.” Sereed connoisseur who has recently made a discovery. I really helieve he was prepared to find that I had never heard of Macheth, “One thing was curious,” he con. tinued, “all the deals were sales, Thera were no purchases, Moreover, Pigott was now selling many things which up to this time no fancy price would tempt him to part with, He could have been a much richer man had he not been an eceentric who fell in love with many of his purchases and re. fused to sell them again.” “Ie explained this eccentricity me” T said, “Clever fellow,” Screed returned, This fact gave me a theory, On are riving in Eogland Mr. Ramsden came to me hefore attempting to mee his un I had communicated with him asking him to do so, He had had a letter from his uncle, written by his amanuensis, Mrs, Ashe, of course, ask- ing him to go and stay in South Street. If my theory was right, Mr, msden was very much in the way, To test my theory you took his place, Mr, Yates" Your theovies X ting other people i =aid Betty “We have 1o take our chances Screed returned, I took my chance, 1 slipped into the area when your taxi ame into South Street, Mr, Yates, to a window there 1 d previously exame ined, and when Mre, Ashe answered vour ring T slipped in. It is a queer house. That picture of a knight in armor i not as innecent as it looks. In a small room behind it part of the wall has been removed, and by standing steps and raising a little flap, yvou can put your eyes in the place of the painted ones,” “Then they were real eves which fole towed me about the room,” 1 exclaimed, “Undoubtedly. Ashe's, Did you ro- tice the hand which came through the ceiling? 1 asked you before, but T de not think you observed very closely. Tt was a woman's hand—Mrs. Ashe's, She turned the mechanism while her hushand watched through the eyes of the knight in armor to make sure thers was no mistake “And Pigott?” | asked “Ashe was Pigott. THe yeal Pigott has been dead for monthe, buried under the flags in the cellars. Ashe and his wife, disapproving of their master's unbusinesslike methods, got rid of him. They intended the best of the treasures and the business long it do w0, then lecamp. They meant to got y the and it Mr. Rameden had gone there 1t would, have succeedsd prob. ably. By fe My had g spoke as a to s a way of put. o danger, Jerry, on to sell carry on as was safe as to nephew instruet Yates you have helped me to spoil game hat Pigott killed wed it 1o get 1 Rett making that way rid o ed,” w and the ot 112d ha undes rable usn it Wase peonle? No. he was &led but tle difficult 1o be quite 4 . i* lapte of time. And 1 do not the bed. 1 be. tleman had it fixed up ot hat wa he ae strar the do eve «al he had e he ol ge or need how murder n past was semetimes agee. The bed, and probably sums for it, exibly it was 4 not bring the past that of pereons indirectly it in a wife tn has probably been mplished ibt, hds a a histe e han and for the pi f the treasures he ¢ himself te wi 1 hed m wnt part and Ashe ar woman rked =hout such a motherly by looks,” said Serecd ' 1 sver had to do s handsome as paint.” I have to thank Mr. Yates, for said Namsden, “Un- vou have had to pay for the *nid in adven- 1o be paid y e Yate and adventurce revels have me and Jightly n # sort of caress, 1 of nt nd wondered e v ather e No, 1 said n 1 wae in I don’t you w Mr was worth it” wl Ramsden,”