THE HAUNTED HOUSE
Della was lithe-limbed, quick of eye and strong of wrist, a born
tennis player. As for Frank, tennis was the one sport at which he
could excel his chums. The result was that, despite the strong game
played by Jack and Bob, Frank and Della won two sets, 7-5, 8-6.
Mr. Hampton appeared on the scene when the second set stood at
six-all, bringing with him an alert, thin-faced man of middle age,
clad in the uniform of a colonel in the United States Engineers. Mr.
Temple with his wife emerged from the house to greet their guests, and
all four were interested spectators of the two concluding games which
were bitterly contested, went to deuce a number of times, but finally
were won by Della and Frank.
"Well, Jack," said Mr. Hampton, jokingly, as the players joined the
spectators at the conclusion of the set; "I suppose you were just
being chivalrous and that's why Della beat you."
Jack grinned. He and Bob knew they would be in for a certain amount of
twigging because of their defeat, but he knew how to take it in good
part.
"Chivalrous? Oh, yes," he scorned. "We'd have beaten that pair of kids
if we had been able. But it couldn't be done. Della's got a serve
there that would put Mlle. Lenglen to shame. As for Frank, the boy
goes crazy when he plays tennis."
A general laugh greeted his generous praise of his opponents. Then Mr.
Hampton turned to his companion and introduced him to the players as
"Colonel Graham."
After that the players hurried away to brush up and prepare for
dinner.
"Shall we speak of our discoveries this afternoon?" asked Frank,
brushing his hair while big Bob peered over his shoulder into the
mirror, adjusting his tie.
"Why not?" asked Bob.
"Well, on account of this Colonel Graham. Who is he, by the way,
Jack?"
Jack did not know. He recalled, or believed he recalled, that his
father had spoken of a friend named Colonel Graham who was a famous
engineer.
"But if he's a friend of Dad's," added Jack, with calm confidence,
"you can count on it that he's a good sport. It will be safe to speak
about our discoveries before him."
At dinner it developed that Colonel Graham was, indeed, a friend of
Mr. Hampton. They had been classmates years before at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. During the World War, Colonel Graham had
obtained a reserve commission in the Engineers and, at the conclusion
of hostilities, while thousands of other officers were being
demobilized, he had been given a commission in the regular army
because of his distinguished record.
At dinner, the older people took the lead in the conversation, while
the boys and Della were content to listen unless addressed. Colonel
Graham was a brilliant conversationalist, and once he became launched
on a series of war stories there was no time for the boys to
interrupt, nor had they any inclination. He had been one of the
handful of American engineers impressed into a make-shift army by
General Byng to stop the Germans when they smashed through at Cambrai,
and his gripping account of those days and nights of superhuman effort
to hold back the enemy until reinforcements arrived, had the boys
neglecting their dinner and sitting on the edges of their chairs.
Mr. Hampton was a radio enthusiast. It was his interest in radio
development, in fact, which had caused him to build the station on
his estate, for purposes of trans-oceanic experiment. Eventually,
therefore, the talk came around to the subject of radio. Colonel
Graham was well-informed, and he told of several army officers then at
work on behalf of the government at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, experimenting with radio-controlled automobiles, tanks and
water craft.
An exclamation from Jack drew attention to him and covered him with
confusion.
"Well, Jack," said his father, in mild reproof. And he looked
expectantly at his son as if awaiting an explanation.
Frank came to his rescue. His quick mind also had grasped the
significance of Colonel Graham's remark.
"I know what Jack is thinking of, Mr. Hampton," he said. "He's
thinking of a radio-controlled airplane."
Colonel Graham smiled.
"Oh, yes," he said, tolerantly. "I mentioned only that these
government experts were experimenting with radio-controlled
automobiles, tanks and water craft. Of course, airplanes are being
studied, too. Is that what you mean?" he asked, looking inquiringly at
Jack. "I understand you lads are interested in flying."
