the oakdale affair-第4部分

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rom　her。　　The　second　Mrs。　Prim　had　decided　that　it　was　her　'duty'　to　see　that　Abigail；　having　finished　school　and　college；　was　properly　married。　　As　a　match…　maker　the　second　Mrs。　Prim　was　as　a　Texas　steer　in　a　ten　cent　store。　　It　was　nothing　to　her　that　Abigail　did　not　wish　to　marry　anyone；　or　that　the　man　of　Mrs。　Prim's　choice；　had　he　been　the　sole　surviving　male　in　the　Universe；　would　have　still　been　as　far　from　Abigail's　choice　as　though　he　had　been　an　inhabitant　of　one　of　Orion's　most　distant　planets。

As　a　matter　of　fact　Abigail　Prim　detested　Samuel　Benham　because　he　represented　to　her　everything　in　life　which　she　shrank　fromage；　avoirdupois；　infirmity；　baldness；　stupidity；　and　matrimony。　　He　was　a　prosaic　old　bachelor　who　had　amassed　a　fortune　by　the　simple　means　of　inheriting　three　farms　upon　which　an　indus…　trial　city　subsequently　had　been　built。　　Necessity　rather　than　foresight　had　compelled　him　to　hold　on　to　his　prop…　erty；　and　six　weeks　of　typhoid；　arriving　and　departing；　had　saved　him　from　selling　out　at　a　low　figure。　　The　first　time　he　found　himself　able　to　be　out　and　attend　to　busi…　ness　he　likewise　found　himself　a　wealthy　man；　and　ever　since　he　had　been　growing　wealthier　without　personal　effort。

All　of　which　is　to　render　evident　just　how　impossible　a　matrimonial　proposition　was　Samuel　Benham　to　a　bright；　a　beautiful；　a　gay；　an　imaginative；　young；　and　a　witty　girl　such　as　Abigail　Prim；　who　cared　less　for　money　than　for　almost　any　other　desirable　thing　in　the　world。

Nagged；　scolded；　reproached；　pestered；　threatened；　Abigail　had　at　last　given　a　seeming　assent　to　her　step…　mother's　ambition；　and　had　forthwith　been　packed　off　on　a　two　weeks　visit　to　the　sister　of　the　bride…groom　elect。　　After　which　Mr。　Benham　was　to　visit　Oakdale　as　a　guest　of　the　Prims；　and　at　a　dinner　for　which　cards　al…　ready　had　been　issuedso　sure　was　Mrs。　Jonas　Prim　of　her　position　of　dictator　of　the　Prim　menagethe　engage…　ment　was　to　be　announced。

It　was　some　time　after　dinner　on　the　night　of　Abigail's　departure　that　Mrs。　Prim；　following　a　habit　achieved　by　years　of　housekeeping；　set　forth　upon　her　rounds　to　see　that　doors　and　windows　were　properly　secured　for　the　night。　　A　French　window　and　its　screen　opening　upon　the　verandah　from　the　library　she　found　open。　　〃The　house　will　be　full　of　mosquitoes！〃　she　ejaculated　men…　tally　as　she　closed　them　both　with　a　bang　and　made　them　fast。　　〃I　should　just　like　to　know　who　left　them　open。　　　Upon　my　word；　I　don't　know　what　would　become　of　this　place　if　it　wasn't　for　me。　　Of　all　the　shiftlessness！〃　and　she　turned　and　flounced　upstairs。　　In　Abigail's　room　she　flashed　on　the　center　dome　light　from　force　of　habit；　although　she　knew　that　the　room　had　been　left　in　proper　condition　after　the　girl's　departure　earlier　in　the　day。　　　The　first　thing　amiss　that　her　eagle　eye　noted　was　the　candlestick　lying　on　the　floor　beside　the　dressing　table。　　　As　she　stooped　to　pick　it　up　she　saw　the　open　drawer　from　which　the　small　automatic　had　been　removed；　and　then；　suspicions；　suddenly　aroused；　as　suddenly　became　fear；　and　Mrs。　Prim　almost　dove　across　the　room　to　the　hidden　wall　safe。　　A　moment's　investigation　revealed　the　startling　fact　that　the　safe　was　unlocked　and　practically　empty。　　It　was　then　that　Mrs。　Jonas　Prim　screamed。

