Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-24
CHAPTER Iv-(Continued)

! Next instant, however, he heard up
on the stone steps above him, leading
from the pavement to the front door,
the light tread Of feet quickly decend-
Ing. Someone, having watched him
decend there, was leaving the house!
And yet SO noiselessly that at first Max
believed himself mistaken.
In second he had dashed up the
area steps and stood upon the pave
ment. But already he realised the
truth. The front door was ajar, and
the intruder was flying as fast as his
feet could carry him in the direction of
the Brompton Road.
Swiftly, without looking back, the
man sped lightly along the pavement
and was a moment later lost to view.
Max Barclay did not follow. He
stood there like man in dream.
'What-in Heavens name-is the
meaning Of this?" as, held powerless,
he stood staring in the direction the
fugitive had taken.
9 His first impulse had been to follow,
but next moment, as the escaping in
truder had passed beneath a street
lamp he recognised the figure unnnis-
takably, both by the clothes and hat
as none other than his friend Charles
Rolfe!
He fell back, staggered by the dis
covery.
For quite brief space he stood un-
able to move. Then, seeing the door
ajar he assembled the steps and enter
ed the house. The lights were switch
ed on everywhere but, on going in,
omething-what it was he could new
e- describe-struck him as peculiar.
Hardly had he crossed the threshold
that he became instinctively aware
that some mystery was there,
In few seconds the amazing truth
became apparent, for when he entered
the dining-room, to the left of the hall,
he started, and an involuntary excla-
nation of surprise escaped him. The
place was empty, devoid Of every
stick of furniture!
From room to room he dashed, only
to find that everything had been mys-
teriously removed. In a few brief
hours of his absence Doctor Petro-
witch had apparently fed, taking with
him all his household effects.
He stood. in the hall utterly dumb
founded.
Why had Rolfe been there?
What had he been doing in the empty
house?
The swift manner in which the re-
moval had been effected increased the
mystery, for he had not left the Doctor
till five o'clock. Besides, he had no
doubt dined with his daughter Maud
and with Marion, and they would not
leave until about eight o'clock.
Again, removal of that magnitude
requiring at least two vans, after dark
could not possibly be effected without
attracting the notice of the constable
IN duty!
Perhaps the police really did know
who carried out the sudden change of
residence. Anyhow, the whole affair
was complete enigma which amazed
and stupefied him
Presently, when he had somewhat
recovered from his surprise, he as
cended the stairs, his footsteps now
echoing strangely through the empty
place, and there found that the draw
ing-room, and, in fact, all the other
rooms, had been completely and quick
ly cleared. The carpets had in some
cases been left, but in the hasty re
moval curtains had been torn down
from the rings, leaving cornices and
poles, and the grand piano remained
1t being apparently too large ant
heavy for rapid transit.
He assembled, even to the servants
rooms on the top floor, but found
scarcely vestige of furniture left.
In one back room, a SMALL salt
garnet with a slightly sloping roof h,
noticed a cupboard which curiosit!
led him to open, as he had opened
other cupboards. AS he did so, he say
bundle upon the floor, as though i
had been hastily thrown there.
AS he pulled it forth it unrolled, ant
he then saw that it was woman
light gray tweed skirt and coat.
The latter felt damp to his touch
and as he held it up to examine it h
saw that the breast and sleeve wer
both saturated with blood!
It dropped from his nerveless fir
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