The Abandoned Room

ked doors. This afternoon, with a repetition of the sounds that had probably accompanied his death, they had been drawn to find that, behind

, and they had found, once more behind locked doors, the determined a

icament. Again and again he asked himself if he could be responsible for these murders which had been committed with an inhuman ingenuity. He knew only that he had wandered, unconscious, in the vicinity of the Cedars last night; that he had been asleep when his grandfather's body had altered its position; that he had gone to sleep a little while ago too profoundly, brooding over Howells's challenge to the murderer to invad

n could overcome locked doors, could accomplish apparent miracles and retain no rec

ection. As one in a dream he moved toward the

" Graham said. "We'

" Bobby answered wit

he spaces behind the window curtains. He could smile a little as Graham stooped, peer

Hartley, i

uccess, however, s

iding place in the walls. Such devices

the silent form

s failure to find out how the room had been entered and left. Don't you suppose

ealing response. He got a tape from Katherine and measured the dimensions of the room, the priv

way in or out. Logically Groom's right. We're fighting the d

hed mir

rrender to that. There

ells was satisfied

lung up

, but I don't believe you have two personalities, one decent and lovable, the other cruel and cunning to the point of magic

smiled

nfess it, Hartley, but I

cti

tific

you to-night," Graham muttered. "I might have f

n't that what you were thinking of, Hartley? And I did go to sleep, telling myself it would help me if something

eld up h

at? In the

in his slender, listless fingers. Bobby stared at him, remembering his surprise a few minutes ago that the Panamanian should h

terest. He continued to hold his cigarette until it expired. Then he crossed the threshold. Graham and Bobby watched the exp

hing of the kind when I he

at the br

cumstance," he drawled. "I

ashed back to

nty of time to solv

n I heard a stirring upstairs. As I've told you, the house frightens me. It is not natural or health

him with undi

light in the lower hall at such an hour. We looked

at his cold ciga

" Graham hurried on, "you alone were awake about t

aughed to

we are not friends, Graham; but, may I ask, a

now what you were d

was attracted there by the sou

shook h

bt if those sounds would ha

d. "I merely suggest tha

ual enmity may be sa

odded. The determination in her eyes suggested that she had struggled with the situation du

"you must send for Doctor Groom

waved h

sked. "The

dden from Paredes,

came. If we get him right away he may be able to do somethin

ould give them a chance to plan before the police with unimaginative efficiency should

be ready for you, and take my runabout. It's in the stable. You

" Bobby asked, "

ee that no one enters or leaves it, or t

redes drawled. "I shouldn't ca

into the corridor. B

e no chance

mile wasn'

re's no risk while you're out of the house.

hers before they ha

found nothing," Kat

answered, "except

te for the man was

said, "but he is our friend, an

des

xpression. He is so earnest, so materialistic in his relation to th

erine. Her fear seemed to drop from her. She turn

h with Hartle

nd her, watching alone, drawn to each other by their fright and uncertainty, by their surroundings, by the hour, became unbearable. It

"he makes you think of a snake. He

id. "Carlos says he is here to help

e half stretched out her hand as if in an appe

ime," she said. "

sagree about Carl

eliberately

rry," she sa

Graham. The obscurity of the narrow pl

servant to tell the doctor to be dressed and ready in twenty m

company," the Pa

car. The servants' quarters, he saw, were dark. Then Jenkins and the two women hadn't been aroused, were still ignorant of the new crime. As they drove smoothly past the gloomy house they glimpsed through the court the dimly lit windows of the old room that persistently gu

as lonely anywhe

he windshield and l

een puffs, "the Cedars has take

g at the glow of his cig

nificant about the discovery o

gs," Bobby

Paredes u

nswered

o me once to-day, Carlos

asleep or

g quite differen

continued, his drawl

has been Miss Katherine who has made the disc

had been to take his hands from the wheel, to

t thing I've ever kn

it

rugged his

use no one. I merely call attention t

ley isn't justified in his dislike of you.

