Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories

tty house in the daytime, but owing to its deep, sloping roof and small bediamonded windows it had a lonesome l

d as he was both a busy fellow and a gay one there were many e

ugh there were times when both the day and evening seemed very lo

he brought up from New York the money with which to pay off the men on the next working day, and he never left her when there was any unusual amount of money in the house. But with the first glimpse she had of his figure comi

to-night. Tennie” (their only maid) “has gone for a holiday, and I never can stay in this house alone with a

the entreaty in a young bride’s uplifted face. Bu

f business there, and it is very important that it should be done. I should lose my position if I neglected the matter, and no one but

nights. That is why I let Tennie go. I will spend the evening at The La

Talcott, they were meddlesome people, whom he had never liked; besides, Mrs. Talcott was delicate, and the night threatened storm

rhaps you would rather hide it yourself; wome

e to leave it in that.” And begging him to unlock it, she began to empty it with a feverish haste that rather alar

ness, helped her to arrange the bills in the place she had chosen, and restuffing the bag with old receipts till it acquired its former dimension

ry in my absence and should succeed in getting into a house as safely locked as this will be when I leave it, then trust to

questioned, trembling in spite

if possible. C

s glad he did not hear them, for if it was his duty to obey the orders he had received,

in Tennie’s absence, and as she was a busy little housewife she found herself singing a snatch of song as she passed back and forth from dining-room to kitchen. He heard it, too, and smiled to himself as he bolted the windows on the ground floor and examined the locks of the three low

held up her i

ate this dark ride for you, and on such a night t

safest horses. Do not worry about me. I shall do well enough, and so will y

made him look at her again. But at sight of his anxiety she

you ride by the gorge, Ned; it is v

hat is the matter with me?” she murmured to herself as his steps died out in the distance. “I never knew I was such a coward.” And she paused fo

retreated into the house. As she did so the first flakes

noticed how the wind had increased or how rapidly the snow was falling. But when she went to the front door for another glance up and down t

Here she sat down, and determined, since she must pass the evening alone, to do it as cheerfully as possible, she began to sew. “Oh, what a Christmas eve!” she thought, as a picture of other homes rose before her eyes — homes in which hu

the dining-room and kitchen. It therefore was used both as parlour a

g to a side entrance. A lamp was in this entry, and she had left it burning, as well as the o

t made it seem so dismally dark to her, when there

arers, she sat where she was, with all her faculties strained to listen. But no further sound came from that direction, and after a few minutes of silent terror s

unexpected silence than by the knock she had heard, she recoiled farther and farther till not only the width of the kitchen, but the dining-room also, lay between her and the scene of her alarm, when to her utter confusion the noise shifted again to the side of the hou

ich had rushed tumultuously in, he had thrown off his outer covering and she found herself face to face with

missus! Enough to drive any man indoors. Pardon the liberty, but I

, thinking he must have staved it in with his foo

le for that.” And his eyes passed from her face to the

demanded, suppressing as much

ter a tramp of twenty miles or more. Shall I shut the door for you?” he asked

half notion of escaping this sinister

the alarming situation, she closed the door, but did not lock it, being now mo

ith a cynical smile, and then, without any invitation, entered

nant to her womanly delicacy. “Do you know, missus, I shall have to stay here all night? Can’t go out in that gale again

? Yes, but should she acknowledge it? Would it not be better to say that her husband was upstairs? The ma

fortable together. You’re a slender slip of a woman to be minding a house like this. I’ll keep you company if you don’t m

hange in the man’s countenance at this she put on quite an air of sudden satisfaction

swear that I have no money with me in this house. If I can only get it into my apron I will drop it outside the door into the snowbank. It will be as safe there as in the vaults it came from.” And da

ont, and taking advantage of the moment’s respite from his none too encouragi

on cover them from sight, and feeling more courageous, now that the money was out of the hous

that reminded her of a tiger just on the point of springing. But the inviting look of the viands with which she was rapidly setting the table soon distracte

eh? Don’t keep a bar?” he growled, as

e had a little cold poison bot

nished at her own ease of manner in

bowl she handed him, with an odd look that made

uthfuls of bread and cheese with which he was gorging himself. “B

ied to the window overlooking her nearest neighbour, and, lifting the shade, peered out. A swirl of snowflakes alone confronted her. She could neither see her neighbours,

as she came from the window. And, nerved to

rs and a half must elapse before

e thought and walked re

done?”

n, and I will.” And he actually carried his plate and cup to the s

,” she thought, “I could shut and lock the door u

before her hopes had fully subsided he was sta

over every hiding-place within sight. “I wonder now ——” He stoppe

hread of his thought, which was only too

il, but continued to meet his gaze with what she meant for an ingratiating smile, he subdued this outward manifestation of passi

stooping, drew from underneath its folds a wicked-looking stick. Giving a kick to the coat, which sent it into a remote co

hty, help me!”

r the struggle which she felt was before her. That he had come to rob and only waited to take her off her guard she now felt certain, and rapidly runni

y such a means of self-defence? With a feeling of joy (she had always hated pistols before and scolded Ned when he bought this

as obliged to acknowledge that the act was but natural, and that from his standpoint he was much more likely to need it than her

breathing a task. In vain she tried to change her thoughts. In vain she tried to follow her husband in fancy over the snow-covered roads and into the gorge of the mountains. Imagination failed her at this point

elf mechanically counting the tassels finishing off its edge, growing wroth over one that was worn, till she hated that si

struck the panes. She felt it falling, though she had cut off all view of it. It seemed to he

— a sense growing in intensity till she found herself watching for the shadow of that l

an of so threatening an aspect that she succumbed instantly

y there was observable in his fierce and desperate countenance no attempt at the insinuation of the other, only a fea

rate greeting. “If so, here’s my purse and h

went beyond her, and the mingled anxiety and resolve which he displ

u’ve got it — two thousand dollars. Show me where it is, th

s not in the house. Do you think Mr. Chivers would le

oom, and tearing open the cupboard above her husband’s d

g hole in its side. Instantly there fell out the pile of old receipts with which they had stuffed it, and seeing these he stamped with ra

first came into the room. Is it behind these books?” he growled, pulling them out and throwing them h

e soon began to realise that his search was bringing him nothing. Leaving the bookcase he gave the books o

he hissed. “Tell me

etween them and he fell, struck down by the very stick she had so long been expecting to see fall upon h

but momentary, for when she woke again to her surroundin

s she certainly had not seen in him before, “but I think the man’

ould be too fearful. He’s shocked, s

owerful strong in the biceps. But I couldn’t see a man of that colour frighten a lad

no life in him.” And, hardly knowing what she did, she stoop

since he had acted as her protector, thought she had discovered life in those set orbs, and was stooping down to make sure that this was so, when he

as w

she cried. “Bring water.” But before the now obedient tramp could respond, she had torn off the woolly wig disfiguring the dead man’s

ad and hair o

aring undertaking had been made use of and that but for the unexpected presence in the house of the tramp, he would doubtless not only have exto

age at being disappointed in his own plans has never been determined. Mrs. Chi