L PRA

out a course of action. The defection of cook and housemaid left her alone in the house with Lizzie and Billy-and Dale, of course, if Dale returned. Two old women, a young girl, and a Japanese butler to face the most dangerous crimi

investigate something which might only prove to be a mare's-nest. The boys Dale had met at the country club-"Humph!" she sniffed, "I'd rather trust my gumption than any of theirs." The logical person to call on, of course, was Richard Fleming, Courtleigh Fleming's nephew and heir, who had rented her the house. He lived

as merely a nervous old spinster. If it was just me, she thought, I swear I wouldn't say a word to anybody-and if the Bat flew in he mightn't fi

helpless, very much alone

ences!" she adjured herself. "You've always hankered to see a first-class detective do h

. Lizzie might be about and Lizzie would promptly go into hysterics if she got an inkling of he

o has carried out some piece of innocent mischief unobserved. "My stars!" she muttered to herself. "You never

of police to shut them off. Then there's the house itself. Let's see-third floor-trunk room, servants' rooms-couldn't get in there very well except with a pretty long ladder-that's all right. Second floor-well, I su

ght that leads into the billiard room. There's this door over here that leads into the hall. The

e. At the left of the French windows (if one faced the terrace as Miss Cornelia was doing) was the alcove door of which she spoke. When open, it disclosed a little alcove, almost entirely devoted to the foot of a flight of stairs that gave direct access to the upper regions of the house. The alcove itself opened on one side upon the terrace and upon th

Miss Cornelia went over to them-shut them-tried the locks. Humph!

ough this door, glanced about the billiard room, noting that most of its windows were too high from the ground to greatly encourage a marauder. She locked the only one t

the library and dining-room windows. The main entrance led into a hall-living-room, and the main door of the living-room was on the right as one entered, the dining-room and library on the left, main staircase in front. "My

so many ways for a clever man to get into this house that I'd have to be a couple of Siamese twins to watch it properly. Th

one the general phone, the other connecting a house line which also connected with the garage and the greenhouses. The garage would not be helpful, since Sl

rself togethe

e yourself take it. You'd better look up that revolver of yours, too, that you bought when you thought you were going to take a trip to China. You've never fired it

they? Well, you never had a better

tchen just in time to calm a heated argument between Lizzie and Bi

iscovered the front door locked and rang for some time before she could get an answe

lly-thanks. Where is Miss

ly. "She take no nap. She

m incredulously.

he not shoot yet but sh

avens, Billy-

sk of a face preserving its impish repose. H

elm tree and an expression of ineffable distaste on her features, was holding out a blunt, deadly looking revolver at arm's length. Its muzzle wavered, now pointing a

n Gorder and went off. Lizzie promptly gave vent to a shrill Irish scream. Miss Van Gorder dropped the revolver like a hot potato and opened her

I might have shot you like a rabbit!" and, overcome with emotion, she sat

looked at her aunt the more she laughed-until t

ve lived to see the day-and they call US the wild generation! Why on earth were

d with as much stateliness as she c

bought it two years ago, and now I have and I'm satisfied. Still," she went on thoughtfully, picking up the weapon, "it seems a very g

or the love of heaven, Miss Dale, say no more but take it away from her-she'll have herself al

at tree and stop wailing like a siren. This weapon is perfectly safe in compet

AR LOVE O' GOD WILL YO

r, Aunt Cornelia. Or both of us will have to pu

uld have liked to try it just once more though," she confided. "I feel certain that

on a note of tragic chant, "but next

ly want to practice, Billy can fix up some sort of target range-but I don't

ed Miss Van Gorder. But there was a wistful look in her eyes as sh

onfided in a whisper, on the way. "A woman is perfectly capable of m

rocession reached the terrace. "But-oh," she could keep it no longer, "oh-you did look funny,

aughed too, a lit

tice with it. There's no reason I shouldn't and you never can tell when things like that might

l reassure Lizzie. Lizzie, you might make us some lemonade,

the large table in the living-room. But she could not resist one parting shot. "And thank God it's lemonade I

impossible sometimes!" she said with stately ire. Then her voice

couldn't, darling. Thanks for thinking of the lemonade." She passed he

The young face seemed curiously worn a

ally feel very we

ng. I feel all

nd for Doct

. I'm just tired and the city was terribly hot and noisy and-" She stole a glance at he

though-but I'll tell you about th

membering details were too great an effort. "But I'm sure he'll be satisfactory. He'll be out here

day with her-get the support of her youth and her common sense. Then that independence which was so firmly rooted a characteris

cook and the housemaid have left-if you'd only waited till the next

citing! I'm so sorry!

o know when they were well off, they wouldn't be servants. Anyhow, they've gone-we'll have to depend on Li

he hesitated, "I mightn't have had time-at least I mean there were some other things I had to do, besides g

"Of course I don't mind but-won

ale managed to laugh. "I think I must have a headache after all

here were something I co

soberly. "At least-oh, I don't know what I'm saying! But don't worry. I'm quite all right. I m

If our landlord, Mr. Richard Fleming, is taking you I

good deal and wastes a lot of money, but harmless enou

e deserves some punishment for the very cowardly way she behaved this afternoon-and the ouija-bo

t of side stairs in the alcove, and her aunt noticed how her shoulders drooped, belying the lightness of her voice. "Oh," s

I'll ask Lizzie." Miss Corn

ld you ask Lizzie to bring me one when she brings up the lem

y. "Oh, yes-the Union Bank-the bank Mr. Fleming, Senior, was president of ha

. "Yes-I saw it," she said in a queerly colorless voice. "Too bad. It must be terrible to

hy to my way of thinking. But then I'm old-fashioned. Well, dear, I won't keep y

one and maybe I won't-all I really

o the city had done Dale no good, of a certainty. If not actually ill, she was obviously under some considerable mental strain. And why this su

es, she thought to herself. He'll m

with the lemonade she found

should have taken to pistol practice when you were younge