“THE HOUSE IN THE WAY”

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19596, 7 June 1935, Page 8

“THE HOUSE IN THE WAY”

By COLIN HOPE (Author of “The Phantom Killer.”)

• s*;tp?gflG3 SYNOPSIS. Guy Ctiicliester watcSes a card game ai Ttie Whip, a village inn, and is puzzled because three expert card sharps are robbing a local youth of a rew pounds. Later he meets the youth’s sister and the two go to the inn to break up the Party. There is a scene, but eventuallj the girl and her brother go home together and Chichester goes to bed. . In the early hours of the morning he sets out to Investigate a house, ine Wychets, which, with the girl’s house. The Oaks, stands some way out ot me village in a particularly lonely spot. The wychets is occupied by a ,'t Singster, a retired chemist, and Guy is unable to get inside the grounds because or a dog which he fears will give the He decides to postpone the exploration and is about to return when he hears a window being raised and then a scream. Both sounds come from the girl’s house and he rushes to investigate, but lie receives a heavy blow oil the head and loses consciousness. Tv'etta Tanshaw and her brother are orphans who are endeavouring to make a living from a small poultry farm, and they receive many tempting otters to sell their house. The girl is attacked during the night and this is regarded as an attempt to frighten the two out of the house. Chichester persuades .Netia to stay, but afterwards arouses her anger by admitting Unit lie allowed Frank to be robbed without troubling lo interfere. Later. Frank, who dislikes Guy, shows ills sister an om newspaper in which there is a photograph or Chichester. As wing-commander Playdon he had been sentenced to imprisonment for blackmail.

(CHAPTER V.—(Continued.)

“Perhaps somebody has been talking,” George Goudy put in. “Chichester was watching you when we were playing cards last night. We have got him guessing there. We all know him, but lie doesn’t know any of us. “lie knows me well enough. I was his •brother’s valet for three years.” Briggs was the speaker. “I shall have to keep well out of his way, or he might tumble to the whole business. “He must know something,” Singster said, “or he wouldn’t he down here; and anybody who knows something knows too much." ■Chick had been silent. At last he interpolated: “We seem to toe losing sight of tlie fact that Harry brought us news. Arc we to understand that Hie man 'Chichester lias gone to London? If so, tell us all you know about it.” ' ,

Singster winced, but said nothing. Chick was again taking charge of things. He would have to give this danger serious consideration. Lxen a killer could be killed.

■Harry told big story. Chichester had returned from his morning walk and had received a telegram at about midday, and during the afternoon had set out to catch a train from Westbury. He had left word that lie was not likely to return that night, but would probably be back at The Whip in time for lunch the following day.

Singster was determined to take the initiative from Chick this time. If he was not very careful the rest of the gang would soon notice that he was being forced into second place. " If he has gone to London he has probably gone to visit that' niece of his I will get somebody to pick him up at Victoria and we shall soon know where she lives. Mr Chichester is being helpful.” Without delay, Singster went to the telephone and was soon talking to someone who answered all his instructions with, a laconic “'O.K. Guv’nor.” Had Chichester listened to the conversation he would not have realised that this unknown individual was being given a description of him and being Instructed to report fully on his movements and the people he met from the time he arrived at the railway station, for Singster was not fool enough to speak openly over a telephone. Even if Chichester had known all about the conversation he would not have been unduly worried, for he had no intention of going to London that day. The telegram was merely part of the /use to throw dust in the eyes of Harry and the rest of the gang. When the barman hastened lo toll the others of Guy’s departure for London he had done just as it was intended he should do. CHAPTER VI.

A Desperate Enterprise.

