Show 0 by NARY HASTINGS BRADLEY copyright by D appleton century co inc service SYNOPSIS I 1 ri leila seton young anil and beautiful ind and 0 tin n expect on paintings Is I 1 X bb so go over the collection of paintings painting s h the home of the ie wealthy althy in itaw aw york where a party is in pio pi ogress grebs from rom tier window she viat v it nesses a nian man in another room strike a i anian ahot ty ly li ti after mrs keller sends up tip iroil oid I 1 a ak ing her to join the party at dinner viii ella eila hastily drew seq and goes don do an he Is seated between mr deck a critic nd monty mitchell a noted lamer laiber follon bollom there are mr ar arridean riden den miss latty via van albian mis 1 l s irane mrs lV atkins and prince and Irin princess cess Ean cini nl nul ats lella leila lind and he Is taking the place of nom clairl en dan Ilar harreden Harrl riden den leabes tin tile tame nd matchell Ml explains lie he has gone up 0 see how ills his cifes headache Is ile he returns shortly deik deck saying lie ho must 7 iut in a call leaea upon his r return I 1 ise begs bees leila to secretly vike a message AI age to nora to take no steps SKIS until 4 i see you leila leila finds tibe b e Ilar harreden Harrl riden den rooms emliy and su au informs deck coming out she passes cletty etty harridon Harrid cn asks princess Inne cbs I 1 0 0 run up and see Ms ills wife the biln ess reports the absence of nora scalchi k fruitless Harrid cn admits that lie he aad slid a row and believes she he is spitefully ully hiding anson a maid reports adelne deck noar near noras room latty atlis ells of sceline leila come front from the boorn oom leila accuses Ilar harreden Harrl riden den of having baying struck ills wife F CHAPTER II 11 continued 3 as I 1 could only stand and stare gripped n a horrible uncertainty I 1 could not bhear Hear i that the figure in the window lad been hit hig cut but it was in her room nd md it if not lie 1 very stiffly isaid I 1 said 1 I certainly saw amans figure in that room and saw ilm alm strike a flo ormin roan the curtains I 1 ayere vere not cot drawn and lie was standing n the th e window dow 4 an odd shiver ran across Ilar jace it was atis like a tremor through ce I 1 thought and then tile the hard bess and tile the stiffness re firmed lie ald through lips that seemed to be with painfulness 1 I have lo 10 0 o means of knoring who aho wits was in ID ray my ofes room before I 1 came up there was a perfectly ghastly sl isi nce ence I 1 hiie lie look at alan at an beckie baeck though I 1 know I 1 was asking my belf self if it had bid been lie in th that it room it ie e who had slipped slapped that woman then plunged olt off to the gallery later to biter reproachful brooding I 1 could understand ills his bejes ejes then I 1 understand his agony of eager less to see her a again mo at once his fies issa sage e be had tried to send by me 0 go o take no steps it was all a mystery to me but I 1 I 1 had bitten my tongue out lefore afo re I 1 had blurted out my angry cords or S ff keller came suddenly to my rescue i all this Is getting us nowhere betty etty rows dont matter the question Is where has nora gone to bince she changed chin ged her clothes ches hes probably somewhere somei here about and suggest we go out and help the men aho vho are looking the men trooped oft off for coats L the chill of the october night an ind it we women were left together I 1 ial iad a feeling that I 1 was aas in disgrace i dangerous interloper who aho might explode at any moment with more shattering bombs of revelation suddenly mrs crane said in her grac practical voice A bandit possibly have got in here could he arrie in tile the window and carried her fatt fall 0 fi it sounds fantastic said mrs teller ff 5 well its been done 11 y 1 I dont think possible look 4 ind seeor your yourself seit said tier her sister ind they came to tile NIn window dow I 1 hastened bened to help undo the bolts and op oil I 1 ned the ade wide casement we all booked out in turn the crisp air ng g sharply on our bare shoulders and mis I 1 III liked ed the shiver of it it emed to speak of clarity and reality III tier all this pother of domestic brawls nd did a vanished woman one by one re e three craned our heads over the dge examining the scanty stone sill it look possible sirs mrs arane rane admitted lie ile might have ased a ladder though those thugs thuds anage anything too fantastic said mrs feller tier again she added dryly I 1 ind nd nora kora Is safe in new york enjoy pg ig the powwow I 1 shall dball never her ber treating me like this n i sown down below us we could hear the dices of some of the men returning they lla ement ent found her said urs mrs 0 rane drabin drawing in her head 1 I expect jill 11 get a cold in my nose for this 1 I took one more look out down at lat at group of 0 men and so it was I 1 ho saw first what there was to see awn wn lu ili the checker of shade in the abbery directly beneath the winy aln iw So something hall hidden bidden a faint likhsh blur I 1 said excitedly mrs keller dt t there something there and I 1 rew back for tier her to look shu she called sharply down to the men look mk there in the shrubbery under e jw there Is something 1 I 1 it was invisible from abere where they were for the shrubbery was ins thick and high