TUE SPRINGFIELD NEWS THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 1928 T p / E d is o n M arsh all WHAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE— thinking he hnd seen me. Ills form Dr, Lung, out Nailing with Alexan I wns perfectly visible In the moon­ der iterce, u detective, tell« nt 111» light. ut I had kept mostly In the projected trip to Huuthvrly Downs j shadow Rut all at once he Increased Mi tree advise« lilni to k e e p hl» «yo.il Ills pare. wide open whi 1« them. On th« way j I walked faster, too. My quarry In ii truln Dr. Ming 1» attracted by A broke Into n slow trot. It was Im­ girl, who later fnlntw Dr. lx*ng iri Jt possible ihsl I could run behind him b«-r, mid looking Into her ling, 1» as- ' and still keep out of sight Ko I ouik I ik I I o hnd n loaded revolver. I made a furious dash toward hlin at Dr, Dong meets A l l mud Du«, all top speed Oriental, who condurts him to Mouth For a moment I thought I would ley Down», where he meet« Mr South- overtake him before he saw me, hu, le) unil III« «on, Ernest Houthley, Mr, when I had covered half the distance Hayward and hl« «on, Vllns. and then between us he begun really lo run He Joaephlll« Houthley, who 1» the girl • straightened out his long legs, and be hnd met on thu train. Josephine fairly seemed lo fly straight for the tell« him (he «lory of Houthley Down» marsh nt the bottom of the hill anil H r ghn»t, which 1» not th'- ghost "8,op, Robin!'* I shouted at him tit n humnn being hut of n tiger. “Hlop a, once!” Dr Ixmg linn a quarrel with Vila» He only Increased his speed I Hayward over Josephine, and hnd« never saw a man run faster. I was thut the Haywards have a strange authority over the Houthley». He 1« In good condition, and I gave him ordered to leave ifciuthloy Down». The the best I hnd lie hadn't the chance rain prevent» hltn leaving at once. | to elude me that he had In our pre­ Dr. Ixing and Ernest go out on the vious encounter earlier In the even­ road In the rain looking for the track» ing The moon was out now. of a liger that Ernest »ay« are there j He splashed across a pond of shst They And the track» Ixiter Ernest | low water at the base of the hill. and Dr Ixmg see a prowling creature . Possibly he thought I would not fol­ tn the hall at Houthley Down«. Thl» low him here. But he was to be No water was deep frightens the elder haywurd, who also f disappointed See» It. Ernest begin» to feel that j enough to throw me off now I was Abtnad Da» 1» perpetrating »ome, going to find nu, hl« connection with (he crime If I had to follow him to deviltry. The elder Hayward 1» later found < the mainland across the swamp. dead, his neck broken a» If by a j But at once he splashed out of the galnt’s blow. pond and circled hack up the hill. 1 The coroner and police arrive In or- , was soaked to the knees, but I gave der to Invnatlgate. It no thought. Of course he couldn't Because of the murder, Dr. Ixmg run so fast up the steep slope, nor must remain at Houthley Downs All could I. And by breath was coming the persons there are questioned by In great sobs before 1 approached the laapector Freeman house. Dr. Ixing becomes Jealous of the He swung about the great structure, love he believe« to eg|»t between Vi­ and 1 dipped far enough to one side las Hayward and Josephine. During to watch I ssw him slip Into the the cour«e of Investigations of the postern door that led to the library. crime Dr. Ixing becomes suspicious of Twenty seconds later 1 entered the a man named Robin, lie determines same room Evidently he hoped to to wstrh him. elude me In the mete of rooms Bui NOW READ ON— he had forgotten one thing. His bools—the same boots that had In some way that I was yet tn find . left the telltale track beside the rock out, he was Involved In the problem ■ —were splashed with mud and water. of Houthley Downs. He had washed I They made a trail across the rugs and the blood from the rock on the hill­ .hardwood floor of the library. And side. He had eluded the Inspector they turned Into the den and myself In the chase In the dark­ Once more the drama of Houthley ness Now I hnd found him with Downs hnd shifted to this little room Houthley working upon the engine In Once more I stood a, Its threshold. the power-house—and yet they had And I had a curious sense of porten­ seemed merely Io he examining It. tous developments that would come rather than nt work 1 remembered to pass within Ils doors. that neither of them had held loola In Houthley and Josephine were stand­ their hands, or even seemed Io have ing up near the same table that had any tools with them. figured In the drama of the previous I was suddenly deeply suspicious of night. this man Robin, 1 remembered Hint “Close the door," Southley told me. he hnd volunteered hla services "But where ts that man Robin? I to the negro Sam. and that looked saw him rush In here. And 1 know as If he had business of his own it he has something to do with this mvs Houthley Downs. Hla excuse for tery.” coming seemed somewhat trumped- "Robin? You mean the man who up. Resides, he looked his part helped me In the power-house?" too well. He was too perfect an A large blue portiere hung a, the example of a certain type -if j side of the den. and on, of the corner squatter. He had an English accent, I of my eye I saw it waver. No wind and I had been watching all through | blow It. And then, looking straight. wiy visit at Houthley Down« for the I saw the ends of white fingers tha, Intrusion of some one with such an I clutched Its folds. accent. » "Mr. Houthley. the man Is hehlno Roderick. of whom Alexander that curtain now!" Pierce had told me. who evidently Then the w in behind the curtain had not yet put In his appearance, answered me htmself. had lived long years In England. The 'Oh. old Doc Long!" came a famil­ names were somewhat similar, loo; iar voice. "You're the most persistent and 1 had heard before of that pecu­ devil!” liar trait of human nnture that In­ There Is only one person Jn the fluence! a man agnlnat giving up his world that calls me “old Doc Long." own name altogether. The alias he The hope of hearing his voice about adopts Is usually somewhat similar this cursed house of the Houthley« to hla own name wgs dead In my breast. 