The Mystery of the Hidden Room

nd he wore a full, square beard of a peculiar mottled red, the same shade as his hair, as though both had been liberally sprinkled with gray. He was very fasti

win's lawyer?" a

. I have a bad throat to-day and find it trying to

y," responded the coroner affably, whereat the

ether the will that was destroy

wa

absolutel

out when Mr. Dar

arwin keeps any of his val

of value in it. His papers a

ou none

deliberation. "Two nights ago Mr. Darwin removed the last of

you mean that he had been gradua

the lawy

rpose?" aske

He was rather secretive. I surmised he ne

ot actual

told me

ight he not have put some of

ve it opened-to satisfy yourself," with a sl

oner, briskly. "Mr. Cunningham, you don't by

I do

en that safe?" inq

Cunningham, as if in no way interested, moved to the window, where he stood looking out with his back to the room. Now it happened that I was sitting so that I could see his reflection in the window-pane, and I wa

eard with a well-kept white hand. And then it flashed across me where I had seen him before. It was on the Knickerbocker Roof, late one evening in September, where I was supping with my partner after the show. Cunningham had come in with a couple of chorus girls and my partner had mentioned that he was a

with a crestfallen face. "Nothing but a few receipted

elf around in his chair and the ju

ive passed him, but Jones shook his head with a smile, as he returned to t

heaf of bills, the empty box. Then he put them asi

y should a man like Mr. Darwi

hin it. "Ah, yes, it is the same." He handed it back with a courteous air, but I could not help feeling that somehow he was merely amused by the attempts

she was an actress, I believe-of whom he became very fond. In fact, he told me he was going to engage himself to her, and showed me that ring which he had bought her

the opportunity of reading aloud for the benefit of the ju

eek later he received a letter from her enclosing that." He waved his hand toward the golden circlet contemptuously. "She had kept the diamond and returned him hi

ind it, Jones?"

red it because as I passed my hand over the she

ng," he said, adding as the lawyer was about to return to h

m several times," r

ill in his favor b

estroyed when the

o you recently that he in

N

er heard of

N

me on the will he was making at th

have heard, was exceedingly peculiar. He did not confide all his

rtainly was peculiar if he did that. One l

ingham with an odd smile. "But pe