The Abandoned Room

t that the shock held him, silent, motionless, bent in the darkness above the bed, he understood there could have been no ambiguity about his ghastly and loathsome

beneath his touch. And a reason for the apparent miracle offered itself. Between the extinction of his candle an

o candle burned in the upper hall, but he knew that Katherine was on guard there. When he left the passage he saw her, an unna

e way immediately, for she hurried to me

st and the hand

er at once she asked wi

matter? What

At last he man

ve felt death ce

t phrase with a sicker hor

. "But your candle is out. Th

r hand. He

ith a nervous laugh. "So

is unreal.

ch, and lighted his candle. Katheri

ob

said dully, "and he mov

e moved bene

ther away, s

re frig

with the same dull conviction, "we will find

ground for their whispers. The normal, familiar sound was like a tonic

evidence!

ands. He fancied that he

ing you must go back

said wearily, "it would be no

At least I sa

light went out. I did put my hand in h

" she said, "no one but

eavily agai

t's too big. Whatever i

e black entrance of the sinister room. At last s

Will you

steadiness of her voic

he stairs. Her summons

aham reached the upper

's fa

e cast and the han

riefly what

he ended. "Even the

elief," Graham

the bed and thrust the candle beneath the canopy. The others could see from the door the change that had taken place

ent back to the hall.

s had

icks,

eared to offer the only explanation of what h

t!" Bobb

s the walls. Graham shaded the candle flame, and the shadow

"There's no explanation of

th the shadows, unsubstantial and shapeless. Bobby grasped one of the bed posts and braced himself, listening. The cand

rief of a woman heard at a great distance. But the sound, while it gained no strength, forced on them more and more an abhorrent sense of intimacy. This crying from an infinite distance filled the room, seemed fin

bureau. He seemed more startled than he had bee

it?" Bobb

am n

e from?" Bobby demanded. "It was like so

he sombre spell of the room, to drive from his

use giving way to fancies where there's a possible explanation. It

with a curious absence of sound about the edge

e's no house within two miles. What would a

e and the two servants, Ella and Jane. The maids are badly frightened. It

believe either of the maids had

ike a living voice

it?" Graham persisted a

and the

ft the room the shadows thronged thickly after them in ominous pursuit; and it wasn't necessar

e said. "That nea

r ears, lowering them h

hink it came fro

"Then I-I thought it must be in the ro

shook h

badly frightened. Perhaps a nightmare, or they've heard us m

od in front of the fireplace, questioningly looking upward. Paredes didn'

en going o

t now a queer cry

N

Pare

ctor Groom's disquieting theories. It's an uncanny

y said, "and, Doctor, Howell

alking about?"

side as Mr. Blackburn

glanced

his new myster

, have had its impulse in an instinct of self-preservation. Bobby knew that Graham and Katherine would guard the fashion

ter a time to come fro

Paredes said. "I supposed she had

anaged

nothing is consist

bowed

s a woman should c

em natural enough," Graham s

ts' stairs. The old butler had lighted a candle and placed it on the mantel. The disorder of his clothing suggested the haste with which

ming to find y

little while ago I thought yo

ned him," Graham said.

is head. "It couldn't have been that, Mr. Graham, for I stopped at Ella's and Jane'

said, "that you he

dded. "It

ne of the maids," Graham aske

prowl around the Cedars? And it was too unearthly, sir, and I remembered the way Mr. Silas was murdered, and the awful thing th

dryly, "we won't t

better wake you

turned

rying was in the room with us. Jenkins is sure it

y said softly, "it was like s

ns st

polic

enkins hadn't been arou

ls's

yway," he said. "Howells has be

look of unbelief and a

oing to sleep in tha

man, for into the awe of the wrinkled face had stolen a p

ble," Jenki

asped his

h you, Jenkins? One wo

ible. I was only wondering a

w about his repo

to me to mail just before h

d it?" Gra

en he answered his vo

coward, and I didn't want to walk through the woods to the box by the gate. I figured it all out. It wouldn't be taken up until early in the morning, and if I waited until daylight it would only be delayed one collect

Graham said excitedly. "

