The Tupelo journal., 1909-04-09
CHAPTER v.
Blind CleWs.

Blind CIews.
But this is preposterous,' crled
Mrs. Melville, you must have seen
him had he come out of the room; you
were directly in front of the doors all
the time"
AZ was" admitted the colonel; can
can the boy be hiding to scare us!
He spoke to Miss Smith. She had
grown pale; he did not know that his
own color had turned. Millicent stared
from one to the other.
"How ridiculous!" she exclaimed;
''of course not; but he must be some
where; let me look"
Look as they might through all the
staring empty rooms, there was no
vestige of the boy. He was as clean
vanished as if he had fallen out OF
the closed and locked windows. The
colonel examined them all; had there
been one open, he would have peered
outside, frightened as he had never
been when death was at his elbow
But it certainly wasn't possible to
Jump through a window, and not only
shut, but lock it after one.
Under every bed, in every closet, he
prowled; he was searching still when
Mrs. Winter returned. By this time
Mrs. Melville was agitated, and, natur-
ally, irritated as well. Il think 1t is
objectionable in Archie to sneak out
In this fashion, she complained.
81 suppose the boy wanted to see
the town a Bit" observed Aunt Re
hecca. placidly. Rupert, come in and
sit down; he will be back in a mo-
ment; smoke a cigar, if your nerves
need calming"
Rupert felt as if he were a boy OF
ten. called back to common sense out
of imaginary horrors of the dark.
"But, if he wanted to go out, why
did he leave his hat and coat behind
him?" asked Miss Smith.
He may be only exploring the
hotel" said Mrs. Winter. Don't be
so restless, BERTHE; sit down"
The ~coloners eye was furtively pho
tographing every article of furniture
in the room; 1t fingered longest on
Mrs. Winters wardrobe trunk, which
was standing in her room. Randall
had been dispatched for a hot-water
bottle in lieu of n which had sprung
q leak on the train; so the trunk
stood, its door ajar.
Maybe he is doing the Geneva
stunt there's that what you are
t%hinking?" she jeered. "Well, go and
look"
Light as her tone was, she was not
unaffected by the contagion OF anX'
iety about her; after a moment, while
Rupert was looking at the wardrobe
trunk, and even ~profanely exploring
the swathed gowns held in rigid safety
by bands of rubber, she moved about
the rooms herself.
There isn't room for a mouse in
that box" growled the colonel.
"Of course not" said his aunt
%languidly, sinking into the easiest
chair; but your mind is easier. Archie
will come back for dinner; don't
worry"
How could he get by me?" retorted
the colonel.
perhaps he went into the neigh.
boring rooms" Miss Smith suggested
"Shall | go out and rap on the door
of the next room or the left?" On the
right the last room of the party was
a corner room.
why, you might" acquiesced Aunt
Rsbecca; but Mrs. Melville cut the
ends of her words.
pray let me go, Aunt Rebecca,'
she begged, suiting the action to the
words, and was out of the door almost
ahead of her sentence.
The others waited: they were 81
lent: little 1ecks of color raddled
Mrs. Winters cheeks. They coulC
hear Millicent's knock reverberating
There was no answer. Telephone tt
the adjacent room," proposed the
colonel.
"Tll telephone" said Mrs. Winter
and rang up the number of the mex
room. ! There was no response; buI
when she called the number Of the
room adjoining, she seemed to get ar
answer, IOT SIG d~LluOuuCeu her udIue
Have you seen a young lad" she con
tinued, after an apology for disturbing
them. HE belongs to Jul party; has
he by chance got into your room? and
is he there?" In a second she put
down the receiver with a heightened
color, saying: They might be a lit
tie civiler in their answers, If it is Mr.
Keatcham's suite"
What did the beggar say?" bristlet
the colonel.
"Only that it was Mr.. Keatcham'f
suite-Mr. e. s.. Keatcham-as if thai
put getting into it quite out of the
question. Some underling, ] presume
There is the unoccupied room be
tween. That is not accounted for. But
it shall be. / will find out who is II
there" Rupert rose as he spoke,
pricked by the craving for action of 8
mar accustomed to quick decision. Ht
heard his aunt ~brusquely repelIinf
MilIicent's proposal Of the police, al