The Ocala evening star., 1911-06-21
THE HOUSE OF
THE WHISPERING PINES
Continued from Second Page)

be half gone" thought he and fingered
to see the tumbler filed and the first
draft taken.
But. no The band slowly unclasped
and fell away from the decanter, his
head sank forward until his chin rest
ed on his breast and sigh. startling
to Sweetwater. fell from his lips. Hex
ford was right-only one thing could
arouse him.
Sweetwater now tried that thing. He
knocked softly on the sickroom door
This reached the ear oblivious to all
else. Young Cumberland started to
his feet. and for a moment Sweetwa-
ter saw again the heavy features
which an hour before had produced
such repulsive effect upon him I'm
the rooms below. Then the nerveless
figure sank again into place with the
same constraint in its lines and the
same detection
Sweetwater's hand lifted In repeti-
ton of his knock, hung suspended. He
had not expected quite such indiffer-
ence as this. 1t upset his calculations
just trifie.
The door was opened to him this
time AS it swung back he saw first
a burst of rosy color as a room pan
eled in exquisite pink burst upon his
sight. then the great picture of his life
the bloodless features of Carmel
calmed for the moment into sleep
Sweetwater gaZed at the winsome
brown head over the nurses shoulder
and felt that for him a new and i'm
portant factor had entered into this
case with his recognition of this wO-
mans great beauty. How deep a fac
tor he was far from suspecting or he
would not have met the nurses eye
with quite so CHEEKY and self confident
a smile.
Excuse the intrusion" he said
1--WE thought you might need these
things. Hexford signed for them"
I'm obliged to you. Are you-one
of them?' she sharply asked.
would it disturb you if l were? 1
hope not I've no wish to seem intru-
sive."
What do you want? Something,
| know. Give it name before there's
a change there
She nodded toward the bed, and
Sweetwater took advantage of the mo-
ment to scrutiniZe more closely the
nurse herself She was a robust, fine
| looking woman, producing an impress
sion of capability united to kindness.
Strength of mind and rigid attendance
! to duty dominated the kindness. how
| ever.
81 want another good look at your
| patient, and l want your confidence
! since you and l may have to see much
| Of each other before this matter is
ended. You asked me to speak plain
| ly and l have done So"
"You are from headquarters
] Coroner Perry sent me-" Throwing
| back his coat he showed his badge.
.The coroner has returned to his of
fee. He was quite upset by the outcry
| which came from this room at an un-
happy moment during the funeral"
81 know 1t was my fault. | opened
the door just for an instant. and in
that instant my patient broke through
her torpor and spoke"
She had drawn him in by this time
! and. after another glance at her pa
| tient. softly closed the door behind him
Il have nothing To report" said she
"but the one sentence everybody
| heard"
Sweetwater took in the little memo
randum book and pencil which hung
at her side and understood her posi-
| ton and extraordinary amenability Il
| his wishes. UncOuSciouSly low ex
clamation esCared him. He was younl
and had not yet sunk the man entire
~ in the detective.
His eye went wandering all over the
room as he spoke until it fell upon 4
peculiar looking cabinet or closet LEI
into the wall directly opposite the bed
"What's that he asked.
Il don't know. | can't make it out
and don't like TO ask"
Sweetwater examined it for mo
ment from where he stood. then cross
ed over and scrutinized it more par
ticularly. 1t was unique specimen
| What il lacked in height-it could no
have measured more than foot from
the bottom 10 the top-it made up ii
| length. which must have exceeded 6v'
feet. The doors. Of which il had two
, were both tightly locked. but as the!
were made of transparent glass th'
objects behind them We're quite visi
BILE 1t was the nature OF these oh
jectS which made the mystery. Th'
longer Sweetwater examined them tn
less be understood the reason for thei
collection. much less for their preser
vation in room which in all othe
respects expressed the quintessence o
taste.
At one end he saw stuffed canary
not perched on twig. but lying prom
on its side Near il vas doll. wit
scorched face and limbs half cOnsum