MILDRED suddenly understood. That weird laugh that she had heard last night! She had heard the laugh before over the radio, like Ware, but then it had been in connection with a national broadcast, not under such auspices as the gang attack of last night!
“They say,” declared Ware, “that The Shadow fights with gangsters. Whether he is a crook himself or an agent of the police, no one seems to know. The most essential fact - so I have heard - is that when The Shadow fights, he wipes out crime and disappears. He apparently has had a hand in last night’s fray, which supports my belief that there is nothing more to fear.”
“Nothing but that dreadful grove,” sighed Mildred, looking toward the beeches.
“It seems very peaceful there,” responded Ware, reassuringly. “At night, when all is black, any place looks sinister. But in the daytime, I can see nothing repulsive about those trees.”
“They are driving Harvey mad,” said Mildred. “I am sure of it, Craig. I saw him looking at the grove yesterday, mumbling Zachary’s name. Zachary said some terrible things that night when he was here. He screamed when Harvey drove him into the grove.”
“Harvey must calm himself,” said Ware decisively. “He must rid himself of any fear; and you must do the same, Mildred. Otherwise, life will prove unbearable here. Yet it is wise for you to stay, for a sudden departure might lead police to believe that Harvey was implicated in crime.”
“I do fear the grove,” admitted Mildred. “It seems to cast a terrible spell over one!”
Craig Ware arose from his chair. Smiling he strolled toward the grove. Mildred followed him, placing her hand upon his arm.
“Don’t go in there, Craig!” she pleaded.
They reached the fringe of the trees. Craig Ware stepped forward several paces, and shrugged his shoulders when he came under the shadow of the first beeches.
“A spooky place,” he admitted, “but nothing to be afraid of. If we should beat through here, we would find it to be nothing but a very quiet woods. I think I shall go in a way, Mildred. Will you follow?”
The girl was trembling. She nodded bravely. With a farewell gesture that made the girl cry aloud, Craig Ware entered the area beneath the trees. Mildred, in great trepidation, walked back upon the lawn. Her eyes were fearful as they followed Ware.
The figure of the girl was visible to a man up on the veranda of the Beechview Country Club. Lamont Cranston, who had returned, was watching and now, as Mildred made a move to follow Ware, the tall man arose and started swiftly down the slope.
His progress halted as he saw Mildred turn back toward the house. He guided his steps toward a group of rocks beside a big tree off the fairway. There, unseen from the clubhouse, he drew his binoculars from their case, and watched the girl through the powerful lenses. Cranston was almost within hail of Lower Beechview.
It was sudden fright that had made Mildred turn toward the house. Fancifully, she had imagined that she had heard a strange sound from off within the grove. It reminded her of that hissing whistle which Lei Chang had emitted, those nights when he had visited Lower Beechview.
MILDRED was calling Harvey. Her husband, haggard and glowering, came from the house. Mildred pointed to the grove. She explained the terrible fear that was upon her.
“Craig went in there, Harvey” - the girl’s tone was breathless - “and I am afraid! I am sure I heard something utter a faint sound. Can anything - anything have happened to Craig?”
Harvey Chittenden moved quickly toward the beeches. He stopped and shuddered before he reached the trees. Through his befuddled mind came thoughts of Zachary’s flight through that very grove.
“Craig should not have gone in there!” blurted Harvey. “He should not have gone in! Something might happen to him - as it happened to -“
He broke the sentence and stood staring toward the beeches. Suddenly a man emerged. It was Craig Ware. Smiling, the showman walked up to greet Harvey.
“What’s the matter?” he questioned. “You look as pale as a ghost!”
“Where were you?” demanded Harvey.
“In the grove,” responded Craig Ware, in a matter-of-fact tone. “I didn’t go all the way through - I just wandered around a bit. It’s rather gloomy in there, but I didn’t stay long.”
“Keep out of those trees” - Harvey’s voice was rising to a sharp scream - “Keep out - keep out! I saw my brother - Zachary - run in there. I heard -“
Wild-eyed, he stopped his discourse. Craig Ware stared at him with puzzled expression. The showman looked at Mildred. Harvey Chittenden turned and went suddenly into the house.
“Mildred,” said Craig Ware suddenly, “Harvey must be cured of this terrible worry. You are right; the grove is preying on his mind. It is my task - I must go through there and assure him that there is no danger beneath those trees. He holds a fancied belief that something happened to Zachary, and that he is responsible. It is the last great strain upon his troubled mind.”
Again, the showman turned as though to enter the trees. Then he turned to the girl. He shook his head doubtfully.
“No,” he declared, “my assurance would be in vain. Here I have just told Harvey that I was in the grove, and it drove him wild. He would not believe me if I said that I had scoured the ground beneath those trees. Tomorrow, we must talk to him, Mildred, you and I. Then I shall arrange to have a force of men go through every inch of the terrain. If we can satisfy Harvey that Zachary is not there, dead, and that the grove is nothing but a peaceful woods, then I feel sure your husband’s fears will end.”
Mildred nodded in agreement. Craig Ware’s words were sound. They showed sensible planning. Tomorrow some definite action might be taken to end this terrible dread. Mildred felt sure it would be a great relief to her, and she hoped the same for Harvey.
The girl was not the only one who had noted Craig Ware’s speech. Lamont Cranston, through his glasses, had watched the showman’s lips and had virtually heard the definite plan that Ware had made. As Ware and the girl went back into the house, Cranston left his spot of seclusion, and strolled up to the clubhouse.
That night, while the clouded moon sought vainly to test its spectral glow upon the ground below, a vague, dim figure in black glided down past the grove. It appeared - no more than a flitting shape - upon the lawn of Lower Beechview. Then it slid toward the blackish edge of the grove; toward that monstrous umbra that seemed to be stretching forth, ready to creep forward upon those who came within its reach.
All was quiet along the water front. No lights shone in either Upper or Lower Beechview. Motionless trees stood silent in their huge mass. The Shadow had entered the grove of doom - and therein he had remained!
CHAPTER XIX
HARVEY SHOWS DECISION
MORNING found Harvey Chittenden standing upon the lawn of Lower Beechview, staring across the hazy surface of the Sound. He had risen at dawn, after a sleepless night. Harvey’s face was haggard; his features were streaked with worry. An unnatural pallor had replaced his normal tan.
Muttering vaguely to himself, the young man turned to encounter Craig Ware. He was surprised to see the showman about at this hour. Ware had still been asleep when Harvey had descended from his room; now, Harvey realized that at least an hour must have elapsed since he had left the house.
Ware’s frank face was serious. Coming close to Harvey, the showman placed his arm upon the young man’s shoulders. There, in the midst of this placid scene, Ware spoke in a tone that was encouraging.
“Harvey, boy,” said the showman, “it’s time you awoke from your troubles. You’ve been through a long siege. It’s ended now. Something is preying on your mind; why not unburden it to me? If there is anyone in whom you can confide, I am the one.”
“You are right, Craig,” responded Harvey thoughtfully. “Perhaps I have been wrong in keeping my problems to myself. I feel - feel that I - I, Harvey Chittenden - am responsible for great crimes.”
“I hardly think so, Harvey,” returned Ware.
“Look back and see,” said Harvey. “I wished ill to certain men. Ill has befallen them. Walter Pearson - my brother Wilbur - my father - and my brother Zachary. All are dead. I cursed them, and they have perished.”
“You have no proof of it,” said Ware soothingly.