Shall I fet

nd Jenkins shuff

rict attorney. He must have mentioned the evidence, but what does that amount to s

hen Howells's body altered its position. Do you realize what that mean

ould look on the fact that you were awake and alone wit

elatio

th these mysteries. But I know, and I'll fight. Can you find any

everything," G

med calculated to condemn me absolutely, yet Howells's murder and the movement of his body, with the disappearance of the cas

n Maria. That's queer. You fancy a woman in black slipping through the woods, and we hear a woman cry. I want to account for

s withholding the repor

by

ins' hand. It was addressed in a firm hand

. Put it where it won't be easily found, Jenkins. If you are questioned you have no recollecti

d man

me. He's the last of this family-that is Miss Katherine and he. I

a little husky: "I didn't think you'

slyly: "I'd go a lot f

unds ought to be here, and they'll sniff at the ca

kins go upstairs

emember, when they question you, they can prove nothing unless the cast and the handkerchief turn up. If they've been taken by an enemy in some magical fashion to be produced at the pro

kground of the case than he was by the material details which pointed to his guilt. More than the report and the cast and the handkerchief, the rem

waited by the fireplace. They had

e here soon," Do

ing back there, Hart

"Jenkins heard the crying. He's cer

s look

dinary!"

eard it," Docto

es la

was a child in Panama I had a nurse who, unfortunately, developed too strongly my native superstition. How she frightened me with her bedtime stories! They were all of men murdered or dead of fevers, crossing the trail, or building the railroad, or digging insufficient ditches for De Lesseps. Some o

do with the Cedars?"

Panama-if you don't mind, doctor-improvised graveyards, tangled by the jungle, tha

hen he spoke again his voice was scarcely audible. It was the voice o

ing to recite agonies beyond expression, than I feel in this house. For here the woods are more

aredes speak so seriously. In spite of the man's unruffled manner there

d down the hall, glancing often with languid eyes toward the

de as uneasy as himself by the change in the Panamanian. The do

you so unhappy, young

alk. His thin lips twit

. What are a man's personal fears an

him curiously, realizing more and more that Graham was right to this extent: they

up, went to the door, opened it, and stood gazing through the damp and narrow court. Yet, he confessed, he listened for a repetition of that unearthly crying through the thicket rather than for the approach of

lung gigantic, distorted shadows of trees across

, and his voice was suffi

me absurd reason suspected Bobby. Bobby, it goes without saying, knows no more about the crimes than any of us. I d

on upstairs when the woman cried and Howells's

nced at hi

mean, but you have to

's fr

And I am

d in his grave a

ened features of the coroner. One of the others was short and thick set. His round and florid face, one felt, should have expressed friendliness and good-hum

detective I've got now that Howells is gone. Jack was a close friend of Howells, so he'll make a go

nk man

son. There'll be no more

an arrest he might b

ilas Blackburn principally because it was certain he had also killed their friend. Rawlins's words, moreover, su

m, I know. Which is

y forced himself to meet that unfriendly gaze. Would Robinson accuse him now, before he had gone

he asked, ind

-my lawyer, Mr. Gra

alked over

lawyer?"

d," Paredes an

lanced at

ner, these are all that were in the front p

t," the coro

nt on. "Account for them, Rawlins, and see what they have to

at the foot

thout my permission. If you care to come upstai

ermined company. He didn't hesitate, however, for Robinson's purpose was clea

he doctor said. "I

"I'd like to know exactly w

but Katherine

the hour at which Mr.

d at three-thirty. An hour during whic

get a physician first

ou knew he had been murdered the moment

the best," G

sed silence on Ka

id with a clear threat. "If it doesn't in

he snatched the ca

ch w

forward with the coroner at his heels. Bobby, Graham, and the doctor followed

atter?" the d

on without answering. He

to smash y

bed and looked

ght unawares. It's beyond me how any one could have come clos

d him," Graham answered, "how an

ld in detail about the discovery of both

d. "Miss Perrine aroused you. This foreigner Par

t as we went by the stair-w

o your foreigner," Robi

rnel house. Why did Howe

f the entrance of the room. He came here, hoping that the criminal would make just such an attempt as he di