Chlohester certainly took the train from Westbury, but only travelled as far as Three Bridges before leaving it. There he was able to buy certain things he needed for his night’s work, and then he sought obscurity while waiting for nightfall. Part of the time he spent in a quiet tea shop writing a letter which evidently caused him to think deeply and which also at times gave him some amusement. Later he again entrained, this time taking a ticket to the station next to Weslburyj lie took great care to ensure that lie was not seen by any of his enemies whom ho left the little station, and when lie reached the shelter of the country lanes he waited a full hour lo see if he was being followed. He examined the packages lie had brought with him from Three Bridges and after he had satisfied himself that cveryIhing was as it should he, lie settled down for a last smoke before embarking on his night’s adventure. By the time he had passed the outskirts of Westbury and approached The Wychcts, it was nearly midnight. A light, was showing in one of the lower rooms and l'rpm the hedge which surrounded the house and grounds, Guy could see that there was a hole through the badly-lilled Venetian blind which would enable him to view the room and its occupants if lie could get close enough, it scorned that the fates were on his side. The dog was his immediate concern. If it acted as it had done on the previous night, all would he well. If it did not, there would, he knew, he considerable danger of detection. Ho did not want to waste another night for he had planned well. He had laid a false trail to London, and ho had also taken Into account the fact that ns it probably was known that Pie had been outside the grounds on the previous night, it would not. he expected that he would make another attempt so quickly. For a long time he crouched at the hedge side awaiting iho dog. If seemed that it never would come, and he reflected that, if it had acted similarly ns on !lie previous occasion lie would have been on Hie other siile of the hedge before he found it—and there would have hee.i trouble. At last Guy heard the unmislakahle sniff. Feet, padded towards him, and there was a crackling of dry hvigs Ho whistled softly to atlrael llie animal and immediately it was opposite lo

A Fascinating Love Story with a Sinister Background.

where he crouched lie threw over an object which fell with a plop right in front of the dog’s nose. True to its instinct, the animal sniffed the strange article. Guy had anticipated that sniff. Things were working out exactly as he had planned. The vapour whicli the dog had inhaled when it smelt the pad was not sufficient to harm it, but it was enough lo daze it and slow up its action. Taking advantage of this, Guy scrambled over the hedge, and pressed the pad against the animal's nostrils. A few moments later lie straightened and allowed the dog’s unconscious form to sink to the ground. With a piece of white paper he marked Hie spot where he had entered the grounds. It was Hie lowest spot in the hedge and lie wanted lo make a clean get-away should the necessity for basic arise.

He waisted no time in crossing to the house. He was very anxious lo ■sec into that lighted room and even more anxious lo hear some of Hie conversation that.was going on in there.

He had to be content with what lie ■saw. Although he could tell by their manner lhat Hie men were diseusing something important, not a sound reached him outside the window.

1 With the exception of the barman, who was quite probably examining his belongings at The Whip—all (he men were in the room. Three of them Guy had seen before. Chick Churchill was a stranger to him, and as lie studied Hie killer's hard, cruel face, Guy realised that lie was probably the most dangerous of his opponents. The man- Briggs sat with his back to the window and Chichester racked his brains in an endeavour to recollect where he had seen him before. He knew that the head was that belonging to someone he had known very well indeed—yet he could not decide ■who the man was. The fact that he could see, yet not hear, angered him. His journey had not been entirely in vain, for he had been able to identify the!gang he had io fight, but he was dissatisfied. He wanted to hear something of their plans; he was fighting entirely in Hie dark. That Netta and Frank had some place in their scheme, lie had no doubt, for three of Hie men were those who had made up the card party at The Whip. He decided at last that as he had got so far, he would try to make a really good job of his night’s work. If possible lie would get into the house and learn something more. He knew that he was contemplating taking a chance with desperate men. If lie was caught it would go hard with him and lie would be lucky 'to escape with his life.

He crept cautiously round the house, trying windows and doors, but he was not a skilled house-breaker and was forced to give up all idea of getting in 'on the ground-floor. He turned his eyes aloft, and at the back of the house he saw what in the dim light appeared to be ail open window.

Although not a house-breaker, he was a first-class athlete, and without fear. A drain pipe ran within a few feet of the window and as soon as he found that the pipe would bear Ills weight, he started lo -climb -hand-over-hand. There was no foothold and toy the time he had made about half -the journey his arms ached horribly. Only bis grim determination to succeed kept him going, climbing slowly, laboriously, painfully. He was almost within reach of his objective when his handhold slipped and for a terrible second It -seemed that he must fall—-nearly 30. feet on -to the hard gravel path. 3le grabbed wildly and managed to clutch a -slight protuberance on the wall. An agonisirtg pain told him that he had all but wrenched off a finger nail, and it was strange that as. he felt -the warm blood pouring from the wound he could smile at the'thought of the gang’s perturbation when they found the evidence of his visit on the following morning. At last he was level with the window, but even then his task was not done. The pipe was some distance from the window-sill and there was nothing to help him to -cross the gap. Ho gauged the distance and then began to swing himself preparatory to making a jump to the window-sill. He judged his jump well and readied his objective with no more harm tiian a severe jolt as he took the weight of his body on his arms. He scrambled on to the sill and cautiously opened 111 e window. (To he continued.)