Show rY r r y ra Y Ce Cat a A i. i SYNOPSIS r and beautiful leton oa os young paintings painting la is c cornea corn corn- mM m- m the th collection oter vr ea 1 to M o i-o o tb the home borne of the th to In lungs ten New York where r I From her r I sh la a man In Ln an th iw a woman Short Short- oOm sends up P or word J. J r II at din din- the party part to l' l Join r ter lU dresses drese and goo gon ta la Mr between Is I. seated She lb and aV lont Hitch Mitchell ell critic Introductions Introduction rol- rol r d Mr arr Mi Miss b bin are Mrs Ira Mrs lire Crane rte 1 Princess Prince Van sad aad Prince and nd t ts Le Lelia Ind lind e h he 1 I. s sand of f Nora H lb ea the table and andI ans be b. ha hu ROD gone up up to tot I an wife headache l I. I DeI He De t Deck saying Baying he heat heat I Upon hi hie at in In a call lea leaves v. v Le Lelia to secretly lakel take lake ben i to Nora Nors to take tak no step tep I l Lena Leila consent I in see yon joa ili Id th rooms room empty empt Deck Coming out he she ark aek Princess Prince i to run ran up p and see ee hi his wife reports report th the absence of Search li U fruitless tint that b bl be h bed bad d a row and be belli be- be I hl li is spitefully hiding An- An 11 report seeing Deck near i I room tt Lett r tell ells of eel seeing DC roll roes from the room Leila Lelia ao- ao g of having truck struck hi hl nil denies ibis I HATER II Continued Il-Continued Continued I 3 at nl think that's possible Look k for yourself said her aland sis ala nd IDd they came to the window f Ded to help belp undo the bolts ned coed the wIde aide casement We ked out oat In turn the crisp a air I r rg g on our bare should should- i rd inns arms I 1 liked the shiver of Teemed seemed to speak clarity and t after fter all this pother of doI do do- I brawls and a vanished wo- wo One Oie by one we three craned all to I over Ofer the tile edge examining sty stone sill iti tl too fantastic said tin Mrs again She added dryly find dad nd Nora Is fa sate safe In New enjoying the tile powwow I Iter eier ter forgive her treating her treating me H Hn n below us we could hear the thO theof of tome IOme of or the men returning tone Doe more look out down at atop t wp op p of men mea and so It was wasI J I Ii Ii i drat Brat m what there was to see seea a In la the checker of shade In Indirectly rubbery directly beneath the Something half halt hidden a hidden a I blur d Mrs Keller Keller- ere something there 7 And I II Ifor Isell I sell ck for her to look called Bed sharply down to the ok k In there the shrubbery the window There Is le somei some some- i Invisible from where they fir fr 1 the shrubbery was thick ii Ih and the front part port on on- Nearer the house the Dad bad bent In under the burt burthey bur bur- t they found there the still atUl W of f a woman In gold pathe pato pa pa- to the lifeless form of Nora II a. CHAPTER III O be real I felt It like e Some tome scene In a dreadful s ee Ie e couldn't be real people a real death n It didn't that Nora m my Impression of her of Other wr her exultant aliveness dense M that I could not bring to In her death Not i looked on her face the t V sharp sharp curve of the v t like little knife and thought thought-In spite the that dead It was a el eI triumphIng little mouth r he her u See ere kneeling all a al about out her Pulse her ber body In III those incongruous gold cold one slim silken like foot bare g r on a sofa In ln tun util U the doctor doctor came n nta ne were ere broken broke he buah baba 1 report report- had eased her fall taU nib her ber the ear was a ghastly blOOd dried about It Os 00 tome thing hard he Penetrated death q I been almost st Immediate eke alee u II he ha phrased that slid lenee up sp He lIe was at the husband 1 who pl guy beside hIm his beat benl I his ha banda could not see Bee were clenched den de l I felt those I handa-I Suddenly a queer them wO wondered dered It had bad Indeed doted adored struck o out t thad Um m woman oman who had In ln- So o mUCh en ea i 1 ROught again that S I been It Alan Deck Deck- Surely and 5 auld uld list blo rather have bays thet the t t hi himself than thant ife man Was bung g gife e ct Wear going on on on- t I voice to In hl hie grIm frim unshaken tones She proba probe bly wanted more air tried air tried to open the window wider and was dizzy dizzy- shed she'd taken headache stuff and stuff and fell feU Oh an accident undoubtedly said Keller Kelter I heard the doctor assenting I 1 had a feeling g that he be would assent politely to anything these plutocratic clients dictated She was there on the bed when you FOU came up wasn't she Dan Mrs Keller KeUer asked hesitated hesitate I couldn't be sure The room was dark and andI I assumed she was still sUII on the bed sleeping so BO didn't speak lie added add ed ed with now She was there when I went down When I J came In to see her after I had dressed that dressed that was at eight or a little lit tie tle after she after she said her head ached ache and she wanted nothing sent up op 1 I rang for the maid and told her not notto notto notto to come In to do anything In the room that room that Mrs wanted complete rest I dont don't remember whether Mrs said anything any thing further to you or not Anson Did she shet Why no sir said Anson But nut you ou saw her there