May 27, 2025 • 10 mins
Get entranced with The Hemlock Avenue Mystery, a thrilling piece from the mystery series penned by Lily Augusta Long under the alias Roman Doubleday. A lawyer finds himself in the thick of a murder accusation, having allegedly killed a legal adversary. Amidst the tumult, a persistent newspaper reporter decides to delve into the mysterious case. Complicating the plot are two women under suspicion, and another seemingly oblivious to the crime. With limited clues at his disposal, the reporter transitions into a detective, unwinding one enigma at a time. This gripping narrative is brought to life by the compelling narration of Roger Melin.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter fifteen of The Hemlock Avenue Mystery by Roman Doubleday.
This LibriVox recordings in the public domain. Chapter fifteen. Lion
suspected that he might have difficulty in securing admission to
Fullerton's room in the Wellington a second time, and when
he made application to Hunt, the janitor who had admitted
(00:24):
him before, he found his fears were justified. Indeed, Hunt's
dismay at the suggestion struck him as extreme. Go in, no, sir,
nobody goes in. The police are responsible for that room. Now.
I haven't anything to do with it, and I wouldn't
have not for a farm. You let me in before,
(00:47):
you know, and the police didn't take it to heart. Ay,
I mean they didn't mind. Bede knew I was there.
Hunt shook his head. Mister Bede says to me that
if I let anybody else in, he would have me
arrested for killing Fullerton. That's nonsense. You know. When did
(01:10):
he say that? When I got in before? No farther
back than yesterday he said that. Has he been around again?
Yes he has. There was something nervous and dogged about
the man's manner that puzzled Lion well see here. I'll
(01:32):
make it worth your while to let me in for
an hour. You can go along to see I don't
steal anything if you like. I want to make sure
of something I overlooked before I tell you. I can't,
mister Lyon, even if I wanted to. The police have
put a seal on the door. It can't be opened
without their knowing. Then pass me in through the window.
(01:57):
Hunt lifted his downcast eyes and gave Lion a long,
curious look. You wouldn't want to if you knew what
I know? What's that? Hunt shuffled and stumbled, but perhaps
at heart he was not unwilling to confess his fears
in the hope of having them quenched. He looked somewhat shamefaced, however,
(02:20):
as he asked, do you believe that sometimes the dead walk?
I don't know? Lion answered non committedly, he was more
anxious to get at Hunt's ideas than to confess his own.
What makes you ask? Have you seen anything? Well, not exactly,
(02:42):
I'd like to hear about it. Well, it's this way,
mister Fullerdon had a way of throwing the letters he
wrote of an evening on the floor right before the
door so that I could pick them up in the
morning and give them to the carrier. When he came around.
I always took in his breakfast tray and his paper.
(03:03):
How did you get in? He could release the lock
on his door by a spring from his bedroom. There
was nothing too much trouble. If it was going to
save him some trouble afterwards, go on. The letters were
always in a certain place, just where he could toss
them easily from the writing table where he sat. They
(03:25):
would fall on a certain mat, so that I knew
just what to pick up. If I didn't, he would
swear to turn a nigger white. Mister Fullerton wasn't no saint.
That's what makes it worse. Makes what worse? Why this
that I'm going to tell you. Day before yesterday, something
(03:47):
possessed me to go into that room. I don't know
what it was. I was just pestered to go in.
I thought I would just look inside, And there on
the rug before the door where they always used to be,
was a letter in mister Fullerton's hand, on his paper,
ready stamp to be mailed. This is interesting, said Lyon,
(04:10):
with sparkling eyes. What did you do with it? I
didn't rightly know what to do with it. At first,
I was so took back. I had been in that
room five or six times since since mister Fullerton was killed,
letting the police in and you, and going in by
myself once to make sure the windows was locked, and
(04:31):
there wasn't no letter on the rug or I'm blind. Now.
