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“I’ve been robbed!” Mrs. Lear proclaimed wildly.
“Hoofbeats on the Turnpike” ([See Page 100])
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE [1 OLD MAN OF THE HILLS] 1 [2 PLANS] 9 [3 INTO THE VALLEY] 18 [4 A STRANGER OF THE ROAD] 28 [5 SLEEPY HOLLOW ESTATE] 40 [6 GHOSTS AND WITCHES] 48 [7 BED AND BOARD] 60 [8 A RICH MAN’S TROUBLES] 70 [9 STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOULDER] 78 [10 BARN DANCE] 86 [11 THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN] 93 [12 PREMONITIONS] 101 [13 RAIN] 107 [14 A MOVING LIGHT] 116 [15 INTO THE WOODS] 126 [16 A FRUITLESS SEARCH] 134 [17 ACCUSATIONS] 140 [18 FLOOD WATERS] 151 [19 TRAGEDY] 158 [20 EMERGENCY CALL] 165 [21 A MYSTERY EXPLAINED] 175 [22 WANTED—A WIRE] 184 [23 TOLL LINE TO RIVERVIEW] 192 [24 A BIG STORY] 199 [25 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED] 205
CHAPTER
1
OLD MAN OF THE HILLS
A girl in crumpled linen slacks skidded to a fast stop on the polished floor of the Star business office. With a flourish, she pushed a slip of paper through the bars of the treasurer’s cage. She grinned beguilingly at the man who was totaling a long column of figures.
“Top o’ the morning, Mr. Peters,” she chirped. “How about cashing a little check for me?”
The bald-headed, tired looking man peered carefully at the crisp rectangle of paper. Regretfully he shook his head.
“Sorry, Miss Parker. I’d like to do it, but orders are orders. Your father said I wasn’t to pass out a penny without his okay.”