The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1914-07-01

Was COombs here merely to watch us
and report to Neale and Vail how we
carried out our part OF the bargainI
The affair certainly looked altogether
different now | was upon the ground.
although | could figure out no posi-
BILE object those men could have. At
least they could accomplish nothing
without my cooperation. and If dis
covered any evil afOot. ! could block
Them Instantly was there to save
this property for the rightfuI heir and
was determined now to see that Philip
Henley received all that was due him.
II was after O'Clock before | fell
into Il drowsy sleep.
Indeed. it hardly seemed to me that
! had entirely lost consciousness when
| was jerked bolt upright by the sharp
report of firearm For a single in
slant Imagined the shot fred within
my room: then sprang to the door
and fung 1t open. peering out into the
hall Everything was still. the rays
from my lamp barely extending to the
head OF the stairs. could neither see
nor hear anything. and yet ! had
strange premOnition that | was not
alone There was an automatic pistol
In the pocket Of my coat. and ] step
ped back after II. picking up the lamp
ON my return. determined on thor
ough examination OF the upper story.
There was no doubt about the shot
the sound was no effect of dream.
wondered If the girl had been awak-
ened by the report and paused to lis
ten at her door. but no sound reached
me fram within.
mo7e1 down the hall cautiously, re-
GREETING the need Of lamp. but the
place was strange, and ] dare not ven
ture about In the dark.
The first doors ! came to were a5ar.
but the moon was at the back Of the
house. and was obliged to enter each
apartment and flash my light into the
corners to make sure they were va
cant These were medium sized bed
rooms, comfortably furnished. al
though containing nothing new. Only
one exhibited any evidence OF late &C.
cupancy, being In considerable disor-
| der. the bed unmade some discarded
garments strewn about the door.
Some man had been sleeping up here
| lately. and 1t was not Coombs. but q
much smaller Individual. This knowl
edge made me even more cautious as
| tiptoed down the hall. now narrowed
by the back stairway. The first door
opened into bathroom. the tub half
full of dirty water. a mussed towel on
the floor. The last door, leading to a
room apparently extending clear across
the reaf of the house, was tightly
closed set my lamp down well out
of sight and gripped my pistol before
attempting to manipulate the knob. II
opened noiselessly. Moonlight stream
ed through one window where the cur
tain was not closely drawn. but the
gloom was too dense to reveal much of
| the shrouded interior | could dimly
perceive table and some chairs. one
overturned There was no movement.
however. no sign of present occupancy
Convinced as to this. | slipped back
for my lamp. shading the tame so the
light was thrown forward into the
room. A single glance revealed every
thing The table. a common deal af-
fair, contained two bottles. one half
filed. and three dirty glasses. together
with pack of disreputable looking
cards. some of these scattered about
the floor. There was no other furni-
ture. and the walls were bare, dirty
gray color. But what my eyes rested
upon In sudden horror was the body
of man curled up in ball on the
floor as a dog lies. his face hidden In
his arms That he was dead ] knew at
| n plnpca