What I want to know is where did that letter
come from? That I can't tell yet, But what did
you do with it? I mailed it. It seemed that
it must have been something that mister Fullerton wrote that
last night he was home and threw down for me
(04:53):
to mail, and that somehow, in the excitement it must
have been kicked under the edge of the rug, and
then somehow kicked out again the last time someone was
in the room. At least, I couldn't see what else
it could be. So I gave it to the carrier,
thinking that it ought to go to the person it
was addressed to. I think you were quite right to
(05:17):
whom was it addressed. But Hunt was unexpectedly reticent. Mister
Fullerton didn't like to have me talk about his affairs.
Oh that's all right, But I think I know about
this letter. It was for miss Wolcott. Wasn't it. Hunt's
surprised look gave confirmation, though his habit of discretion prevented
(05:40):
a verbal assent. That isn't all, he said, hastily, returning
to his story. That was queer enough to set me
wondering about it all day and yesterday, when I went
around in the morning, I opened the door just to
make myself believe that it really had happened. There on
the rug was another letter, just like the one the
(06:02):
day before. His eye sought lions nervously. He seemed to
be almost afraid of his own words. Another letter from
miss Wolcott, gasped Lion in utter amaze. It was just
like the first, Hunt persisted doggedly. What did you do
(06:23):
with it? Did you mail it? I wouldn't touch it,
not for money, mister Lyon, Where did that letter come from?
That's what I want to know. I wasn't going to
have any truck with it. But you didn't leave it
lying on the rug. Mister Bead got it beade? Oh
(06:44):
the devil, gasped Lion. How did he come to get it?
He came in in the morning and I told him
what I had seen. I couldn't have stayed in the
house without someone knowing. He went in and got the letter,
and and he put a seal on the door so
that no one else should get in. He came here
(07:05):
again this morning himself and looked into the room, but
there wasn't anything on the rug. Do you suppose it
was perhaps because the last one wasn't sent? Does he know?
I know some as thinks he had truck with the
devil while he was alive. All right, say what do
you think about such things? Mister Lyon? I think you
(07:28):
ought to have mailed that letter to miss Wolcott. Bede
has no business with her letters. I wasn't going to
touch it, said Hunt doggedly. Did Bede ask you anything
about her? He asked? If I knew whether she ever
came here to Fullerton's room, I wouldn't know. I never
(07:49):
saw her to know her. Hunt was evidently aggrieved over
the turn things had taken generally. Then he wanted to know,
particularly what the lady looked like that came to see
Fullerton that last night, the one he went out with.
I didn't see her, but the elevator boy told, same
(08:10):
as Demahue told at the inquest, that she wore a
veil and a dark dress and a fur coat short.
Anybody might be dressed like that. Who has the apartment above?
Lyon asked abruptly, it's empty. The people moved out this week,
(08:30):
what day, yesterday and the day before? Let me look
at it. Perhaps I might take it. Is it furnished? No,
the furniture was moved out. Come up with me, sir.
Lyon knew the arrangement of the suites in the Wellington.
They were all alike in the corresponding positions. He already
(08:54):
knew the arrangement of Fullerton's room, and his chief interest
in the apartment above was in its relation to the
wall outside. He leaned out of the window to examine
it while Hunt was detained in the hall by a
passing tenant, And when the man appeared, Lion's mind was
made up. I'd like to take this apartment for a week.
(09:17):
They are making some alterations at the Grovenor. Those alterations
at the Grovenor were very opportune, and I want a
place to stay for a few nights. You can put
some furniture into the bedroom, can't you. I shan't need
anything else. I may not be here more than a
night or two. Hunt looks shrewd. You needn't think that
(09:41):
being in the building makes any difference about the room below,
mister Lyon. That's all right, laughed Lyon. Really, what I
want is to keep an eye on Bead, and if
Fullerton's ghost comes to carry you off because you didn't
mail that letter, I'll be here to explain things and
make it easy for you. The arrangement was made without difficulty,
(10:06):
and Lion went away with Hunt's assurance that the bedroom
would be habitable when he returned that night. It was
his night off at the paper, and he had a
mind to make the most of the freedom which that
circumstance would give him. Several important things happened before the
evening came, and these must be first recounted, But it
(10:28):
may as well be mentioned here that when Lyon did
return that evening, the bag which Hunt obligingly carried upstairs, contained,
with a few other trifles, a rope, fire escape, and
a glacier's diamond. End of chapter fifteen
Chapter fifteen of The Hemlock Avenue Mystery by Roman Doubleday.
