The Minneapolis journal., 1903-01-30

the contrary, they gravely gave it as their
opinion that the ghost theory was the
only. one to account for what had hap
pened. They even went so far as to ex-
press their belief that. Browns ghost"
was responsible for the whole mystery OF
the xenia! The little woman in grey
without any face, at whom they had
shouted with laughter few hours ago.
was now to them a reality not to be dis
puted. If she had killed one person, why
could she not just as we'll kill a dozen or
two? - = .... ..,-
Dick tried to argue them back to COM
mon sense by inquiring how it would be
possible even for ghost to run amok
among the passengers and crew, slaugh
tering one after another under each
others eyes. But the men answered that
some, Mortified by what was happening,
might have jumped overheard, and after
wards been drowned. Besides, they as
serted a haunting thing like that might
proof enough at all events, of its power,
for there was no dlsputlng the fact that
woman had been murdered, and as
there was certainly no living creature on
board the Xenia save themselves, a ghost
must have committed the crime.
Dick ceased at last to try to convince
them. He was certain now that. just as
there had been secret hiding place for
papers, there was 4one-somewh on the
yacht = capable of sheltering something
that lived and feared pursuit. But as
he was not yet in opposition to prove this
further arguments were mere waste Of
breath. M ~ :8la2s.:' / i
It was necessartu9to leave the dead
woman where she had fallen, in front of
! the cage, until the police authorities had
been informed qf the extraordinary trag
edy, and had<com on board to view the
ao EJc hod
cred with the long Black cloak which it
had worn in life, and then, without say
ing anything of his intention to the men,
went beloW5to search once more @on his
own account: He was in possession Of
one facts which they did not know. and
meant to be guided by it in his actions.
| though it might nave slipped his mind
at this moment had it not been for the
story: they had brought to him about the
disordered stateroom. 1t was there that
| he would begin his search; for it was
there that, twenty four hours ago, he had
met with certain strange experiences.
Then he had been" forced to give UP his
quest in sheer despair. after many efforts
and many failures Rut that was before
he had found the, mirror cabinet in the
adjoining staterooin; this one unexpected
discovery encouraged him to Dersevere
! in his hunt for Others Besides, he had
no doubt now that, if he only sought in
the right way and-at last-in the right
place, his search would be'reWarded. Until
the murder he had said to himself that,
after all, there was nothing to find; now
he knew that there was something. He
thought Of his vivid impression Of a
maleyolent presence in the wardrobe
though he could find nothing more formid-
able there than a number Of charming
dresses. He thought of the electric shock
which had run through his hand and up tC
his elbow; he thought OF the split. scent
the theft of the rings. and Of the tinned
fruit which had disappeared from the
storeroom. He imagined the murdered
woman stealing into the stateroom ,s,nc
opening the door: of the wardrobe as he
had done last night. She had, perhaps
pryed into the secret. more successfully
than he, and had suffered for her Skill
The hidden Thing--,''Brown's ghost''-hae
sprung out at her, and she had fed shrek
! ing up to the deck. only to be caught
and killed at last before the broken cage
j BY this time it was possible to work
without artificial light. The darkest houl