"No, sir," answered Jack, flushing a bit. "To tell you the truth, we
saw a plane to-day of strange design. And we had reason to believe it
was controlled by radio. I was puzzled at the time. I didn't think of
radio controls. But your remarks about the officers at Massachusetts
Tech. were illuminating. I see now that this plane must have been
radio-controlled."
Frank and Bob nodded approval. Their eyes were shining. Mr. Hampton,
Mr. Temple and Colonel Graham showed startled interest. Della leaned
forward close to Frank and looked at him reproachfully, a hand on his
arm.
"And you never told me a thing about it," she said.
"Didn't have any time to tell you," whispered Frank, in an undertone.
Mr. Hampton was speaking.
"Where did you see this plane, Jack?"
"Well, Dad," said Jack, "it was this way." Then he paused and looked
at his chums. "Shall I tell?"
"Go ahead, Jack," urged Frank.
Bob nodded approval.
With that Jack told as briefly as possible the circumstances of their
day's adventure, and also spoke of the recent interference in their
radio receivers by a sharp and continuous dash sounded over a wave
length of 1,375 meters. A frown of growing concentration fastened on
Mr. Temple's brow as Jack proceeded. When it was apparent that Jack
had concluded, Mr. Temple leaned forward.
"I suspected there was something mysterious about that man," he said.
"What man?" asked Mr. Hampton.
The others at the table looked blank.
"Why, the chap who bought the old Brownell house and property. You
know the place. There are about 750 acres of land, mainly timber. This
inlet, Starfish Cove as the boys call it, is on the property. And
there is an old house back in the trees. It is isolated, there is no
habitation near, and the house has a bad name to boot. Some of the
old-timers in the settlement at the crossroads declare the place is
haunted."
"So that is part of the Brownell property?" asked Mr. Hampton.
The boys looked at each other. Della surreptitiously squeezed Frank's
hand beneath the table. This promised to be interesting. The Brownell
place was one of the delightful bugaboos of their childhood. Old
Captain Brownell, a Yankee whaling skipper, was long since dead. The
house had stood boarded up and untenanted for years. Tradition
declared he had committed acts of piracy on the high seas during the
period of his whaling voyages and that, having retired uncaught, he
had come down to this secluded nook and built the great house in order
to hide there from some of his old associates whom he had cheated, but
that they had found and slain him. It was his ghost, it was said in
the countryside, which haunted the place.
"Yes," replied Mr. Temple, in answer to Mr. Hampton's question.
"Starfish Cove and all that land around there, where Bob found this
secret radio plant located, is part of the Brownell property."
"And who is this man who bought it?" asked Bob, putting the question
in all minds.
"I don't even know his name," confessed Mr. Temple. "But what I do
recall are some things told me by McKay, a real estate dealer in the
city who had the Brownell property on his list for a long time. He
said this chap who bought the place impressed him as a man who only
recently had come into the possession of money, and he wondered what
he wanted with the Brownell property. The newly-rich man usually wants
to make a splurge, he doesn't want to buy a country home away off
somewhere, in an out of the way nook, where people can't see him. He
wants to be seen.
"This man, on the contrary, apparently wanted seclusion--and he wanted
a place in a secluded spot on the seacoast. That was his impressing
requirement. So McKay sold him the Brownell place.
"Afterward, said McKay, he learned the new owner had put up signs all
around the property, warning away trespassers. McKay said he even
understood guards were to be employed to keep out intruders."
"On the landward side of that old Brownell place, Dad, they've built a
high fence of heavy strands of wire on steel poles," said Bob. "I
bumped into it the other day. They haven't quite reached the shore
with it, however, although I suppose they intend to."
"Well, this is interesting," said Mr. Hampton. "I wonder----"
He paused, looking thoughtful.
"What, Dad?" asked Jack.
"Oh," said his father. "New York undoubtedly is the center of powerful
groups of men seeking to evade the prohibition law by bringing liquor
illicitly into the country. Much of the liquor is brought by ship from
the Bahamas and the West Indies, and then smuggled ashore in various
ways. Perhaps, the old Brownell house, built by a pirate of yesterday,
is the home of a modern pirate, who directs activities from this
secluded spot."