The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-08-10

for pointing that out! You're mighty
quick lady. The mystery only deepens.
then. is there" turning again t6SSCarl,j
.tany other way Of leaving this room en-.
cept by the door WI came in?" 'S NJ
ft,Oh, yes, sir: there's a prtvate5aexit!
I will show your @ g NJ
stepping quickly across the room, he
drew asideHthes folds of a heavy curtain
OF dark gold brocade. :sHS#f
II This door opened on a hall sdimly
lighted by q skylight window Of stained
I4glass. The hall was about sixteen feet
In length, and at its extremity was an
other door.f 8
what q singular arrangements De-
tective Hantlin murmured to himself,
In a musing tone, as he followed5thei
officer and Carl into this dim hall: way.
.'VVel, It is. rather" returned Capt.
Monroe. But there's no accounting for
the freaks Of these rich men. ! sup
pose, now, he had some special. reason.
your master had-in having this queer
way Of leaving hts dressing eroome""
HE had, sir. He had two reasons"
Carl returned, eagerly, for he seemed
to think that the police captains words
threw some kind Of q ~dfsagreeable re-
Election on his pool masters eccentrici-
ties-if one chose to think them so. In
the first place, this passage way leads
}on one side t. Mr.. Grayson's bath room,
which he chose to nave at a consider
able distance from his dressing room,
because he rad a ervous horrir OF the
dripping Of water, that sometimes takes
place from the pipes, however carefuA
because he had a nervOu horror, OF the
other side Of the hall, outside of that
door, is a stairway hat leads to the
kitchen. Mr.. Grayson was the most
particular gentleman / ever served
about his food. He suffered at times
from acute dyspepsia, and he was SO
sensitive about 1t that I was, besides his
physician, DR.. Sprague, about the only
person in the world who knew 1t. I'm
a skilled cook, gentlemen. ] learned 1t
in Paris, where I served a marquis, n
often, after all the household has re-
tired for the night, / usedf3to. cook q
dainty little supper for my MASTER n
bring it to him, unknown to anyone by
this private entrance to his dressing
room. 1t vas as much as my place
was worth to be discovered-to be met
going, or coming-and Z beg to assurs
you, gentlemen, that I would not now
reveal my poor masters little weakness,
only that it seems necessary to explain.
the existence Of this passage way"
"sJust sp-just sol" returned Capt.
Monroe. .;;Then it would have been pos
sible for the murderer to have 9 his
escape by this PASSAGE?
.Just barely possible, sir-that Is to
say, he might stumble on q means of
escape by rushing through here, discov-
ering the staircase that leads to the
kitchen, and soSind his way out into
the back yard-but not without being
seen, sir. Why, all the servants were
down stairs. I was myself among them
for I was expecting to hear my mas:
ter's bell. The wedding party were to
have started on their wedding Journey
Immediately after breakfast, and I
knew that Mr.. Grayson might ring for
me at any moment. No. sir: I don't
see how any M could havs scaped
that way"
"Let ua take another look, anyhow.
Surprising the murderer to have reached
that door and to have found his way
into the hall beyond, he might have
concealed himself-he may, yet be In the
house. It seems impossible that he can
have left It."
"The monster-the wretch!" cried
Carl, with concentrated fury. "oh.
that I could find him! But Tdslmake
| short work Of him. This way. sir"
He hurried on ahead Of the police cap
tain, who, however, made, good haste
after him. fiji
Hantlin, the detective. followed more
slowly, his gaze wandering about tbs
dimly-lighted hallway, and then u
inglyi turned toward the skylight OF
stained glass above him, as f intent on
observing its various ;hues, and compar-i
ing them with the colored reflections on
the floor. citt' :
Presently his toe grazed something on
the door. He skillfully avoided step
ping on 1T, stopped, picked 1t up and,
with a light throb Of excitement, drop
ped it into his pocket.
At that moment the valet and the
captain Of police reached the hall door,
and Carl Selling the door knob, hur-
riedly turned 1t, and would have torn
open the door, but it resisted Hespulled
and shook IT. In his exeitementsthe did
not seem to understand why it would
not open.
.stop. stop!" cried Capt. Monroe.
Don't you see the door is locked, and,
the key is on the inside 81 No.one q
escaped this way" 2Yis
Carl dropped his hand from the door.
and, for a moment or two, stoodfgazing
stupidity at 1t. ss IS.
.H'That is SO. sir, as you say hestheni
answered. mo one has escaped by
that door - s sSfss II
what do you say. Hantin?" asked
the captainsof police. addressing thesde>
tective. who. had now approached them.
sWell, I say 1t looks that way51 re-
turned the detective. @sssNow,glet'Bsre-
turn to thereon nj make g fewain-
quiries." 3s
.Have you found anything. gentle-.
men?-anything calculated TO throw
light on this;awful crtnae?' Mrs Martin.
exclaimed coming eagerly forward, asI.
the three men freturnedgto thes5roorn.s
..sIshave found something,3SssSHantlih
returned. HIS gaze seeWed 70 take In
every one In Ethe room asshe spoke -
knowsnotfof what importance Il may be
tyet;S but think IShaye found theSweap.A
Observation-Disclosures deed wasacomlnttteo,3
There If is!lsass 81 If ss S!
HIS hand had gone to his pocket
while bespoke. and,,..as MISUNDERSTANDING
|slastwords, heTheld up a fcnriols wcap-l
onto have fOurdasuch q ttseaSgandSy yet 9
very deadly one ssse$ s sss@sss ss4sssgS
II was saa long. slender stiletto. stht'
handle which WA thielsly edg g
with many flashing dastne
Eblaide4of which wit eds5tWithgath NE