Her　scream　brought　Jonas　and　several　servants　upon　the　scene。　　A　careful　inspection　of　the　room　disclosed　the　fact　that　while　much　of　value　had　been　ignored　the　bur…　glar　had　taken　the　easily　concealed　contents　of　the　wall　safe　which　represented　fully　ninety　percentum　of　the　value　of　the　personal　property　in　Abigail　Prim's　apart…　ments。

Mrs。　Prim　scowled　suspiciously　upon　the　servants。　　　Who　else；　indeed；　could　have　possessed　the　intimate　knowledge　which　the　thief　had　displayed。　　Mrs。　Prim　saw　it　all。　　The　open　library　window　had　been　but　a　clever　blind　to　hide　the　fact　that　the　thief　had　worked　from　the　inside　and　was　now　doubtless　in　the　house　at　that　very　moment。

〃Jonas；〃　she　directed；　〃call　the　police　at　once；　and　see　that　no　one；　absolutely　no　one；　leaves　this　house　until　they　have　been　here　and　made　a　full　investigation。〃

〃Shucks；　Pudgy！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Prim。　　〃You　don't　think　the　thief　is　waiting　around　here　for　the　police；　do　you？〃

〃I　think　that　if　you　get　the　police　here　at　once；　Jonas；　we　shall　find　both　the　thief　and　the　loot　under　our　very　roof；〃　she　replied；　not　without　asperity。

〃You　don't　mean〃　he　hesitated。　　〃Why；　Pudgy；　you　don't　mean　you　suspect　one　of　the　servants？〃

〃Who　else　could　have　known？〃　asked　Mrs。　Prim。　　The　servants　present　looked　uncomfortable　and　cast　sheep…　ish　eyes　of　suspicion　at　one　another。

〃It's　all　tommy　rot！〃　ejaculated　Mr。　Prim；　〃but　I'll　call　the　police；　because　I　got　to　report　the　theft。　　It's　some　slick　outsider；　that's　who　it　is；〃　and　he　started　down　stairs　toward　the　telephone。　　Before　he　reached　it　the　bell　rang；　and　when　he　had　hung　up　the　receiver　after　the　conversation　the　theft　seemed　a　trivial　matter。　　In　fact　he　had　almost　forgotten　it；　for　the　message　had　been　from　the　local　telegraph　office　relaying　a　wire　they　had　just　received　from　Mr。　Samuel　Benham。

〃I　say；　Pudgy；〃　he　cried；　as　he　took　the　steps　two　at　a　time　for　the　second　floor；　〃here's　a　wire　from　Benham　saying　Gail　didn't　come　on　that　train　and　asking　when　he's　to　expect　her。〃

〃Impossible！〃　ejaculated　Mrs。　Prim。　　〃I　certainly　saw　her　aboard　the　train　myself。　　Impossible！〃

Jonas　Prim　was　a　man　of　action。　　Within　half　an　hour　he　had　set　in　motion　such　wheels　as　money　and　influence　may　cause　to　revolve　in　search　of　some　clew　to　the　whereabouts　of　the　missing　Abigail；　and　at　the　same　time　had　reported　the　theft　of　jewels　and　money　from　his　home；　but　in　doing　this　he　had　learned　that　other　happenings　no　less　remarkable　in　their　way　had　taken　place　in　Oakdale　that　very　night。

The　following　morning　all　Oakdale　was　thrilled　as　its　fascinated　eves　devoured　the　front　page　of　Oakdale's　or…　dinarily　dull　daily。　　Never　had　Oakdale　experienced　a　plethora　of　home…grown　thrills；　but　it　came　as　near　to　it　that　morning；　doubtless；　as　it　ever　had　or　ever　will。　　　Not　since　the　cashier　of　The　Merchants　and　Farmers　Bank　committed　suicide　three　years　past　had　Oakdale　been　so　wrought　up；　and　now　that　historic　and　classical　event　paled　into　insignificance　in　the　glaring　brilliancy　of　a　series　of　crimes　and　mysteries　of　a　single　night　such　as　not　even　the　most　sanguine　of　Oakdale's　thrill　lovers　could　have　hoped　for。

