Part 31 (1/2)
”Then I'll throw you out I paid you your wages to the end of the week You can consider yourself diso--”
Muchmore paused, but there was such a fierce look on his face, as he strode toward Bert and the stenographer, that, though neither of theed it best not to provoke the rapher ”But I warn you that you haven't heard the last of this This place will be searched, by the proper authorities, and that prisoner, whoever he is, will be released”
”There is no prisoner there,” retorted Muchmore ”And I'd like to see the authorities here, or from anywhere else, search this house without my perland Now you have my answer, and you can do your worst!”
”I'll infor rascal, when you can find hih, Muchmore motioned his telcome visitors to leave
”Well, we didn't find out rapher, as he and Bert were descending the hill toward the village ”I'm afraid I made rather a mess of it He came back unexpectedly”
”Maybe he never went away”
”Mrs Blarcuht”
”I believe she's in with hi Some person is a prisoner in the house, and it's a et out”
”And we'll help hi”
”Where will you stay to-night?” asked Bert
”I don't know I guess I'll go to the hotel”
”It isn't a very good place Better come to my house There are only mother and I, and we have a spare room for you”
”You are very kind I'll corapher, and, after he and Bert had talked over the queer events of the evening, they went to bed, intending to start an official inquiry the first thing in the
But fate took a hand in the matter, and the mystery was solved sooner than Bert or Mort expected it would be
In the ht there was an alarm of fire It came from the box on the hill, near the Stocktonof the bell on the tower, aith a start and began to dress
”Where is the blaze?” asked Mort
”Somewhere up near the house of o with you?” asked the stenographer
”Of course Hurry”
Mort quickly dressed, and he and Bert, the latterhis usual promise to hisfrom the house, and toward the location of the box, where they would ine
”It's no false alar to the big house