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She kneho it was, of course The Bat! No doubt of it And yet--did the Bat ever threaten before he struck? She could not remember But it didn't matter The Bat was unprecedented--unique At any rate, Bat or no Bat, she must think out a course of action The defection of cook and housemaid left her alone in the house with Lizzie and Billy--and Dale, of course, if Dale returned Two old woerous cririht be only a joke--a letter from a crank--after all Still, she must take precautions; look for aid somewhere But where could she look for aid?

She ran over in her mind the new acquaintances she had made since she moved to the country There was Doctor Wells, the local physician, who had joked with her about ent htly--she couldn't call a busy Doctor away froht only prove to be a mare's-nest The boys Dale had met at the country club--"Huuical person to call on, of course, was Richard Fle's nephew and heir, who had rented her the house He lived at the country club--she could probably reach hi so when she decided against it--partly fro that he would not be of ht sturdily, it's lar protection in the lease

As for the local police--her independence revolted at su them They would bombard her with ponderous questions and undoubtedly think she was ht, I swear I wouldn't say a word to anybody--and if the Bat flew in he ain, if I alar in ot to be fair to them

For a moe returned

"Pshaw, Cornelia, if you have got to get help--get the help you want and hang the consequences!" she adjured herself "You've always hankered to see a first-class detective do his detecting--well, get one--or decide to do the job yourself I'll bet you could at that"

She tiptoed to theas she did so Lizzie o into hysterics if she got an inkling of her mistress's present intentions Then she went to the city telephone and asked for long distance