1, was the I made a feint of going back to « voice of the man J had longed for, book. Houthley seemed relieved. He whose deep bratn and able hands left me In a moment, and Joined his would so quickly bring light where daughter In the den. Vllns had gone there was shadow. to his room, and lost ns It wns among He pulled the curtain aside, the the many, breathleaa corridors of the gray eyes laughed a, me. I saw great bouse. 1 could Imagine It was through the disguise a, last, and mar­ the Inst place In the world he had veled a, my blindness heretofore. Of really wished to go. 1 drew my rhn end I confess I don't care for sect and wind And bird had 'helF disrulses ss a rule. And now I mibt chorus. hid you good day, and go search yon­ I don't know where my (hough's der Jungle for Ihe murderer of Hay­ were that long afternoon. I tried to ward" ! read for a while. It wasn't a sue* Freeman laughed uproariously. cess. I knew that my stay-at South« "With a rifle, too!' he exulted. *Td ley Downs, so often threatened, wag think you were going elephant bunt- at Its end at last. Tomorrow ws l,o g Of all the quixotic enterprises! would would all cross the mar h to I Yi ou can't believe that the murderer testify at the coroner’s Inquest; and I Is still at large, when I have him un­ would never return to Houthley Downs der mv constant supervision In the again. The mystery and the charm Illustrations by PAUt FREHth house! Pierce, I have every admira­ would go out of my life to stay, is tion for your qualities, bu, I assure the swamp-water gilded beneath ths are a trifle wet yourself" astounding — for Its perfect and you you are making the mistake of bOat' ___ .1 "These beautiful boots protected abounding aptitude to make a fool of your career." (TO BE CONTINUED) me" Then he grow serious “Be- yourself." "Every one has to make mistake« sides, Ixing- among your many tai And he left me tn ponder In the sometimes. Inspector," Alexander re- enta I'm afraid you can't claim to hulls below. turned quietly. "Besides—I don't be an actor Just a look— a word— Inspector Freeman — who had suppose you remember about the might-have given me away. It was learned the truth at last—and I breaking of the levee—how the mur- Now Located in inuch better that you devote your walked down to the shore with Pierce derer would have time to cross th» Miner Building attention to the excellent work It.- at 11 o'clock the next morning The Isthmus to the plateau, but couldn't npector Freeman has been doing And rowboat waited for my friend, and In possibly go farther?" ss to Ihe reason why I came In dis- It were two strong colored men to "I remember that perfectly. But KU|He_| don't believe the time Is rivw. Alexander had pul on hip-boots the real murderer didn't try to crows quite ripe to divulge It I assure you «nd was armed with a heavy rifle. af a|| ffe came hack Into the house." that It served my ends very well." And It was plain to see that Freeman "Then there’s the matter of the "But It seems you trusted every was entirely contemptuous of the «cratches—and the legend, and the one else" 1 glanced toward Bouth- whole proceedings. rest of It. None of these things A pair or two of cor­ ley and his daughter. "You're a funny one, Pierce," he must be overlooked. Freeman. And rectly fitted glasses will smooth out more "Naturally Mr. Houthley knew It. spoke jokingly—and at the same time I’ll meet you both soon after dark. wrinkles and frowns in I came at his Invitation—and your meant every word he said "In the We watched the negroes row away a week than cold own, of course, too, Txmg Miss South- first place, coming with all that stage across the dark swamp water. He cream will do in a ley learned the truth Just this even- scenery on yourself It takes one of was gone all afternoon. Once It month. Ing. and I consider It a distinct rs- you correspondence school detectives seemed to m e that I heard the far- flectlon on the ability of her father to do stunts like that I suppose you off echo of two rifle shot«, but I and myself to Judge character that thought that the murderer would rec- couldn't be sure. Freeman continued Make Appointments we waited so long In making her an ognlxe your determined face from hla Investigations. Vilas • walked Whenever Possible ally. Bu, I will say—Its more her your picture In the newspapers—and about on the green hillside like a father's fault than mine " make himself scarse before you could hunted man. The long afternoon "You must remember that my ac- A*4 out the handcuffs." waxed hot. the shadows lengthened, Dr. $ Kurm an U). H lo o d y qualntance with my daughter wax "Rather a different reason, my dear the sun cast Its glamor over all the ©PTOMFTP 1ST * EYfcSlGMT V K Î a Ü m somewhat slight.” Southley explained Inspector.” Alexander answered ho«. Pockod ia lut« (w ith improved "I’tn going to my room now," he *«** neck?" •p ra y e r’. ptats. quart». gailon*,5-