The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1909-04-01
CHAPTER V.
Blind CIeWs.

Blind CIeWs.
.put this is preposterous,' cried
Mrs Melville, you must have seen
him had he come out OF the room; you
wore directly in front of the doors all
the time.
~ was" admitted the colonel; can
Fan the boy be hiding to scare us?
lie smoke 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 ridicuous, she exclaimed;
"of course not; bat he must be some
where: let me look!
Look as they might through all the
staring empty rooms, there was no
yestige of the boy. He was as clean
vanished as II 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 II certainly wasn't possible to
jump through n 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 it is
objectionable in Archie TO sneak out
in this fashion," she complained.
u suppose the boy wanted to see
the town a bit" observed Aunt Re
becca 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 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
tographng every article of furniture
In the room: It 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 one which had sprung
leak on the train; so the trunk
stood. its door ajar.
Maybe he is doing the Geneva
slant there's that what you are
.;ainking?" she jeered. We'll, go and
look"
Light as her tone was, she was not
unaEected by the contagion Of anX-
loty about her; after a moment, while
Rupert was looking at the wardrobe
trunk. and even profanely exploring
tao swathed gowns held in rigid safety
by bands OF rubber, she moved about
The rooms herself.
There isn't room for mouse in
that box growled the colonel.
OF course not said his aunt,
IangGldly. sinking into the easiest
chair; but your mind is easier. Archie
viii come back for dinner; don't
worry"
How could he get by me?" retorted
the colonel.
Perhaps he went into the neigh
boring rocms," Miss Smith suggested.
shall go out and rap on the door
q The next room on the Left" On the
hgh; the last room of the party was
corner room.
Why, YOU might" acquiesced Aunt
hooecca; but Mrs Melville cut the
eAds Of her words.
Pray let me 60, Aunt Rebecca,
sic begged. suiting the action to the
words ana was out Of the door almost
ahead Of her sentence.
The others waited: they were ST.
ZEN; little hecks Of color raddled
MfS Winters checks. They could
near Mi'licent's Knock reverberating.
mere was no answer. Telephone to
inc adjacent roo-i." proposed the
colonel
III telephone" said Mrs. Winter,
ana rang M the number OF the next
room. There was no response; but
"hen she called the number of the
room adjoining, she seemed to get an
answer, for she announced her name.
have yoU seen a young lad?" she con-
unued. after an apology for disturbing
mem. He belongs to our party; has
ne oy chance got into your room? and
~ no there?" In second she put
Gown the ra. .,trcr With a haiphtapad