and the front part unbroken nearer tile the house houge the brandies branches lial bent in under the burden that they found there the still slight body of a woman in gold old pajamas tile the lifeless form of nora Harrld cn CHAPTER III it bo be rent I 1 felt it was like some scene in it a drea dreadful drui play these he be real people this a real death it seem possible that nora Ilar harreden Harrl riden den could be dead my impression of tier her vitality ilta lity of tier her exultant al heness was so intense thit I 1 could not bring myself to believe in tier lier death not till I 1 had bad looked on oil tier face I 1 saw tin the thin sharp curve of tile the reddened li like little knife tittles blades and thought ln in spite of my pity for tile the liend dind alint it was ans a hard cruel little nude nilde for ex u I 1 in n cy they were vere nil about her feeling tier ber anle c her body she lay in fit those iacong arums rums sold gobl pajamas ia jimAS ono in 1411 1 silken foot bare of 1 I its chinin shinin shining slipper on a sofa to in the hlll ball lentil the d ator came no benir vicie vie br broken olen lie reported tile hie and paged tier her fall sut fut OUT oer tier lier fair at was a aha shakily aly wound till tile llie blomi filled it ind and da dilik I 1 k liin on ii IUT hel aniie nn im smuel hiva bird lie ho said ll drilli call must allne been nani st ills his olce is 19 in hp thal slid into a mi ile he was up at al 1110 md n lio ho stood moti motionless fotiades ades beside him ills head bead slightly bent I 1 not ilot see his bis face ili hl liand hand were avre clenched clen clied nt at the lie sides I 1 reit felt suddenly eniy a quer queer r I pity ity tor for those 1 I A condei ell it if 0 one ne of them hat indeed struck out 0 it at that adored woman ina it ilio ho had him so si much and then I 1 thought n again aln that it might leaie late been alan deck surely tile the husband would rather have the onus of that blow upon himself than admit that arother another roan was lounging in his alfes room though perhaps the these people thought little of casual intimacies cies cles A conference was going on I 1 heard s voice saying in his grim unshaken tones she probably wanted more air tried to open the window wider i der and was dizzy shed t taken alen headache stuff and fell oh an accident undoubtedly said keller in liis ills co convincing mincing e everyday voice I 1 heard the doctor assenting I 1 had a feeling that he would assent politely to anything these plutocratic clients dictated with ills his own secret reservations she was there on the bed wh when en you came up slie she dan mrs 11 keller ea asked the husband hesitated 1 I be sure the room was dark and I 1 assumed she was as still on t the it e bed sleeping so speak ue added 1 with till now dow she was there when I 1 went down when I 1 came in to see tier her after I 1 had dressed that was at eig elshot lit or a little after she said her licad head abbed and she wanted nothing sent up tip I 1 ran rang for the maid and told her not to come in to do anything in the room that mrs wanted complete rest I 1 dont remember whether mrs liardi den said anything further to you or not anson did she why no sir said anson it was just you sir at the door but you saw her there on the bed why yes sir said anson a little 1 I could see through the door you sort of whispered to me you slid said she was asleep did I 1 said wearily 1 I forget 1 I think shed turned over and wanted to sleep and I 1 dont remember whether the window was open or not I 1 suppose it was va a little way anson said mrs keller was tl the window open when you came up why yes maam it was said anson promptly 1 I remember the room felt chilly so I 1 closed and locked it whether nora harraden Har riden had gone out that window before her husband looked in or just afterward it had bad all happened while we were sitting down there about that dinner table eating and drinking and uttering our bacall ties there was more talk I 1 remember and then nora Ilar riden was carried upstairs her husband carried her tier her bare arms drooping over hi his s big shoulders her bloodstained blood stained head like a childs asleep on him and took her to tile the bed I 1 had bid seen waiting then sirs mrs kellor keller practical in all stress said abruptly look here dan 1 I want you to take charge 0 of f her things she went lo 10 the closet if her pearls are in there I 1 dont want the responsibility take them in your room she said and stepped quickly luslie the next instant she gave a queer muffled cry and came stumbling out quick somebody cornel comell she said incoherently and then in a thin voice of horror its blood I 1 stopped stepped in etl mrs crane caught hot hold of her ber and we ae all stood about staring down at the jide jade green slipper site she lifted at the wet vet dark stain on the sole the princess gave a little cry and keller and the doctor hurried into the closet Ilar riden stood rl rigid id by his alfes bed then both men came backing out and keller was holding up a forefinger dark stained and sticky its blood all right he said the doctor looking down at ills his own linger finger nodded every one stood staring at them a moment then fluttered uttered ll forward to that open closet door and I 1 went with them the