The Circular Staircase

pinion of the figure you saw on the east veranda t

man," I said

rms with equal positive

had her eyes shut-she always sh

who came later that night might be a woman-the

it was a man," I said reme

o business. WHAT were your

sita

nes. We can take nothing for granted. If, for instance, the intruder who dropped the bar and scratched the staircase-you see, I know about that-if this v

think of no other reason for my statement, I told him

en I finished, "or, at least, let me see

e descrip

ll as the

I could, "I-the thing is lost. It-it must h

he made no sign. He asked me to describe the link accurately, a

h diamonds and emeralds. There is no mention of such a link as you describe, and yet, if your theory is righ

been the murdered man who had entered

e lock, that the door opened, and that almost immediately the shot was fired. Now, Miss Innes, here is the strange part of that. Mr. Armstrong had no key with

now what your words imply? Do you know that you are pra

er bed: you refuse to tell me what it was. I know Miss Gertrude went back to the billiard-room to get something, she refuses to say what. You suspect what happened to the cuff-link, but you won't tell me. So far, all I am sure of is t

d my tea

stants are jovial young men. A man's sense of humor seems to

," he admitted. "It is to the feminine as the hug of a bear is to th

emembered the sealskin dressing-bag in the lodge. Thomas came just inside the door and st

Bohannon at the club, the day before Mr. Arnold was found here, dead. Let me see. You cam

ned reason Thomas

So she slep' in the house. I'd bin havin' tokens-I tol' Mis' Innes some of 'em-an' I slep' in the lodge. Then one day Mis' Watson, she came to me an' she sez, sez she, 'Thomas, you'll hev to sleep up in the big house. I'm too nervo

that anything had h

lmost run into a man. He wuz standin' with his back to me, an' he was workin' with one of these yere electric light things that fit in yer pocket. He was havin' trouble-one minute it'd flash out, an' the nex' it'd be gone. I hed a view of

e back along the path," pursu

I picked up this here." The old man held out a tiny object and Mr. Jamieson took it. Then h

as not quite throu

ub, and asked him if he knew any one wh

pair of cuff-buttons in a shirt belong

while," the detective said. "That'

out, Mr. Jamieson

e here that Friday night expecting to meet Arnold Armstrong, and missed him-if, as I say, he had done th

motive?"

latter, as cashier of the Traders' Bank, brought Arnold almost into the clutches of the law. Also,

Halsey helped

ealous, insane fury, Armstrong followed, coming across by the path. He entered the billiard-room wing-perhaps rapping, and being admitted by your nephew. Just inside he was shot, by some one on the circular staircase. The s

e's story,"

the following morning. I do not believe it, Miss Inn

s thing

, we might start with other premises. Or Mr. Innes' explanation may turn us in a new direction. It is possible that he shot Arnold Armstrong as a burglar and then fled, frightened at what he had done. In a

, had I only held the key. Had Gertrude been the fugitive in the clothes chute? Who was the man on

d World houses, its blossoming trees and its peace. Above on the hill across the valley were the lights of the Greenwood Club. It was even possible to see the curving row of para

stood there. It must have been after eleven, and the monotonous

a of light made by the open door, and caught me by the arm. It was Rosie-Rosie in a state of collaps

I got her into the house and secured the plate; then I stood and lo

didn't your young

still held-I wasn't so anxious about it: thank H

," I went on, "but the next time, you might take the Limo

her breath now, as I had guessed she would.

t of the house and b

ry-not silently, but

by giving he

"Has the day of good common sense gone by! Sit up and t

up the drive

hes and my silver," I interrupted, but, seeing more signs of h

'd break it. Part-way up the road a man stepped out of the bushes, and held his arm like this, spread out, so

excitement and t

nder his arm like this. He caught at the basket and I dropped it. I ran as fast as I could, and he came after

lf and this house as he could. Go up to bed now; and mind, if I hear of this story being repeat

silver spoon. I had brought my own china and silver, and, from all appearances, I would have little enough to take back. But though I might jeer at Rosie a

easant one, she never allows me to forget it. It seemed to me that it was absurd to leave that china dotted along the road for her to spy the next morning; so with a s

he darkness enabled me to see things fairly well. Beulah gave me rather a start by

omething gleaming, which proved to be the handle of a cup, and a step or two farther on I found a V-shaped bit of a plate. But the most surprising thing of all was to find the basket sitting comfortably beside the road, with the rest of the broken crockery piled neatly within, a

familiar throbbing of an automobile engine. As it came closer I recog

y silk gown over my shoulders to keep off the dew, holding a red and green basket under one arm and a black cat under the