The Spirit Murder Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

a visitor seemingly revived her instantly, and she hurriedly led Eileen into the drawing-room.
    â€œI’ve heard all about it,” she remarked eagerly. “The whole village knows about it, my dear. Now sit down and tell me all there’s to tell. I’ve been expecting you all afternoon. I’ve got my own troubles and something very important to tell you afterwards.”
    Eileen briefly described the incidents surrounding the disappearance of her uncle. Omitting the story of the little séance and the spirit music, which she felt might be met with incredulity, perhaps even ridicule, there was very little to tell. Miss Garford asked innumerable questions, made rather fatuous suggestions, and finally asked:
    â€œDo you think your uncle’s disappearance, Eileen, can have any connection with Clarry Martin’s?”
    â€œBut I didn’t know Clarry Martin had disappeared,” said Eileen with lively astonishment.
    â€œWell, he has; he’s been missing since Friday last. His father and mother have kept the thing very dark. They naturally thought he’d turn up some time or another, but now they’ve had to let the secret out. I believe they’ve informed the police.”
    â€œDoesn’t anybody know what’s happened to him?” asked Eileen, a look of bewilderment in her eyes.
    â€œNo. He was last seen talking to George Mobbs, the baker, just outside ‘The Walnut Tree’ Inn. They were old friends and had evidently been making merry all evening.”
    â€œDawn’ll be rather upset about it,” remarked Eileen, for Clarry Martin was one of Dawn Garford’s most persistent suitors.
    â€œI don’t think it’ll worry Dawn much,” said her aunt with a mysterious smile. “Now, when she hears about your uncle, she’ll be greatly distressed, for she’s really very fond of him. I think he has a soft spot for her, too. People in the village are saying that it looks as if they’re going to make a match of it.”
    â€œOh, hardly that, Miss Julia. I don’t think their relations with one another have got as far as that,” said Eileen guardedly. “My uncle’s rather infatuated with Dawn, but I think Dawn treats the matter as a joke.”
    â€œWell, the gossip was sufficient to make Clarry absurdly jealous. He quarrelled with Dawn a week ago, and since then they haven’t spoken to one another. Dawn confided in me that she thought Clarry Martin was going off his head. She is scared out of her wits about him. This morning she left Yarham, and has gone to stay with some friends down at Midhurst in Sussex until Clarry recovers his senses.”
    Eileen Thurlow was very much perturbed at this information. She was astonished that the mild and middle-aged attitude of gallantry, adopted by her uncle with the incorrigibly flirtatious Dawn, had been marked enough to rouse village comment and waken Clarry Martin’s jealousy. She was about to make some direct reference to it, but desisted.
    â€œClarry Martin drinks too much,” she said casually in reply. “I think Dawn’s wise in steering clear of him.”
    The conversation returned once more to the simultaneous disappearance of John Thurlow and Clarry Martin, but further discussion failed to shed any light on the mystery. After tea, Eileen, having promised to keep Miss Garford informed of any developments, took her leave and returned to Old Hall Farm.
    On her arrival she learned that, during her absence, there had been no telephone calls, and no further news of her uncle had come to hand. She was grievously disappointed. All the time she had been talking to Miss Garford, she had been thinking that good news would greet her as she entered Old Hall Farm. A telephone message explaining what had happened and saying that everything was all right; that was what she had anticipated. She had even envisaged herself being annoyed for having been so easily