There　was；　first；　the　mysterious　disappearance　of　Abi…　gail　Prim；　the　only　daughter　of　Oakdale's　wealthiest　cit…　izen；　there　was　the　equally　mysterious　robbery　of　the　Prim　home。　　Either　one　of　these　would　have　been　suffi…　cient　to　have　set　Oakdale's　multitudinous　tongues　wag…　ging　for　days；　but　they　were　not　all。　　Old　John　Baggs；　the　city's　best　known　miser；　had　suffered　a　murderous　as…　sault　in　his　little　cottage　upon　the　outskirts　of　town；　and　was　even　now　lying　at　the　point　of　death　in　The　Samaritan　Hospital。　　That　robbery　had　been　the　motive　was　amply　indicated　by　the　topsy…turvy　condition　of　the　contents　of　the　three　rooms　which　Baggs　called　home。　　　As　the　victim　still　was　unconscious　no　details　of　the　crime　were　obtainable。　　Yet　even　this　atrocious　deed　had　been　capped　by　one　yet　more　hideous。

Reginald　Paynter　had　for　years　been　looked　upon　half　askance　and　yet　with　a　certain　secret　pride　by　Oak…　dale。　　He　was　her　sole　bon　vivant　in　the　true　sense　of　the　word；　whatever　that　may　be。　　He　was　always　spoken　of　in　the　columns　of　The　Oakdale　Tribune　as　'that　well　known　man…about…town；'　or　'one　of　Oakdale's　most　prom…　inent　clubmen。'　Reginald　Paynter　had　been；　if　not　the　only；　at　all　events　the　best　dressed　man　in　town。　　His　clothes　were　made　in　New　York。　　This　in　itself　had　been　sufficient　to　have　set　him　apart　from　all　the　other　males　of　Oakdale。　　He　was　widely　travelled；　had　an　indepen…　dent　fortune；　and　was　far　from　unhandsome。　　For　years　he　had　been　the　hope　and　despair　of　every　Oakdale　mother　with　marriageable　daughters。　　The　Oakdale　fathers；　however；　had　not　been　so　keen　about　Reginald。　　　Men　usually　know　more　about　the　morals　of　men　than　do　women。　　There　were　those　who；　if　pressed；　would　have　conceded　that　Reginald　had　no　morals。

But　what　place　has　an　obituary　in　a　truthful　tale　of　adventure　and　mystery！　Reginald　Paynter　was　dead。　　His　body　had　been　found　beside　the　road　just　outside　the　city　limits　at　mid…night　by　a　party　of　automobilists　re…　turning　from　a　fishing　trip。　　The　skull　was　crushed　back　of　the　left　ear。　　The　position　of　the　body　as　well　as　the　marks　in　the　road　beside　it　indicated　that　the　man　had　been　hurled　from　a　rapidly　moving　automobile。　　The　fact　that　his　pockets　had　been　rifled　led　to　the　assumption　that　he　had　been　killed　and　robbed　before　being　dumped　upon　the　road。

Now　there　were　those　in　Oakdale；　and　they　were　many；　who　endeavored　to　connect　in　some　way　these　several　events　of　horror；　mystery；　and　crime。　　In　the　first　place　it　seemed　quite　evident　that　the　robbery　at　the　Prim　home；　the　assault　upon　Old　Baggs；　and　the　mur…　der　of　Paynter　had　been　the　work　of　the　same　man；　but　how　could　such　a　series　of　frightful　happenings　be　in　any　way　connected　with　the　disappearance　of　Abigail　Prim？　Of　course　there　were　many　who　knew　that　Abigail　and　Reginald　were　old　friends；　and　that　the　former　had；　on　frequent　occasions；　ridden　abroad　in　Reginald's　French　roadster；　that　he　had　escorted　her　to　parties　and　been；　at　various　times；　a　caller　at　her　home；　but　no　less　had　been　true　of　a　dozen　other　perfectly　respectable　young　ladies　of　Oakdale。　　Possibly　it　was　only　Abigail's　added　misfortune　to　have　disappeared　upon　the　eve　of　the　night　of　Reginald's　murder。

But　later　in　the　day　when　word　came　from　a　nearby　town　that　Reginald　had　been　seen　in　a　strange　touring　car　with　two　unknown　men　and　a　girl；　the　gossips　com…　menced　to　wag　their　heads。　　It　was　mentioned；　casually　of　course；　that　this　town　was　a　few　stations　along　the　very　road　upon　which　Abigail　had　departed　the　previous　afternoon　for　that　destination　which　she　had　not　reached。　It　was　likewise　remarked　that　Reginald；　the　two　strange　men　and　the　GIRL　had　been　first　noticed　after　the　time　of　arrival　of　the　Oakdale　train！　What　more　was　needed？　Absolutely　nothing　more。　　The　tongues　ceased　waggin