The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-11-05

promptly. What Is II you want me %
dor"
way outside the door OF the ante room
and sleep there tonight. Tomorrow
/ will decide what further precautions
are necessary"
Very good, sir" said Parks. IN
get the cot up az once"
There is one ling more" I went
on. II have given the coroner my per-
sonal assurance that none of the serv-
ants will leave the house until after the
inquest. I suppose 1 can rely on them?'
"Oh, yes, sir. I'll see they UNDER
stand how important 1t Is"
Rogers, especially" I added. look
ing at him.
Il understand. sir" said Parks
quietly.
Very well. And now let us go down
and lock up those rooms"
They were still ablaze with light, but
boSh OF us faltered a little, I think. on
h threshold of the ante room. Fol
In tho middle of the floor stood a
stretches. and on II was an object COW
cred with a sheet, its outlines hor-
ribly suggestive. But I tool myself
in hand n entered. Park followed
me and closed the door.
The ante had two windows and
the beyond, which was a cor
ner one, had three. All Of them were
locked, but a pane OF glass seemed to
me an absurdly fragile barrier against
any one who really wisced to enter.
Aren't there some wooden shut
tiers for those w~indows?" I csked.
Yes, sir, they were taken down yes
terdsy and put in the basement. Shall
I get them?"i
IT think you'd better 1 said. "tTill
you need any help?" r.
mo. sir, they're not heavy. II you'll
wait here. you can snap the bolts into
place when 1 lift them up from the
outside"
Very WELL" 1 agreed. and Parks
hurried away.
I entered the inner room and stopped
before the Boule cabinet. There was
a certain air of arrogance about 1t,
as II stood there in that blaze OF light,
its inlay aglow with a thousand sub
tie reflections; a Haunting air, the air
Of a courtesan conscious of her beauty
and pleased to attract attention-just
the air with which Madame de Monte
span must have sauntered down the
mirror gallery at Versailles. ablaZe
with jewels, her skirts rustling, her
figure swaying suggestively. Some
thing threatening, too; something sin
lister. and deadly
There was a rattle at the window,
and l saw Parks lifting one Of the
shutters into place. 1 threw up the
sash and pressed the heavy bolts care
fully into their sockets, then closed the
sash and locked it. The two other win
dows were secured in their turn. and
with a last look about the room, I
turned out the lights. The ante DON
windows were soon shattered In the
same way and with a sigh Of relief
l told myself that no entrance to the
house could be had from that direc-
ton. With Parks outside the only
1nn~ tho nnTno nfI0hf Tn hA onfA frnrN
invasion.
Then. before extinguishing the lights,
I approached that silent figure on the
stretcher, lifted the sheet and looked
for the last time upon the
face OF my dead friend. 1t was no
longer staring and terrible, but calm
and peaceful as in sleep-almost smil-
ing. With wet eyes and contracted
throat, l covered the face again, turned
out the lights and left the room. Parks
met ME in the hall, carrying q cot,
which he placed close across h door
way. &tSNt
There" he said r'nobody will get
into that room without my knowing
it,"
NO" l agreed; and then a sudden
thought occurred TO me. Parks" I
said, rs it true that there. Is a burglar
alarm on all the windows"
Yes, sir. 1t rings a bell in Mr.. VAN
tines bed room, and another in mine,
and sends in a call to the. police"
Us 1t working?"
Yes, sir; Mr.. Vantine himself tested
it this evening Just before dinner"
Then why didn't it work when
opened those windows just now?"
demanded.
Parks laughed.
Because I threw off the switch, cir"
he explained, when l came out to get
the shutters. The switch is in a little
iron box o the wall just back Of the
stairs, sir. It's one Of my duties to
turn 1t IN every night before / go to
bed"
I breathed a sigh Of relief.
rs IL on again, now?"
1T certainly is, sir. After what YOU
told me, I'd not be likely to forget it."
You'd better have a weapon handy.
too" / suggested.
IT have a revolver. sir"
That's good. And don't hesitate to
use it. I'm going home-Tm dead
tired"
shall I call a cab. sir?"
mo, the walk will do me good. III
see you tomorrow"
Parks helped me into my coast and
opened the door for me. CHANGING
back, after a moment, I saw that he
was standing on the steps gazing after
me, / could understand his reluctance
to go back into that death haunted
house: and / found myself breathing
deeply with the relief Of getting out Of
1t.