oked straig

ew the criminal

d, "telephoned you something of

ailant was close to him, yet he must have been awake and watchful; and if there had been a physical attack before the sharp instrument was driven into his bra

ad been busy at t

asleep, his murderer must have be

iled. The coron

, "that the ordinary layman wouldn't know that

ed angrily, "be able to make such a wo

nson echoed. "But h

that he had made the attempt to get the evidence. Already complete frankness was impossible for him. Already

n said, bewildered. "All thi

Doctor Groom said dryly. "I never co

driving at?" R

answered, "have all the ele

gh was a littl

uman interference. It's evident in both cases that the murderer came back and disturbed the bodies for some special purpose. I don'

t the evidence had been removed as if to secrete it from his unlawful hand. Yet i

hat the murderer didn't take the

Howells had evidence on his person. You through, Coron

bed and searched

rt. If he didn't mail it, that was stolen with the rest of the

te, however, that Robinson, with nothing to go on but Howells's telephoned suspicion

man knows nothing beyond the fact that he hea

it's been destroyed. Your other job is to discover the instrument that caused death in both cases. Then maybe our worthy doctor will desert his ghosts. Mr. Blackburn

? They had been intact when he had stood there just before dark. It was unlikely any one had walked across the grass since. He saw Graham's elaborate precautions demolished, the case against him stronger than it had been before Howells's murder. Graham

stions in a few minutes, Mr. Pare

e, I'm sure," P

ourt infected Bobby as it had always done. It was a proper setting for his accusation and arrest.

inevitable denouement. Then, while Robinson exclaimed angrily, his eyes widened, his heart beat rapidly with a vast and wondering relief. For the marks he remembered so clearly had been obliterated with painstaking thoroughness, and

's exclamation turned Robinso

ese footmarks were

red. "I saw them myself

ly connected them

t when you trampled, them

by's amazement had n

foreigner who advertises

court tonight.

one mark, clear and distinct in the trampled grass, and with a warm gratitude, a swift apprehension

not yourself, Blackburn, but a woman, a dev

ion of the heel will give her

son g

s impression. We need the sole for identification, and that she hasn't left us. But she's done one favour. She's advertised herself

st, the doctor broke in

the woman who crie

in his service? He recognized Robinson's logic. Unless there were something in that far-fetched theory, Katherine faced a situation nearly as serious as his own. Robinson straightened. At the same moment the scraping of a window reached t

there? There have bee

ning us for a momen

rkness of the court was disturbed again only by the limited rad

here. I heard you

t," Robinson said harshly, "that Howells con

e answere

d, "did you attempt

laug

I haven't been out of the hou

u prove

o proof. I

d the ugly confidence

uggest the need

my word?" s

erated valuable testimony, I shall

she turned and reentered the house. Ro

h that sort of thing

ntire household under ar

your lack of evidence it might be asking for trouble.

ll see what he

se. Bobby lingered for

nything about

" Graham

on't think

en good care not to be so curiou

st, realized there had been a change there. Then he understood: Robinson faced

ointed to

wn," he sai

raham suggested. "Suppose he's in

earch. They went through the entire house. Paredes was no longer there. He had, to all appe

their electric lamps Robinson and Rawlins ferreted about the rear entrance for traces. The path there was as trampled and useless as t

ough," he said. "And our foreigner wasn

he path. The mark of the toe was deep and firm. The impression of the heel

"I told this fellow I wanted to q

trail was simple enough to follow. Each of the Panamanian's footprints was d

the chase. He could picture Paredes now in the loneliest portion of the woods, for the tra

aw a woman in black. Do you see? And he didn't hear the crying of a woman a little while a

that. The crying may have been a signal. Perhaps you'll believe now,

life, Hartley. I'll go slow on this. I'll

little party paused at the black en

self in the wood

d been forced into his brain the night of his grandfather's death. The moon now possessed less light, but it reminded him again of a drowning face, and through the darkness he could fancy the trees straining

o on alone, Rawlins, and don't take any chances. I've got to hav

ctive flashed his lamp once, shut it off again,

reathless. For across the wind with a diffused quality, a lack of dir