Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-01-23
CHAPTER VII.
THE KEY TO THE MYSTERY.

IktxI hEx III The M
Thomas led h way through the hall
and up the stair.
Which room will you look at nrst.
SIR" he asked.
Let US see Mr.. Tremaine's room
first"
Very well. sir" said Thomas. and
opened a o and stood aside to let
us pass.
There was nothing at all extraor-
well-lighted. well-ventilated. weli-fur-
the sort OF a bedroom one
would naturally expect to find in a lux
urlous country-house.
Godfrey cast a glance about 1t, then
ne went to n OF the windows. opened
1t. n stepped out upon the balcony.
He walked along the balcony to the
end where the heavy creepers were.
took q look at them. and finally came
back to the window.
That's an he said. rs he stepped
U into the room. "Of course. I
didn't expect to lind anything here
our friend is much too clever to be
caugh mapping that way. Thomas, I
suppose this table is just where 1t was
when Mr.. Tremaine had the room?"
Yes, SIR"
Godfrey sat down at it. measuring the
distance from it to the window.
Lester" he said, II wish you'd go
out and come up the walk and see IL
you can see me sitting here"
l ran down the stairs and did al he
directed. but cOuld catch not a glimpse
Of him.
"Well?" he called down.. coming to
the open window.
Il can't see you at ALL" I said.
Il thought 30. Come up again."
He was sitting again at the table
when 1 opened the door.
NOV fnka a lnalr ~ - -
said. You'll see that the table is SO
far way from h e window that it's
quite impossible for anyone on the
ground outside to see a person sitting
at It,. Yet Drysdale stated distinctly
h a he saw Tremaine sitting at the
table writing when he came back from
that mysterious walk. What would YOU
argue from that?"
That Tremaine had moves the table
nearer to the window"
And why should he do that?"
ITO get q better light. perhaps" I
| ventured.
HE might have done It, in the day
time. to get q better light. but at night
ne would get q much worse one over
there by the window than here. The
lights. you'll observe. hang from the
center Of the ceiling"
Then he did it." I said, "in order
that he might be seen from outside"
That's It.: not only that he might
be seen. but that Drysdale might see
paper he wrote on?"
We keep a supply Of It In all tn
guest rooms. SIR" volunteered Thomas.
at It.. It was a plain white liner
Of good quality. with the word Edge.
mere" embossed In blue at the top.
There were also on the table pens. an
inkstand: and " or three biotters. He
turned the blotters over. but only one
OF them showed any sign Of having
been used. and the marks on 1t were
very faint-yet they seemed to interest
Godfrey. He bent over them with
puzzled face: then he got out q little
magnifytng glass and studied them
again.
Lester" he said. At last. Il wish
you'd take Q look 1t this" and he
pushed the blotter and glass toward
me. What do you make Of IT"
I gaxed through the glass at the
marks. but for a moment could mako
nothing Of them. Then they resolved
marching backward. fairly distinct al
one n but fading away to nothing.
ness at the other.
Somebody seems to have beer
scribbling a lot OF disconnected letter,
on 9 piece Of paper" I said, at last. =
Gan W4No out n WORDS. The let
ters seem to be mostly B's and G's-
yes, and here's an l."
Thomas" said Godfrey. with you r
down. and ask Mr.. Delroy II he has
sample of Mr.. Trcmaine's handwriting
and. Il 30. h he will let a. seo Il for
monfent?"
Thomas went out instantly ana
hooked at Godfrey In surprise.
You think those marks have som,
vAlue?" asked.
Godfrey drummed absently on tn,
table and stared out OF the window.