Show 15 out ut of the Dark ar argness kness saes by CHARLES J DUTTON illustrations by irwin myers t IM by dodd co ine 3 LiLLI ALIL CHAPTER IX 15 the cry in the dark there was a little stir of excitement i bartley with easy grace arose and took bis big seat in the witness chair every one was eager to see hlin him and tie be became at onee once the tenter center of all yes eyes doctor king did not trouble bartley with questions but allowed him to tell his bis story stori in his own way he recounted our lir arrival rival at the house and our examination of the body As aa he told of 0 ills his reasons for thinking that had been murdered the room became very lie he described our search for clues in the tower rooms and what he had found on the balcony slowly the audience realized that had not been tilled killed in any of the rooms of the house but on an a tower sixty teet feet in the air lie he pictured in short concise words tow bow the body had bad been carried down two nights flights of stairs undressed ind and put into bed A gasp went around the room at his words word and I 1 could see from the faces of the listeners that they could scarcely believe the story he be was telling them the sensation was increased when he spoke of the removal of the revolver from the dead mans hand while we were in the upper room of the tower this was without doubt so BO far the most dramatic moment of the inquest while bartley had bad been giving his testimony the storm had come nearer A thunderstorm to 18 never a cheerful tiling thing at the best and this one was making every one very uneasy at each clap of thunder someone would give a start and glance nervously around the next witness the photographer was only on the stand a short time he told of taking the pictures of the room in which the body lay and of the body itself and stated that he had bad seen no revolver in the dead mans hand the testimony of the following witness was also brief the boy who worked around the garage althou although gh very much frightened stuck to his story that he was getting into bed when he be heard a shot and that it sounded as it if it were up in the air the time he thought was somewhere between two and three in the morning when he be had returned to his seat scat the stepdaughter step daughter took his place her youthful face flushed under the many ayea that were turned upon her and the never looked up her story was the cint that she had told to dartley bartley and she added nothing new to it in answer to a question as to whether she had bad glanced at her step fathers door when iben she passed it the night of the murder she replied that she had and that it was closed catching the district attorneys eye at this point bartley motioned him to his side and they whispered together tor for a moment the district attorney then asked the girl if she had seen the dog when she come came in rather surprised at the question she blie answered that the dog had met her at the front door smelled of her dress and followed her to the before going back to his bis rug when she left the stand her testimony had not added anything to what we already knew I 1 realized suddenly that i we ve knew no more about the crime than we had when the inquest began though I 1 was sure in my own mind that had bed been murdered I 1 had bad grave doubts if it could be proved satisfactorily to others nt liers the almost entire absence of clues made it seem more mysterious thlin it had at first it if that were pos fible arven the next witness mr lawrence added nothing to our knowledge lie he that at the close of the party sir mr had asked him to stay be bind for what he be did not know at the time after the others had bad left mr sike had taken him up to his room in the tower bouer and had bad asked him if he would like lo 10 to buy a little whisky as he be bad more than he needed there was wag a ripple of laughter at this unexpected statement though it fix ii the first time that whisky had en introduced into the case I 1 doubt it if anyone regarded its it mention as im pi tant ant the laughter made lawrence imre nervous than ever and he talked fraster and more indistinctly he find toyed nayed only a few moments be said though had bad urged him to remain aper cp er A moment after he be had been released from the tand stand I 1 remembered that he had not mentioned the tact fact that had told him he be was expect ing anit soother another visitor whether lawrence had forgotten it or did not wish t to volunteer the information I 1 could not decide it seemed to me to be a very important point for him to have omitted toe the butler who came next took his si MII to lu the accompaniment of one of the worst claps of thunder that we lad yet had bad a clap that seemed al alost ait in the room then a burst of hlo icet sept against the windows all ali through rough his big testimony the thunder ellade nde it almost impossible to hear bear him rt lie he had to repent repeat many of big hl statements he appeared to be a 11 fri lelit man who seldom spoke of bis own volition he had bad little to tell and naf dislow of the card party ih a few words after it had broken up and he had let mr lawrence out he had locked the windows but left the front door unfastened as mr bad told him that he be himself would attend to it later in answer to a question as to whether he had seen after lawrence left he be replied that he had bad not in fact he be had not seen him again alive lie he had gone to his big room leming leaving the dog in the living room as was the custom ills first knowledge that was dead came when he entered his room with visa miss potter so far like all the other witnesses that had been heard his testimony presented nothing that we had not already known then suddenly he added a new piece of information so far as we had been able to discover the relations that had bad existed be tween t and the members of his household had bad been the usual ones I 1 mean by that that while there had been no unusual show of affection nor any signs of deep grief at his death there had been no evidence of any trouble between them when the butler was asked if he had ever heard words between find and any member of his family he surprised us all by saying that he had twice heard miss bliss potter and the broker