The Curved Blades
Pauline and Anita, demanding admittance. There was no response from inside, until Pauline
y ajar, and Estelle's face appeared,
ay, Miss Pauline?
l. Her eyes were reddened with weeping,-a condition which a hasty dabbing of powder had not conc
magnificent as an accusing angel, "wh
d threw herself on her b
ered Pauline, "sit up h
at up, sobbing, "I kn
ea-tray to her at eight o
ting before her mirror. She, I assumed, was engrossed in r
amiss?" said Anita,
rshly last night, and I had no wish to annoy her. I
wn? Who, then,
the impersonal one of the trained servant, who must s
p to realities. Miss Carringt
and Estelle's calm gave way and she
ked Anita, helplessly; "she m
ill tell us nothing. It is useless to questio
looked frightened. "Wil
uddenly, "what are you going to say was the errand that t
I was not in her room a
it," and Pauline dropped her eyeli
's dark ones could never match. "Be careful, Pauline Stuart, or I shall tell what I know! You dare to make
from the room and returned slowly do
d heretofore housed only gentle-mannered aristocrats and obsequious liveried servants! The men looked ill at ease as they stood against the rich background of
ld high, went straight to her aunt's room. Sergeant
aid; "he'll be here himself sho
viland appeared and took her
telle's room. Oh
e; mind what I say. Don't give the least bit of information or express the slightest notion of opinion except to
id it,
even ask questions. The
that brea
e, of c
ys she
ill lie; why, Pauline,
it! I have n
you, that you will keep your mouth shut. There will be devel
t harmonious furnishings and appointments of the Marie Antoinette period, was occupied with eager representatives of
ng the report of Doctor Moor
avy weapon that had fractured the skull, but he admitted the wounds showed so
thought as he studied th
s almost smiling! it is the face of a happy woman.
ck from behind," i
straight into the large glass,-must have been looking in it at the moment of her death. W
ely, and for the most part sil
if she did see the assailant, it was some
face and then, seeing himself narrowly watched by the detecti
and trembled, but s
t on the Coroner; "Is it not customary for ladies
Inspector looked interestedly at the chair in que
aunt usually sat at her dressing-table in a small chair,-that one, in fact," and she pointed t
have sat down there to admire the effect of her bel
ent watched Coroner
ramed mirror, was that of one admiring or criticising her own appearance. Added to this, the fact of her bizarre costume and strange adornments, it seemed
the
that all might see. A Japanese paper snake, a cheap toy, such as is found
ound her neck after death?" Sc
le, yet the appearance of the flesh beneath it seemed
nt Lucy couldn't have sat there and sm
te patient's aversion to snakes. It amounted almost to a mania! It is not an
the snake was put on after the crime. But that is even more myster
and the latter immediately responded: "Give the
but he looked at Paulin
ofield, as he carefully removed the s
carf and was sent to her by her nephew who lives in Egypt
Then the Coroner unfastened the large pearls from their place as eardrops, and taking
of the other hand he drew forth a crumpled gray object. It was a glove, o
r, smoothing it out. "Will the w
it was of medium size and superior qualit
ed the scarab bracelet, al
d of Oriental jew
home much of it. But, as we informed you, Miss Carrington was also wearing pearl
am told, are o
"That bracelet, however, is n
toise-shell from the puffs of hair, and carefully laid them together
"that it will be wise to photograph the whole picture fro
Detective Hardy, a young man from Headq
m, Pauline and Gray went out together,
What does it all mean?" she cr
, and leaving the two together, she wen
t also they followed the movements of every one else, and
esome work of pho
ning back in her luxurious arm-chair, with that strange smile of happy expectancy, Miss Lucy Carrington presented the same air of regal aut
d crack a skull like that, but an experienced and professional burglar and housebreak
d Scofield, briefly,
s frightened away at
him would be known to s
be i
ory?" and the Corone
no possible theory th
t the
efore we find that, I'm afraid. It strikes me
t'd be a nice how d'y' do for
hat the very fact of there being such strange and irreconcil
he proud domineering autocrat, now laid low, was borne to a distant room, for