This LibriVox recordings in the public domain. Chapter fifteen. Lion
suspected that he might have difficulty in securing admission to
Fullerton's room in the Wellington a second time, and when
he made application to Hunt, the janitor who had admitted
(00:24):
him before, he found his fears were justified. Indeed, Hunt's
dismay at the suggestion struck him as extreme. Go in, no, sir,
nobody goes in. The police are responsible for that room. Now.
I haven't anything to do with it, and I wouldn't
have not for a farm. You let me in before,
(00:47):
you know, and the police didn't take it to heart. Ay,
I mean they didn't mind. Bede knew I was there.
Hunt shook his head. Mister Bede says to me that
if I let anybody else in, he would have me
arrested for killing Fullerton. That's nonsense. You know. When did
(01:10):
he say that? When I got in before? No farther
back than yesterday he said that. Has he been around again?
Yes he has. There was something nervous and dogged about
the man's manner that puzzled Lion well see here. I'll
(01:32):
make it worth your while to let me in for
an hour. You can go along to see I don't
steal anything if you like. I want to make sure
of something I overlooked before I tell you. I can't,
mister Lyon, even if I wanted to. The police have
put a seal on the door. It can't be opened
without their knowing. Then pass me in through the window.
(01:57):
Hunt lifted his downcast eyes and gave Lion a long,
curious look. You wouldn't want to if you knew what
I know? What's that? Hunt shuffled and stumbled, but perhaps
at heart he was not unwilling to confess his fears
in the hope of having them quenched. He looked somewhat shamefaced, however,
(02:20):
as he asked, do you believe that sometimes the dead walk?
I don't know? Lion answered non committedly, he was more
anxious to get at Hunt's ideas than to confess his own.
What makes you ask? Have you seen anything? Well, not exactly,
(02:42):
I'd like to hear about it. Well, it's this way,
mister Fullerdon had a way of throwing the letters he
wrote of an evening on the floor right before the
door so that I could pick them up in the
morning and give them to the carrier. When he came around.
I always took in his breakfast tray and his paper.
(03:03):
How did you get in? He could release the lock
on his door by a spring from his bedroom. There
was nothing too much trouble. If it was going to
save him some trouble afterwards, go on. The letters were
always in a certain place, just where he could toss
them easily from the writing table where he sat. They
(03:25):
would fall on a certain mat, so that I knew
just what to pick up. If I didn't, he would
swear to turn a nigger white. Mister Fullerton wasn't no saint.
That's what makes it worse. Makes what worse? Why this
that I'm going to tell you. Day before yesterday, something
(03:47):
possessed me to go into that room. I don't know
what it was. I was just pestered to go in.
I thought I would just look inside, And there on
the rug before the door where they always used to be,
was a letter in mister Fullerton's hand, on his paper,
ready stamp to be mailed. This is interesting, said Lyon,
(04:10):
with sparkling eyes. What did you do with it? I
didn't rightly know what to do with it. At first,
I was so took back. I had been in that
room five or six times since since mister Fullerton was killed,
letting the police in and you, and going in by
myself once to make sure the windows was locked, and
(04:31):
there wasn't no letter on the rug or I'm blind. Now.
What I want to know is where did that letter
come from? That I can't tell yet, But what did
you do with it? I mailed it. It seemed that
it must have been something that mister Fullerton wrote that
last night he was home and threw down for me
(04:53):
to mail, and that somehow, in the excitement it must
have been kicked under the edge of the rug, and
then somehow kicked out again the last time someone was
in the room. At least, I couldn't see what else
it could be. So I gave it to the carrier,
thinking that it ought to go to the person it
was addressed to. I think you were quite right to
(05:17):
whom was it addressed. But Hunt was unexpectedly reticent. Mister
Fullerton didn't like to have me talk about his affairs.
