, 1914-12-17

$opyElEuI IhiAt Dy MARY HCb0rtn a
p Rtnehart- 4
saw | need not look to him for
help. and | succeeded in turning on the
light in the swinging lamp in the cen
ter of the cabin. There was no sign OF
any struggle. and the cabin was empty.
I went back to the captains body and
threw a rug over 1t. Then ! reached
over and shook Singleton by the arm.
"Do something's 1 raved. Call the
crew. Get somebody here. you drunk
en- fool!'
He rose and staggered up the COM
~panionway, and I ran to Miss Lees
door. 1t was closed and locked. as
were all the others except vair's and
the one ! had broken open. / reached
Mr.. Turner's door last. 1t was locked
and got no response to my knock. I
remembered that his room and Wallis
connected through a bath. and, still
holding my revolver leveled, | ran into
Wallis o again. this time turning on
the light.
A night light was burning in the
bathroom and the door beyond was
unlocked | flung 1t open and stepped
In. Turner was lying on his bed. fully
dressed. and at first ! thought he. too.
had been murdered. But he was in a
drunken stupor. he sat up. daxed.
when shook him by the arm.
Mr.. Turner" | cried IrI to rouse
yourself. man. The captain has been
murdered, and Mr.. VAIL"
He made an effort to sit VI. swayed
and fell back again. His face was
swollen and purplish. his eyes con-
gested. He made an effort to speak.
but failed to be Ineligible. I had no
time to waste. Somewhere on the Ella
the murderer was loose. he must be
found.
l flung out Of Turner's cabin as the
crew, gathered from the f~orecastle and
from the decks. crowded down the for
ward companionway. l ran my eye
over them. Every man was there.
Singleton below by the captains body.
the crew, silent and horror struck.
grouped on the steps; Clarke. McNa-
mara, Burns. Oleson and Adams. Be
hind the crew, Charlie Jones had left
the wheel and stood peering down until
sharply ordered back. Williams, with
a bandage on his head. and Tom. the
mulatto cook. were in the group.
stood, revolver in hand, staring ut
the men, Among them. 1 felt sure.
was the murderer. But which one?
All were equally pale. equally terrified.
Boys" l said. Mr.. Vail and your
captain have been murdered. The
murderer must.be on the ship-one of
ourselves" There was a murmur at
that "Mr. Singleton. l suggest that
these men stay together in a body and
that no n be allowed to go below IN
til all have been searched and all
weapons taken from them"
Singleton had dropped into a chair
and sat with his face buried In his
hands, his back to the captains body.
He looked up without moving. and his
face was gray.
"All right" be said. "Do as you
like. I'm sick"
After the men had gone l knocked at
Mrs. Turner's door. 1t was some time
before she reused. When she an
swered her voice was startled.
"What is lit"
Its Leslie. Mrs. Turner. Will you
come to the door,"
what is wrong?'
l told her as gently as l could. l
thought she would faint. but she pulled
herself together and. leaving the door.
went into her sisters room, next. 1
heard Miss Lees low cry Of horror.
and almost immediately the two wo-
men zane to the doorway.
"Have you seen Mr.. TurnerY' Miss
Lee demanded.
Just now"
Gall the maids. Leslie" she said
quietly.
l went the length of the cabin and
into the chart room. The maids room
was here, on the port side and thus
aft of Mrs. Turner's and Miss Lees
rooms. II, had one door only and two
small barred windows. one above each
Of the two hunks. l knocked at the
maids door and. finding it unlocked.
opened it an inch or 30.
"KarenT' | called-and. receiving no
answer. "Mrs. SloaneP' the steward.
e68).
I opened the door wide and glanced
In. Karen Hansen. the maid. was on
the door. dead. The stewardess, in
collapse from terror. was In her bunk,
uninJured.
I went to the after companionway
and called up to the men to send the
FIRST mate down, but Burns came In
stead.
"Singleton's sick" he explained.
"He's up there in a corner. with Ole
son and Mcnamara holding him.
Burns" | said cautiously, "I've
found another!'
"God. Not one OF the womenY'
"One OF the maids-Karen."
Burns was a young fellow about my
own age, and to this point he had