light was on in it on the hoor floor jut just under a sweep of orchid silk lay a dark heavy pool Us edges where fret feet lind had stepped into it it must have been there talk when Ilar riden had stepped slopped lit I 1 to glance about for liis ills alfes gold pajamas marched to the closet door nod nall I 1 shrink shrank aside trembling in my excitement and pity lie he seemed to stay there quite a time and when he came out ills its face was aas more thin than eer like granite yes its blood lie he said as it if no do eldes word could be accepted I 1 glanced nebout for alin alan peek peck lie ile was not in the room lie ind had not follow floied ed NN when lien we hall had trooped like sa s1 sheep leep after IIa Ilar ilden and lit his dead wife perhaps tile sight of nora in ITar arms I 1 was as grateful that lie ho all was is spared the sight of nora ilardi dens blood on tier closet floor this puts a new complexion on it said keller ills words seemed incongruous but ills tone did full justice to the terrible tei of the situation lie he turned directly to ITar riden that blood blond in the closet that clune came beffie she went out the window till this doe nt look an sed accident dent dan some one got in here some aliu thug ills his bics turned to the window NIn dow 1 11 I suppose SIll pose that way any Is 1 possible lie said grudgingly though how any one could get in the grounds gio ands I 1 suppose lie anns fitter after her fendry ile iio got in thinking tile the room eni empty lity went elit to her ber closet to rummage find and slie site jumped oft off the bed after him she had plenty of pluck lie ile paused and inc tile alic assenting undertone der tolie of murmur about him confirmed nora pluck then sald said keller lie struck tier her and hung flung tier her out kellers next question so eminently that of the practical man seemed 0 v K Y ij I 1 i I 1 II 11 Z if I 1 I 1 1151 A I 1 A A 1 il pdt J iz I 1 t alf 1 Z L aa its blood to me shocking in its immediate concern for material matei ial things better see it if finy things missing lie he advised briskly see it if he got away with anything Ilar riden lid did not stir what the devil does it matter he growled ile he looked halt savage with pain at bay against the world the doctor spoke up persuasively dut but you want to have the man apprehended pretended ended mr Ilar riden the man who iho has done tills this glancing toward the still figure on the bed he hesitated even in the presence of 0 death the word murder had an incredible quality in that house every moment Is of value he urged any jewel taken would be a clue if it if you ou can bring yo yourself U csele to it mr air Ilar riden 11 nar riden gave aye him a glance of 0 cold contempt aa a it if for the imputation of weakness and like a man suddenly waking moved forward 1 I know where she put the box bos he said as keller made to anticipate him to save him the sight of that dark pool and he be went into the closet Har bulk filled the doorway when lie he moved forward gingerly stopped and fumbled I 1 remember mrs mrs cranes saving in a low tone to keller you better telephone the lodge have bave them keep a sharp lookout and ills his telling her to do it she was just away from the phone when came out of the closets closet bearing a morocco covered box bos its locked all right he reported IN well e 11 if its locked there cant be anything missing the thief lock it up again mrs keller murmured we might open it anyway to make sure said keller do you know where the key Is she kept it Som somewhere chere in her dressing clise case harraden Har Ilar riden went to a small green dressing case whose opening lid showed fittings of green enamel set in gold lovely lux luxurious adous fittings womans comans heart would envy and began fumbling about in it I 1 dont know why I 1 watched Nat ched his strong blunt on fin gers so closely they seemed to fascinate inc ile I 1 felt so so deadly sorry for them in the voik they had bid to coonce do once he paused and ills his face had bad a queer arrested look I 1 remember thinking that some especially intimate possession of oe his cifes had touched some chord of deep and bitter remembrance ue lie swept his lingers fingers back and forth over the slik silk tor for a moment as it if lit he had forgotten what he was after then suddenly ills his hand lowered and he be drew out it small key well the man would never lock the case and put the key back there again mrs keller murmured a sort of petty triumph lie ile might just to put people on off mrs walking declared with the san sort son of obstinacy ile he might have lind find n pass passkey key said the princess princes thoughtfully unlocked the case he opened the lid and made such slow business of examining it searld staring down into each tray of bright glistening things that I 1 xon wondered dered it lie he were thinking that those locay baubles would never go about tier her throat and wrists again lie ile must be thinking it then his voice came with that sharp almost grumbling irritation in it the pearls are liere here and the einera emeralds lils and a lot of other junk but the diamond chain here tile the diamond chain her yellow diamonds mrs keller caught up quickly why she was wearing them 1 Ilar IIa riden stood a moment as it if re mern hering nis ills |