Oh that's all right, But I think I know about
this letter. It was for miss Wolcott. Wasn't it. Hunt's
surprised look gave confirmation, though his habit of discretion prevented
(05:40):
a verbal assent. That isn't all, he said, hastily, returning
to his story. That was queer enough to set me
wondering about it all day and yesterday, when I went
around in the morning, I opened the door just to
make myself believe that it really had happened. There on
the rug was another letter, just like the one the
(06:02):
day before. His eye sought lions nervously. He seemed to
be almost afraid of his own words. Another letter from
miss Wolcott, gasped Lion in utter amaze. It was just
like the first, Hunt persisted doggedly. What did you do
(06:23):
with it? Did you mail it? I wouldn't touch it,
not for money, mister Lyon, Where did that letter come from?
That's what I want to know. I wasn't going to
have any truck with it. But you didn't leave it
lying on the rug. Mister Bead got it beade? Oh
(06:44):
the devil, gasped Lion. How did he come to get it?
He came in in the morning and I told him
what I had seen. I couldn't have stayed in the
house without someone knowing. He went in and got the letter,
and and he put a seal on the door so
that no one else should get in. He came here
(07:05):
again this morning himself and looked into the room, but
there wasn't anything on the rug. Do you suppose it
was perhaps because the last one wasn't sent? Does he know?
I know some as thinks he had truck with the
devil while he was alive. All right, say what do
you think about such things? Mister Lyon? I think you
(07:28):
ought to have mailed that letter to miss Wolcott. Bede
has no business with her letters. I wasn't going to
touch it, said Hunt doggedly. Did Bede ask you anything
about her? He asked? If I knew whether she ever
came here to Fullerton's room, I wouldn't know. I never
(07:49):
saw her to know her. Hunt was evidently aggrieved over
the turn things had taken generally. Then he wanted to know,
particularly what the lady looked like that came to see
Fullerton that last night, the one he went out with.
I didn't see her, but the elevator boy told, same
(08:10):
as Demahue told at the inquest, that she wore a
veil and a dark dress and a fur coat short.
Anybody might be dressed like that. Who has the apartment above?
Lyon asked abruptly, it's empty. The people moved out this week,
(08:30):
what day, yesterday and the day before? Let me look
at it. Perhaps I might take it. Is it furnished? No,
the furniture was moved out. Come up with me, sir.
Lyon knew the arrangement of the suites in the Wellington.
They were all alike in the corresponding positions. He already
(08:54):
knew the arrangement of Fullerton's room, and his chief interest
in the apartment above was in its relation to the
wall outside. He leaned out of the window to examine
it while Hunt was detained in the hall by a
passing tenant, And when the man appeared, Lion's mind was
made up. I'd like to take this apartment for a week.
(09:17):
They are making some alterations at the Grovenor. Those alterations
at the Grovenor were very opportune, and I want a
place to stay for a few nights. You can put
some furniture into the bedroom, can't you. I shan't need
anything else. I may not be here more than a
night or two. Hunt looks shrewd. You needn't think that
(09:41):
being in the building makes any difference about the room below,
mister Lyon. That's all right, laughed Lyon. Really, what I
want is to keep an eye on Bead, and if
Fullerton's ghost comes to carry you off because you didn't
mail that letter, I'll be here to explain things and
make it easy for you. The arrangement was made without difficulty,
(10:06):
and Lion went away with Hunt's assurance that the bedroom
would be habitable when he returned that night. It was
his night off at the paper, and he had a
mind to make the most of the freedom which that
circumstance would give him. Several important things happened before the
evening came, and these must be first recounted, But it
(10:28):
may as well be mentioned here that when Lyon did
return that evening, the bag which Hunt obligingly carried upstairs, contained,
with a few other trifles, a rope, fire escape, and
a glacier's diamond. End of chapter fifteen
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