on the bed Why yes sir said Anson a little tittle I could see through the door You sort of whispered to me You said she was asleep Did I 17 12 said wearily I I forget I I think shed she'd turned over and wanted to sleep And I dont don't remember whether the window was open or not Anson said Mrs lIre Keller was the window open when you came up up Why yes maam ma'am It was said Bald Anson promptly I remember the room felt chilly so I closed and locked It It There was more talk I remember and then Nora was carried upstairs Her lIer husband carried her her ber bare arms drooping over his bl big bis shoulders her stained blood head like a childs child's asleep on him and took her to the bed I 1 had seen wait walt ing lag Then Mrs Irs Keller Kelter practical In to all stress said abruptly Look here Dan Dan I I want you to take charge of her things She went to the closet If her pearls are In there I dO dont don't t twant want the responsibility Take them In your room she said and stepped quickly Inside The next Instant she gave a queer muffled cry and came stumbling out And then In a thin voice of ot horror hor rot Its blood 1 I I stepped In It IU I We all stood about staring down at the jade green slipper she lifted at the wet dark stain on the sole sale The prIncess gave a little cry and Keller Kelter and the doctor hurried Into the fhe closet stood rigid by his wife's bed Then both men came backing out oot and Keller was holding g up a forefinger fore tore finger stained dark-stained a and d sticky Its blood all alt right he lie said laid The doctor nodded affirmatively Every Everyone one stood starl staring g at them a moment then fluttered forward to that open closet door and I went with them The light was on In It ItOn ItOn On the floor Just under a sweep of orchid silk lay a dark heavy henTY pool Its edges blurred where feet had st stepped Into It It must have be been n nth th there re dark when lIar lIar- had bad stepped In In to glance about for tor his wife's gold pajamas I glanced about for Alan Alaa Deck He lIe was not In the room he be had not nol followed when we had trooped like sheep shepp after and his dead wife Perhaps the sight of Nora In arms This puts a new complexion O on onIt It It ft said Keller Kelter His words seemed Incongruous but his tone did full Justice to the terrible gravity of ot the situation lIe He turned directly to That blood In the closet that closet that came before she went out the wl win dow This doesn't look an accident Dan Some one got In here Some Som thug thug thug- Ills eyes turned to the win win- dow I suppose that way Is possible ble Lie he said grudgingly though how bow any anyone one could get In the grounds I 1 I suppose he was after atter her ber Jewel jewelry ry He lIe In thinking g the room empty went to her closet to rummage rummage rum mage and she Jumped oft off the bed after him she hIm she had bad plenty of ot pluck Then he be struck her and flung her out so Kellers Keller's next question that of the practical man maa seemed to me shocking In Its Us Immediate immediate Immediate Imme Imme- diate concern for tor material things gS Hotter see Bee If It anything's missIng miss miss- Ing be he advised briskly See fee ee If It he got away with anything did not stir What the devil dOt does s It matter he lie growled d. d He tie looked half savage with pain at bay against the world The doctor spoke poke up persuasively Rut But you jou 00 want to have the man ap prep p Mr r. r Every very mo- mo meat ts to of If value alne Any jewel j taken would loe be a clue If-If If you ou can an bring I your yourself to It Mr Ir I like a man suddenly waking moved forward I know where she put th the box he said he be went Into tile the closet 1 remember Mr Mrs Cranes Crane's saying ains 1 n Io low a tone to Keller Keller- you ou better have telephone the lodge lodge- them k keep p a sharp harP look i out look outland 1 and his telling her ber to do It Il She was wag as just moving away from the phone when came out of the closet bearing a morocco overo i 1 box bor Its locked aU all right he be re re- s ported Weil Welt Well If It Its It's locked there cant can't be anything the missing missing thief wouldn't lock ock It up again again Mrs Keller Reller mur mur- toured murld We might open It It anyway to make sure Bure said Bald Keller Reller Do you know where the key Is U She kept It somewhere In her dressing case went to a small gr green n dressing case and began fumbling about In It I 1 dont don't know knew why 1 I watched his strong blunt lingers fingers so closely They seemed to fascinate me me I 1 felt so dead deadly I sorry for them I I In n the work they had to do Once he ie paused and anti his face had a queer arrested look I 1 remember thinking g that some especially Intimate possession possession possession pos pos- session of his wife's had touched some chord of deep delp and bitter re- re He lIe swept hi his fingers back ack and forth over the silk for a moment as 88 If he be had bad forgotten what he ie was after the then suddenly ly his hand lowered and anti he drew out a small key unlocked the case star star- Ing ng down Into each ach tray of bright glistening things 1 I wondered If It he were vere thinking that those lovely baubles bau ban bles les would never go about hr throat and wrists