The Springfield herald., 1912-03-22

II :.
y VIM detective"
LA&oa DO listen, Rand"
uXS urged. When you have
MHWO heard me out you can
refuse the case Just as
easily as you can now I'll take only
q minute or two of your time" +
We'll. get on with 1t, then. But
you know"
II know that you haven't a supersti-
tious cell In your brain. and thought
hadn't either, but when / tell you
that saw"
Rand smiles In that ironical way of
his, and hastily began another SEN
tence.
You know" said. that knew. in
n general way who the Danvers were.
because my mother lives within few
block of their house. However. they
have not occupied 1t for q long time.
for many years. as most OF his inter
ests were there. There is a caretaker
who has a cottage in the grounds. and
all the servants have been retained.
so that the place is beautifully kept
up. Mr.. Danvers died suddenly OF
some trouble which no one understood
and was buried on the other side-in
Italy, believe. The mother and Miss
Danvers, who is about twenty. and
her brother, who Is year younger,
have Just returned to America. with
the Intention of living in the spacious
old house where both Of the children
were born.
I "As you know, / went there to call
last night. They were evidently glad
to renew the acquaintance and tried
to make me feel very much at home.
but l soon saw that they were all
dreadfuly nervous. Suddenly there
was choking kind OF a scream from
the back of the house. Danvers and
rushed out, following the sound. He
seemed to know what to expect, for I
heard him mutter: MY God-again!
and he led me to a small hall back OF
the staircase. meeting. on our way. a
maid who gibbered out her terror at
US and then ran on.
NYou can smile, Rand, all you
please, but tell you what 1 saw-ac-
tually saw in that commonplace back
hall-would take that smile of of your
face. At first, 1t just seemed to me
that there was a very queer arrange
ment of shadows along the floor and
on the wall-and then l saw that
those shadows moved, and that they
made the figure of tall, thin man. !
couldn't make out what the motion
was like, until the shadow seemed
suddenly to intensity; both Danvers
and | backed out of that hall. and We
were cold with fear, Rand-say what
you like to me, but l tell you don't
want to see that shadow again, cut
ting its own throat with long. ugly
looking knife-ugh!"
as it always in the same placer"
y "Yes."
How Is the hall lighted?"
with single gas jet"
WAS the gas lit when you saw the
shadow
"Yes, but 1t was turned low"
where does the shadow appear
mean where, In relation to the posi-
tion of the gas jet?"
Beyond 1t as you look in from the
front entrance-down the hallway"
Does 1t ever appear when the gas
is not lit?"
"N-no, / think not"
How many servants have the Dan
vers?"
Five or six, think
Besides the caretaker?"
Yes"
Seven or eight, in al. Quite a
retinue for small family. Did you
say all the servants were retained dur
ing the years that the family were IN
Europe?"
Yes, they We're"
what was the nationality OF Dan
VERSE"
English or American, 1 suppose"
you suppose, eh? Where did you
say he died?"
He is buried in Italy. but l don't
know where he died.
Miss Danvers is dark, tropical
sort of looking girl. isn't she?'
"Why-yes; but how"
ITS the sort you always admire.
isn't it?"
"Yes, 1 must say I am rather par
tial to dark hair. being such sandy
haired Scotchy myself
THE boy is dark, too?'
mo he has light hair and pale blue
ewes. like his mother, but his skin is
swarthy. 1t makes an odd combina-
fJon"