Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15


as they looked longer, each face betrayed
doubt. The descent from the balcony was
easy enough but how about the passage
from Georgian's window to the balcony?
This latter was confined to the one window
and was surrounded by an ornamental bal
ustrade, high enough to offer decided OBJ
stacle to the adventurous person endeavor-
ing to leap upon it from the adjoining win
dow ledge. However, this leap, made in the
dark and under circumstances inducing the
utmost recklessness, might look practical
enough from the window ledge itself. and
Mr.. Harper, making remark to this ef-
feet, proposed that they should examine
the ground rather than the house for evil
dences of Mrs. Ransom's slip and fall, as
related by Anitra.
The only spot where they could hope to
find such was in the one short stretch
the width of the ell-underlying the edge OF
the sloping roof. But this spot was an
tagged, as have already said. and When
their eyes strayed beyond 1t to the untitled
fields stretching between them and the
great rock at the verge of the waterfall
from which she was supposed to nave
taken her fatal leap, it was to find them
as unproductive Of evidence the brick
walk itself. Not one pair of feet but many
had passed that way since early morning.
The ground showed a mass Of impressions
would have been impossible for them, with
out the necessary experience, to have fol-
lowed up the flight of any one person
They had come to their task too late.
utife, ueCiueu lile lawyer IHSic Is
no use in our going that way" And he
turned to look again at the ground in their
immediate vicinity. AS he did so, his eye
lighted on the triangular spot where the ell
met the side of the house under the kitchen
windows. Here there was no tagging, the
walk taking a diagonal course from the
corner of the ell to the kitchen door.
What are those?" he asked, pointing to
two oblong Impressions trimming with
water which dsfigured the center of this
small plot.
They look like footprints" ventured
Ransom.
"They are footprints" decided Mr.. Har-
per as they stopped to examine the marks,
land the footprints of a person dropping
from height. Nothing else explains their
depth or general appearance.
Couldn't they be those of person ap-
preaching the ell to converse with some
one above? 1 see others similar to these in
the open place over there beyond the
kitchen door,
ut is a trail. Let us follow it, 1t seems
to lead anywhere but toward the water
fall. This is an important discovery, Mr..
Ransom, and may lead to conclusions such
as we might not otherwise have presumed
to entertain, especially If we come upon an
impression clear enough to point in which
direction the person making it was going
Here is what you WANT Ransom as
sured him in low and curiously smoth-
cred voice. He was evidently greatly ex-
cited by this result of their inquiries, for
all his apparent quiet and precise move
ments. ITS a woman's step. and that
woman was going from the ell when she
left these tokens of her passage behind
her Goingi and as you say not in the
direction of the waterfall"
Hush! l see some one at the kitchen
window. Let US move warily and be sure
not to confound these prints with those of
any other person 1t looks as If a great
many people had passed here"
Yes, this is the way to. the chicken-coops
and out-houses But in the ground beyond
l think l see single line of steps again
small steps like these. Where can they be
leading? They are deep like those Of per-
son running"
And struggling, like those of a person
running in the dark. See how they waver
from the direct line down there, turn, and
almost come up against that wood pile!
Whose steps are these? Whose, Mr.. Har-
per? Quick! must see where they. 60
Our time will not be lost. The key to the
labyrinth is in our hands,"
The lawyer was in the rear and the
eyes of the other were fixed far ahead.
For this reason, perhaps, the former al
lowed himself a quiet shake of the head
which might not have encouraged the other
SO very much had he caught sight of 1t.
den. or what would soon be a garden if
these rains betokened spring. path ran
along its edge and in this path the footsteps
they were following lost themselves; but
they came upon them again among the hill
locks of some old potato hills beyond, and
finally traced them quite across the garden
waste to fence, along which they ran,
laundering from ploughed earth to spots
of smoother ground, and SO back again till
they came upon an old turn-stle!
Passing through this, the two men
stopped and looked about them. They were
in road ridged with grass and thanked
by bushes One end ran east into a wooded
valley. the other debouched on the high
way a few feet to the right of the tavern
1.-The lane!' exclaimed Mr. Harper. THE
lead toward the waterfall was feint. It
g n An1 =
from this point that search must be made
for her."
Ransom, greatly perturbed for this pos
sibility Of secret flight opened vistas of as
much mystery If not Of as much sufferings
as her death in the river, glanced at the
sodden ground under their feet, and thus
along the lane to where it lost itself from
view along the trees.
mo possible following of steps here" he
declared. "A hundred people must have
come this way since early morning."
Its short cut from the ferry. They
told me last night that it lessened the dis
lance by fully q quarter Of mile"
The ferry! Can she be there? Or in
the woods. or on her way to some I'M
known place far out of our reach? The
thought is maddening, Mr.. Harper, and 1
feel as helpless as child under it. Shall
we get detectives from the county seat or
start on the hunt ourselves? We might
hear something further on to help u.s."
I'VE might: but l should rather stay on
the immediate scene at present. All, there
comes a fellow in cart who should be
able to tell us something Stand by and
III accost him. You needn't show your
face
Mr.. Ransom turned aside. Mr.. Harper
waited till the slow-moving horse, dragging
heavily logging wagon, came alongside,
and he had caught the eye of the low
browed, broad-faced farmer boy who sat
on bag of potatoes and held the reins
Good morning. said he. Bad news
this way. Any better at the ferry, or down
east you call it?
''Eh?" was the numbering half-susp.cious
answer from the startled boy I've heard
naught down yonder, but that a gal threw
herself over the waterfall w here last
night. Is that fact. sir? I'm mighty Gurus
to know. My mother knew them Hazens;
used to wash for 'em years ago. She told
me to bring up these taters and larn all
l could about it,
I'VE don't know much more than that our
selves" was the smooth and cautious re-
ply. THE lady certainly Is missing, and
she is supposed to have drowned herself"
Them as he noted the fellows eyes resting
with some curiosity on Mr.. Ransom's we'll
clad, gentlemanly figure, added gravely,
and with slight gesture toward the lat
ter:
THE lady's husband
The lads jaw fell and he looked very