The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-16
The Window By MARY, ROBERTS
 RINEHART
(Continued.)

 there are no closets or unused rooms where if there had been murder the body could be concealed?'
 4T neYersheard of any," Margery said, but I saw Wardrop's face change on the instant He stood drowning at the floor.
 Margery was beginning to show the effect of the long days strain. She began to cry little. and with an air of proprietorship that Presented some how Wardrop went over to her.
 ''You are going to lie down. Mar gery," he said, holding out his hand to help her up. Mrs. Mellon will come oyer to Aunt Letitia, and you must get some sleep" ssSleepr'. she said, with scorn, as he helped her to her feet. "Sleep when things like this are occurringi Father first and now dear old Aunt Jane! Harry, do you know where my father is?
 He faced her as if he had known the question must come and was prepared for it.
 sI know that he is all right, Margery. He has been-out of town. If it had not been for something unforeseen that-happened within the last few hours he would have been home to- day"
 She drew a long breath of relief.
 When they had both gone Hunter sat down on a trunk and drew out cigar that looked like bomb.
 T &1I ho went over to it. When he came back he had rather peculiar expression.
 .In the first place." he began, i've can take it for granted that unless she was crazy or sleepwalking she didn't go out in her night clothes, and there's nothing of hers missing. She wasn't taken In carriage, provided she was taken at all. There's not a mark of wheels on that drive newer than a week, and besides, you say you heard nothing" Nothing said positively.
 .Then unless she went away in balloon, where it wouldn't matter what she had on, she is still around the premises. It depends on how bad ly>she was hurt"
 "Are you sure it was she who was hurt?' I asked ''That print of a hand-that Is not Miss James,"
 In reply Hunter led the way down the stairs to the place where the stain on the stair rail stood out, ugly and distinct He put his own heavy hand Dn the rail just below lt..
 Suppose he said, suppose you grip something very hard, what hap pens to your handY'
 '1t spreads acknowledged, seeing what De meant.
 'sNow look at that stain. Look at Ae short fingers. Why, it's child's hand beside mine. The breadth is from pressure. It might be figured out this way. The fingers, you notice, point down the stairs. In some way, let us say, the. burglar, for want of better name, gets into the house. He used a ladder resting against that window by the chest of drawers"
 'Ladderr'I exclaimed.
 "Yes, there is pruning ladder there Now. then, he comes down these stairs and he has a definite object. He knows of something valuable in that cubby hole over the mantel in Miss Jane's room. How does he get in? The door into the upper hall is closed and bolt ed. but the door into the bathroom is open. From there another door leads into the bedroom, and it has no bolt only key. That kind of a lock is only a three minute delay or less Now, then, Miss Maitland was light sleeper. When she wakened she was too alarmed to scream. She tried to get to the door and was intercepted Finally she got out the way the in truder got in and ran along the hall. Every door was locked. In frenzy she ran up the attic stairs and was cap- tured up there. Which bears out Miss Margery's story of the footsteps back and forward.
 He brings her down the stairs again, probably half dragging her. Once she catches hold of the stair rail and holds desperately to it, leaving the staia here."
 But why did he bring her down?'' asked ''Why wouldn't he take what he was after and get awayT
 ,.She probably had to get the key of the iron. door. It was hidden, and time wRs valuable. If there was a scape- grace member of the family, for in- stance, who knew where the old lady kept money and who needed it badly. wbo knew all about the house and wko''-
 "Flemingr' I exclaimed, aghast.
 -''Or even our young friend Wardrop,". ,. Hunter said quietly. "He has an hour to account for. The trying to get in may have been a blind, and how do you know that what he says was sto- len out of his satchel was not what he had just got from the iron box over the mantel in Miss Maitland's room ? 0nethirty, Miss Margery says, when she heard the noise. One-ferty-five when you heard Wardrop at the shut ters. I tell you, Knox, it is one of two things, either that woman is dead somewhere in this house or she ran out of the hall door just before you went downstairs, and in that case the Lord only knows where she is. If there is a room anywhere that we have not ex. plored"-
 'T am inclined to think there ia" broke in, thinking of Wardrop's face A