The Room with the Tassels

hat

ick, in their adjoining rooms, were the only ones in the wing

Tracy asked, more out of consideration

t. I can't sleep, I know, and I must disc

ook off his coat and donned a

l garb I've seen you wear," he said. "I'd pic

es to love a worn garment. No, I don't wear clerical togs when off on a vacation. I used to,

ought to carry you far toward general popularity. But, tel

call it a suspicion,-but a thought, say, in one direction, and it's so fearfully absurd, I disc

ientists only believed after they had had undeniable personal experience. Now, here were w

I can't quite swallow it whole, like that. Do you mean there

, suggest even a theory, even a possible means of the death of those two by any human agency. Murder is out of the question,-suicide even more so. And they had no de

it. Why did the spirits want to ki

and flippant way. I've always heard that departed souls b

ie, anyway? Perhaps Mr. Bruce was

s the

ur argument. My creed does not admit of my subscribing to your theory, but I confess I'm unable to s

t. The clock struck twelve before they at last retired, leaving op

through the darkness, the dim outline of old Thorpe's form was visible. He was huddled in his chair, his head fallen forward on t

ed blue eyes saw Eve sitting there. Suppressing a startled excla

declared she heard sounds, but when Wynne wanted t

soughing, their leaves whispering,-hissing creepy secrets, and their branches tapping eer

one in the house heard it. No one was asleep, every heart

k rent the silence, no unusual

ain, some tossed restlessly on

was cool and pleasant, the dining room bright with

of death, and as the various members of the party came down the st

t was in progress, and at Milly's i

"you folks wanted spooks,

cannot think it is by supernatural causes nor can I see any other explanation. But that is n

I'm thinkin' you folks had better go away from

y?" Professor Hardwick shot out the qu

urse I don't, s

ou warn us off

ink you'd reason for yourselves that

face seemed portentous of e

ne," she begged; "I do

aid Eve, and rising, she

after that the

iends," and rising quickly, the owner of the house fled toward the kitch

d dignified manner. He was appalled by the circumstances in which he found him

not been willing to brave the darkness of the night before. This was his

in the hall to hear wha

ering and tearful, going straight to her

Tracy's watchful eye regarded her sym

g, Eve went into the drawing room, and after a few moments returned, closing the door again after her. Then she stepped into the Room with the Tassels. She was there longer,

ies of the two victims of the tragedy,

minds of his listeners, but he methodi

ourse, be need of autopsies, but for that I will await Doctor Wayburn's return. He will be here shortly. Meantime, I will inquire concerning this st

e else spoke, "but I may tell you that we came here to this house for the

made such in

ng and now,-tragic,-but I cannot say we have proved anything, exce

"at any rate, not without a most exhaustive investigation into the possibility of their having been brought

rouble or other malady that was not noticeable, but of that I cannot say positively. It seems to

uesome sights, his dread of the supernatural was such that he feared the proposed examination

g hand held him back; the Professor made no move,

little officiously, a

remains of Gifford Bruce lay, and stood by while Do

ters yet unknown and spiritism is one of them. Remember that we who are here gathered are sensitives and psychics. We are prepared for and expect experiences not vouchsafed to le

yes glittered with an uncanny light. Her face was pale, and her red hair like a flame

will not hurt you if you do your duty. Unless you do your duty--" she stretched her hand

thrilled through the room like a clarion no

against his will, without his voliti

hs were the direct result of a supernatural power. What power, you know not, but you do know-remember, you do kn

ered such a face, such a sinuous, serpentine form, a personality that seemed to sway his v

f occult phenomena, and moreover, you are even ignorant of your own ignorance of them. Therefore, seeing, too, your quick appreciation and perceptive

n apprehension on the part of the doctor, which, as he didn't possess it

e room, "do you want to go to the ot

ting back to more normal associates than this strange being, and he resolved to leave the examination of the o

even more slow and deliberate than usual. He said no word of Gifford Bruce, but

on?" he inquired, and then as

rk City, except Mr. Tracy, who had lived in Phila

there," Tracy stated, "and it se

, did he not?" went on Craw

s. She was graduated in June, and her uncle and guardian, Mr. Bruce, came East for the occas

ealthy man?" inqui

financial magnate, but worth

are his

r at least not spoken of, by any of the party. The bareness of it

of that," Wynne La

ow?" querie

ontradictory will, his estate must revert to Rud

errupted Milly, "

"but I'm a second cousin. Braye would in

is Mr.

last evening and ha

pect hi

of a great fortune, but naturally he would not discuss it last evening, wh

esent at the time

d to think. "He was

s car to East Dryden. We went to the markets

was-all over?" Doctor Craw

oth away, and oh, I am so gla

her husband's arms, but Crawf

you can show cause to suspect that a poison of any sort co

me teapot and from the same plates of cakes. I can affirm this, for I've thought over every m

this?" the coro

oth interested. Less than a half minute before that man died, he was as well as he had ever been. The scene is perfectly before my eyes. He held his cup and saucer in one hand, his spoon in the other,-when

emembered the details, so exactly

rd, at last, rousing himself from

just fixing Vernie's tea. She liked it sweet, and I

looked so stunned I thought she was going to collapse, so I stepped across toward her. As I did so, she looked suddenly very strange, and I feared she was ill,-aside from her shock at sight of Mr. Bruce. I

d taken

irst and Vernie last. So there is no chance of there having been poison in the

nd the cakes, and declared they were both harmless and just su

ere can be no question of poison after what you've told me. Unless, either o