, 1913-01-02
ana smiled.

II have made you a Maitland" he
said ~ didn't think that anything
but a prodigal nature could duplicate
Miss Letitia's nose. I'm honestly sorry,
Mr.. Knox. and II you do not want
Miss Jane at that bump with a cold
silver knife and some butter. you'd
better duck before she comes down
Goodby. Margie."
think the girl was as much bafled
as l was by the change in his manner
when he spoke to her. His smile fad
ed and he hardly met her eyes. I
thought hat his aloofness puzzled ra.
door had closed behind him, she drop,
ped her chin in her hand and looked
ACROSS the table.
you did not tell me the truth last
night. Mr.. Knox" she said. "Some.
thing has happened to Harry"
HE was robbed of his travelling
bag" I explained on Fred's theory that
half a truth is better than a poor lie.
His travelling bagr' she repeated
scornfully. mir. Knox. something has
happened to my father. and you and
Harry are hiding it from me-"
ION my honor. it is nothing of the
sort" l FASTENED to assure her. 81
saw him for only a few minutes, just
long enough for him to wreck my ap'
pearance."
He did not speak of father" d.
mo"
She got up and. crossing to the wood
en- mantel. put her arms upon 1t and
leaned her head against them. 81
wanted to ask him." she said drearily,
but l am afraid to. Suppose he
doesn't know and I should tell him.
He would go to Mr.. Schwartz at once,
and Mr.. Schwartz Ia treacherous- The
papers would get 1t, too"
Her eyes filed with tears. and / felt
as awkward as a man always does
when a m begins to cry.
IL didn't sleep much" she explained,
dabbing at her eyes 'Mr. Knox, are
you sure 1t was only Harry trying to
get into the house last uight?"
"Only Harry" l repeated.
'sThere was some one moving about
upstairs not long before l came down"
she said slowly.
"You heard me. l almost fell down
the stairs"
ibid you brush past my door and
strike the knobf' she demanded.
mo. was not neal any door"
VERY WELL" triumphantly. Some
one did. Not only that. but they were
in the storeroom on b door above.
could hear one person. and perhaps
two. going from n side of the room
to the other and back again.
you heard a goblin quadrille. First
couple forward and back" I said face
tiously.
81 heard real footsteps-unmistak-
able ones"
l was more impressed than I cared to
show.
We crept past the two closed doors
behind which the ladies Maitland were
presumably taking out their crimps
and taking in their tea. Then up a mar.
row.. obtrusively clean stairway to the
upper floor. II was an old fashioned
sloping rooted attic. with narrow win
dows and a bare floor At one n II
door opened into n large room, and in
there were the family trunks OF o
generations of Maitlands one on an
other they were all piled there little
hair trunks. SQUAD topped trunks. nuge
sarntogas Of the period when the two
maiden ladies' were in their inte teens
and there were handsome. modern
trunks too For Miss Fleming's salts
faction ! made nm examination Of the
ROOM. but II showed nothing.
We gave up finally Part way down
the attic stairs Margery stopped. her
eyes fixed on the white scrubbed rail
Folio wing her gaze, | stopped, too. anu
i felt a sort OF chill go over me. No
spot or blemish. no dirty finger print
marked the Wilderness of thai stair rail
except In one place. On IL. clear and
distinct, every line of the palm show.
ing. was the reddish imprint of n hand!
Margery had turned very white,
When the first revulsion had passed. ]
reached over and touched the stain.
1t vas quite dry. of course. but 1t was
still reddish brown. Hunter said after.
ward 1t must have been about six
hours old, and as things TRANSFERRED, he
was right The stain showed a hand
somewhat short and broad. with widen.
ed finger tips: marked in ink. 1t would
not nave struck me so forcibly, per
haps. but there, Its ugly red against
the white wood. 1t seemed to me to he
the imprint of a brutal. murderous
hand.
We went on downstairs into the
quiet and peace of the dining o
got some hot coffee for Margery. for
M m