cently to offend those I like best. I merely thought t

swered, "involving Kat

es sm

felt. I rather took it for granted th

d sullenly, sorry that there

moment the straining trees and the figure in a mask which he had called his conscience. If he could only prove that figure substantial! Then Graham would have some ground for his suspicion of P

st before Howells had told him of his grandfather's death and practically placed him under arrest. In the white light the frame of the house from which the paint had flaked, appeared ghastly, unreal,

ad observ

s that. It is just that it should, for the entire neighbourhood impresse

that house before?"

before. I do not care

d growth. Bobby stopped the car in front of one of a group of houses at a crossroads. He climbed the steps and ra

ce. "Fortunately I hadn't gone to bed. I was reading

ve told him a good d

l you as we drive back, for you must come. Howell

and horror Bobby had foreseen, the old man expressed only a mute wonder. He got his hat and coat and

fore they had reached the for

the head was the same as i

act

d am I? Why am

thought if we got you quickly you might do

Again the lights seemed to

bring men back to life. Such a wound leaves no ground for

rd, peering aroun

Paredes

es were on

do you

Bobby!" Pa

lived in that house for ten years. You say it was empty a

the car and looked ahead to the right. A pallid glow sifted

e men stared as if in the presence of an unaccountable phenomenon. Even when Bobby had extinguished the headlights

front of the hous

from the

ng to do?" Parede

who is in

aping from the place at such an hour. A little while ago, when Paredes and he had driven past, the house had been black. They had remarked its lonely, abandoned appearance. It had led Paredes to speak of the neighbourhood as the domain of death. Yet the

shutters were closed. This glow is

orward Paredes

e would make a noise. Suppos

l have whoever's inside trapped. Meantime, Carlos, if he wishes, will steal up t

est plan," Pa

joined them. His feet were no longer careful in the underbrush. He came up running. For the fir

asped. "It's gone! Before I c

ament. He went through, fumbling in his pocket for matches. The damp chill of the hall nauseated him as it had done before, seemed to place about his throat an intangib

os," Bobby said, "in the do

yard with a haste, it see

. The rooms appeared undisturbed in their decay. The shutters were closed. The front

urned, grasping

hear an

or shook

el any

N

some one in the hall. I-I simply got that impress

trolled s

n Mr. Paredes,"

wasn't c

anything coming throu

Parede

sign of a recent occupancy. Everything was as Bobby had found it on awakening. A vagrant wind sighed a

hosts here, too!"

ng that has happened at the Cedars unless the light we saw wa

y asked. "Is there any connection between thi

is connected with what has happened at

time, watching the house for a repetition of the pallid light. Af

atherine will

mass of the abandoned building. The woods were lonelier

in candlelight diffused from the room of death. In the hall Bobby responded to a qu

! Hartley!

e leaned over the banister. Her quiet voi

Bobby and Doctor Groom hurried up. Katherine led them down the old corridor. Two chairs

pened since I le

shook h

I have watche

o the bed and for a l

t out his hand, qui

eep in this room without attracting death. Yet why should that be? I miss this poor fellow's materialistic viewpoint. There's nothing I can do f

his arm with an

rialistic, too. Tell me seriously, doctor, do you believe there is an

m others a depression, a sense of suffering. I think we have all experienced psychic force to that extent. Remember that this room has a history of intense and rebellious suffering. Some of it I have seen with my own eyes. Your father's fight for life,

ks of violence," Graham said, "I might consid

the case of the supernatural. Certainly you have heard and read of pictures being dashed from walls by invisible hands, of objects moved about empty rooms, of cases wh

, but you must show me in this room the sharp object with whic

s hands. His infused

isn't wholly tragic to you. I don't see how

by said slowly, "that you s

his breath. "He has no more alibi now than

sleep, of the delay in K

ruff voice was

. It had stood too long. It would only

"that I wasn't sleeping

c state, but asleep they haven't wings any more than they have awake. You've got to show us how you entered

ng else to do,

the depths of the easy chair in which Paredes lounged smoke

phone, Katherine, an anxious figure, a secretive one, beckoned Bob

tell her all that was in his heart of the division that had increased between them the last few months. Yet to follow that impulse would, he realized, place a portion of his burden on her shoulders; would also, in a sense, b