quarreling miss potter gave an angry start and turned a flushed face on the servant who refused to meet her eyes the girl by her side looked around at her aunt startled I 1 glanced quickly at bartley and saw an amused smile on his lips you say you heard miss potter and mr quarreling asked the coroner the butler began to speak but his words were drowned out by a terrific clap of thunder that shook the house when the sound had died away in the distance he be answered why yes sir I 1 did twice As he paused and did not continue the coroner asked him to tell us where the quarrel had taken place and what it had been about from the rather 4 t I 1 the chauffeur gave her a look filled with hatred blended with a smile of triumph self satisfied expression on the buters lers face I 1 judged that he be was not only willing but glad to tell all that he had heard beard it was one evening la in the dining room he stated right after dinner and only miss bliss potter and mr were la in the room As I 1 was about to enter from the butlers pantry I 1 heard mr say in a loud voice you make me sick then came miss potters voice very angry 1 I do do I 1 never mind you will be a lot sicker before you get through I 1 tell you there Is lots of trouble ahead tor for you all I 1 heard beard for they left the room by another door do you know what they were talking about the butler was silent a moment then shook his head without speaking and when was waa the second occasion that you heard them quarreling he was asked it was about a week later I 1 think one morning when I 1 was passing mr room I 1 heard them again he seemed to be very angry about something I 1 dont know what ills his voice was loud enough to be heard beard abrou through gh a closed door 1 I wish you could keep your mouth shut shul its none of your business anyhow then I 1 heard miss alsa potter she was angry anat y also you wait and see it will be my business if you are not careful if you keep on something will happen to you this wag an astonishing piece of 0 f information alter after all things had not gone cone as smoothly in the household as we supposed what the last expression pres slon it if you keep on something will happen to you might mean I 1 not decide it might have been IL threat and in view of what had taken place it would be necessary for miss potter to explain it glancing at be her r I 1 noticed that though angry and nervous she bhe was not afraid she seemed to regard what the butler had bad 1 I said as more annoying than accusing when I 1 looked at hartley bartley he showed no surprise but then I 1 had ba d scarcely expected that he be would for he be made it a point never to be surprised at anything that might come up the butler admitted that he did not know what ahat the quarrel had bad been about and that with the exception of the two times he had mentioned the relations that had existed between and his sister ln in law had always been very friendly the storm was now directly overhead claps of thunder were almost incessant and vivid flashes of lightning penetrated the room in spite of the heavy curtains drawn over the windows As the butler left the stand there was a slight commotion in the the rear of the room and turning I 1 saw roche making his big way between the chairs pushing the chauffeur ahead of hl him in king gave the two men a puzzled glance and then turned to the district attorney and whispered something to him miss bliss potter also turned to see what the noise was and an expression of consternation and dread came over her face the two men passed within a foot of me and the cruel lips and shifty eyes of the chauffeur made me wonder why by should have kept such a man in his employ when they reached the front of the room roche motioned the chauffeur to the empty chair next to miss bliss potter who drew as far away from him as she ehe could and then seated himself on the other side of his prisoner the chauffeur gave her a look filled with hatred blended with a smile of triumph I 1 could see that there was vms something wrong between these two A sharp peal of thunder seemed to split the air causing the crowd to stir uneasily in their chairs again the lights flickered down tor for a moment and again the thunder rolled A violent wind lashed the rain the windows behind me and there was scarcely a pause between the flashes of lightning the room was deathly still we were petrified doctor king was standing behind his desk his bis face white one hand band playing nervously with the papers to in front of him lie he started at each vald flash of lightning and the thunder r seemed to daze him turning to the district attorney and speaking halt half to him and halt half to the room he said 1 I think we should adjourn the inquest until tomorrow the storm Is so bad that I 1 doubt if we can hear the testimony of the other witnesses his decision seemed to be very sensible we had been unable to hear bear the close of the butlers evidence because of the thunder thu uder and I 1 doubted it if any but those in the front seats would be able to hear bear the witnesses that were still to be called the district attorney objected however to adjourning ile he said that he could not be present the next nest day and thought that we had bad better hear the remaining witnesses at once sinking back into his chair king asked the attorney whom he wanted to call next the district attorney rose to hla his feet saying slowly 1 I am going to call belfleur who was chauffeur for mr ile he will i but whatever he was going to add we never discovered just at that second there came a terrific flash of lightning that seemed to burn bum its way across the room followed by a deafening clap of thunder with a sizzle the lights went out and left the room as black as the inside of a coal mine low murmurs came from all sides it was enough surely to try the nerves of the most stouthearted stout hearted As the rumble of thunder died away I 1 heard king demanding la in a voice that shook a little will somebody get a light lamps or candles someone pushed back a chair and then suddenly rising above all else and ringing through the room with a horror that seemed to glue me to my sent seat came a shriek of terror it was sustained for a second then died away in a long sobbing moan TO TIO BE CONTINUED |