again Then his voice came with that sharp almost grumbling Irritation In n It ft The pearls are here here and and the emeralds But ut the diamond chain Isn't here Some one said she It on now and turned quickly to o the bed He Ill bent over her then straightened and came back to us Its gO gone e he said a clue then then the doctor declared You must lose no time Mr Keller KeUer In notifying the police The police I 1 said Keller Kelter All AU his repugnance toward the sensational publicity was In his tone but he be moved noved at once to the room phone his wife wire murmuring to him In agi Y t t I 1 51 Mites If Blood 1 undertones The doctor went wenton wenton on And nothing more here must be touched We must set a guard here hereDo Do we have to go through all this demanded Let the damn diamonds go Im afraid we must must Dr pliant told him Its the only way to get the the the-the the man We were all aU trooping g downstairs I rather on the outskirts when Monty Mitchell dropped back beside me Ills His small bright eyes were glittering gilt glit behind their glasses Why would Nora run Into that closet after a thief he put directly to me Shed have run to the door doar and screamed lIe He may have caught her and dragged her In In I 1 said and then I She was excited no no one of us usk k knows what hell he'll do when suddenly flung Ilung off oft balance Anyway he be shoved her In that thai closet before she was dead he be went went on She must have been there some lame little tittle time for all aU that blood to form Then he thought again and decided to give It ft tte the look of an accident so BO BOhe he put her out the window A strong fellow I thought of how easily eastly had bad carried his bis wife up the stairs and murmured She doesn't look heavy heafY About a hundred bundred a and d fifteen simple simple- said Mitchell You seem a hearted young creature you never rushed to h b her r knew yet her-yet you room to help her cover corer her ber slapped cheek lie He gave a short laugh You Yoe may maybe maybe maybe there shed be glad she wasn't have hare skinned you She wouldn't In anything any any- have hare dreamed J you'd come thIng thins but ma malice lice You dont don't male make her sou sound d very pleasant I never liked her he said ald drink bluntly Come and anil have bave a We need It it The others had sot set the example we entered 1 the white unite i dl dining und and as that eye ere f ond time for tor the room already filled fille It ft was as I j saw sa ping flOur or fire lre The rhe Police had come local authorities with a 1 hwd head official named flamed Jonah Donahey whose ho eyes ejes were wre as' as cynical as ag s 's own own anI and the house became bame a bustle of confusion lon Fingerprint m men anI and cameramen D I ed upstairs to work policemen I I tramped through all the rooms room searchlights flashed outside the win dows down In the shrubbery When they went ent to examine the place where the body had been found Monty MC Mitchell threw a coat Oat about me and drew me out with him Perhaps he wanted my observation as he be said laid perhaps he be was simply limply being kind to me the outsider amo among r those thC whispering groups The police had bad turned the headlights head head- lights of their heir car on the shrubbery and every leaf leat stood out In brilliant t detail dE There was wal not a bit of blood to be found anywhere nor did they find Ond an any object which could have havo made the wound In her bet head The dense nse bushes had bad received her bod body and eased fald It to the grou ground d. d She was wal dead before she got here bere I 1 heard the Inspector Ba say The grou ground d had been so 10 trampled by the men who had bad lifted out Mrs lit body that all footprint footprints were Indecipherable and there werno were no marks to be found of any anI ladder Udder Slowly Donahey nodded still studying the window Might have got In somewhere else and used the window for a getaway There la Is no use nse In going over those hours bours moment by bl moment those hose hours bours In which we sat wait walt I log ng g or milled around eddying to each report Yer Very thoroughly the they went over he the place while Donahey Donahe Interviewed Inter viewed each pach member of at the domestic domes domes- tic Ic staff lie He Interviewed them separately sep Bep butlers maids cooks lau laun laundresses laundresses dresses chauffeurs the linen wom worn an in the lodge-keeper lodge the boathouse boathouse- keeper and not one of them had a 0 suspicious thing g to communicate Well If It Isn't a an outside Job Its t's an Inside Donahey retorted dispassionately Somebody got In Inhere inhere here somehow I could see that DO Donahey ahel was letting It stand for tor what It U was wee worth at the present Between the interviews there were constant reports reports re re- ports from tram the men who had been bee sent out to check up on things and the he sum total of those reports was that hat the lodge-keeper lodge sold said there had iad been no attempts to enter and antI that there was no marks of 0 footprints foot prints about the base of the walls wall or any anI ladder marks or any anI Signs of disturbance of or the glass class cemented cement ed on the top of the walla between the spikes Well that's fine tine said Donahey |