Bobby-the last chance. You must do before

y the forceful gesture with which she grasped his arm. For the first tim

do you

he door of the p

d you before he went u

acted excitedly to her

hing to lose. That it would be to his advantage to

bby answered, "just b

the handkerchief and destroyed them? Hartley has told me everything, and I could s

if not to destroy those?" Bobb

ieve that you killed him, but you will be charged with i

ew back

re-and-and take from h

no

that he hadn't sent his rep

d. "He must have sa

ly turn suspicion against you. It wouldn't convict you as thos

quietly in and

t I don't believe you're a murderer, and I tell you as long as that evidence exists they can convict you. They can send you to the chair. They may arrest you and try you anyway on his report, but I don't be

sonality, his real self, had known nothing, had done no wrong. His body had merely reacted to hideous promptings whose source lurked at the bottom of the bla

er of your l

She came closer. She looked straight at him, and her eye

sake,

hallenged him to do just the thing from which he shrank. But Howells was no longer vital or antagonistic, and it occurred to him that a little of his shrinking a

e," Katheri

k his momentary cowardice. The affection i

owells never gave me a c

e to now

was quite white, but he gave his

You and I will chat for awhile with the others, Bobby, then you will go up. You understand? Paredes mustn't even guess what you are doing. I'll keep him and Groom downstairs. If he

ine gave Bobby's hand a qu

ispered. "The first chance, we'll dest

y lounged against the mantel, trying to find in the Panamanian's face some clue as to his real feelings. But Paredes's eyes wer

Graham w

s Paredes spoke: "No; I

yaw

of prosecution," he grumbled, "ought to be he

e bed revolted him. Was there anything in that room capable of forbidding his intention? Was there, in short, a surer, more malicious force for evil than his unconscious self, at work in the house? He was about

ing?" Graham

t five minutes had gone. There was no time to be lost. Paredes mustn't rob Bobby of his chance. With a sort of desperation he started for the stairs. Graham held out his hand as if to restrain him, then nodded. Bobby had his foot on the first st

old corridor. Paredes, as usual, was quite unruffled. Katherine's attitude was defensive. She seemed

household one more shock.

Katherine?" G

ered. "He startled me. H

es no

If your house had electricity, Bobby, this incident would

found Howells, one of us has tried, more or less, t

e taken my turn then. At any rate, since I was excluded from your confidence, I overcame my

" she

nd, sown by Graham and stimulated by the incidents of the last hour, was materially strengthened

something you can do. Will you come downstairs with me for a momen

Paredes followed Gr

eyes eager, full of the tense determination

hey may be here any minute. I won't see you go, but I'll be b

wer. The black entrance with its scarcely dared memories reminded him that what he was about to do was directed against more than human law, was an outrage against the dead man.

blackness. For the first time in his memory Bobby faced the entrance of the sinister room alone. He pushed open the broken door. He paused on the threshold. It impressed him as not unnatural that he should experience such misgivings. They sprang not alone from the fact that within twenty-four hours two men had died unaccountably within t

more than an indefinite radiance thrust back the obscurity and outline

elier and more remote than the piece of woods where he had momentarily opened his eyes last night; and, instead of the straining trees and the figure in the black mask which he had called his conscience, he had for

to go on, but a sense of a multiple companionship accompanied him-a sense of a shapeless, soundless companionship that projected an idea of a steady regard. There swept through his mind a procession of figures in quaint dress and with faces not unlike his own, remembered from portraits and family legends, men and women

bed. He had only to bend and place his hand in the pocket which the cast filled awkwardly. The wind alone, he saw, wasn't responsible for the shaking of the candle. His hand shook as the shadows shook, as the thing on the bed shook. The sense of l

ct him; and he realized that his duty and his excuse were clear. He understood that just now he had been captured by a force undefinable in terms of the world he knew. For a moment he eluded the st

more menacing than it had ever done in life. About th

y. It expired. The conqueri

he companionship of the night was closer and more numerous. The darkness

ese incorporeal, these fanciful

oved beneath his touch. And the pocket he had felt was empty. The coat, a moment ago bulging and awkward, was flat. There sprang to his mind the mad though