The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-08-06

stafrsY
-Ah reckon he's out In one o. ther
cabins, sah-he done don't sleep In the
house nohow."
He doesn't sleep here! WhyY
.Ah spect It's cause he's afeerd, too.
sah." she replied. her snaky eyes show
ing. -Ah's a yoodoo. an All don't care
bout 'em tall, but good Lor. dar amt
no white man wants ter stay In des
yere house more'n one night"
She laughed, q weird. grating laugh
and started downstairs. l stood still.
watching her light disappear. Then,
swearing at myself for a coward,
stepped back into my own room and
closed the door.
This revealment Of conditions left
me thoroughly puzzled was not
frightened at the situation. for large
Iy attributed the fear shown by both
Pete and Sallis to negro superstition.
But Bill Coonbs was q very different
proposition He was of the hard head.
ed kind. not to be easily alarmed By
visionary terrors, and yet he was man-
ifestiy afraid to sleep In the house. 1
was sufficiently acquainted with bis
type to comprehend there must be
some real cause driving him to retreat
to the negro cabins for rest
| sat there for some time smoking.
endea voring to think It all over cooiiy
and listening intently. At 6rst could
distinguish the rattle of dishes down
stairs as Sallie cleared the table, and.
a little later. heard Mrs. Bernard NOV
ing about uneasily In her room across
the hall But at last these sounds
ceased and the house became still.
removed a portion of my clothing and
lay down on the bed. q certain uneasf.
ness preventing me from undressing
entirely. | was tired. but with little
inclination for sleep. Could there be
any truth In Mrs. Demands question
ing Of the motives actuating the man
who had sent US here? Had we come
mere pawns IN some game Of crime
deceived. perhaps betrayed to arrest7
Was CoOmbs here merely to witch Us
and report to Neale and Vail how We
carried out our part Of the bargafnf
The affair certainly looked altogether
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 afo0t. 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.
1t was after I o'clock before fell
into q drOwsy sleep.
Indeed. 1t hardly seemed to me that
had entirely lost consciousness when
| was jerked bolt upright by the sharp
report Of hrearm. For a single In
slant ! imagined the shot fred within
my room: then ! sprang to the door
and nung II open. peertng out into the
ball. 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 a
strange preriionition that ! was not
alone. There was an automatic pistol
In the pocket Of my coat, and ! step
ped back after 1t. picking up the lamp
on my return. determined On a thor.
0ugh examination of the upper story.
There was no doubt about the shot
the sound WINS no effect Of a dream. I
wondered II the girl had been awak-
ened by the report and paused to lis
ten at her door. but no sound reached
me from within.
/ moved down the hall cautiously, re-
| GREETING the need Of a lamp. but the
place was strange. and dare not ven
ture about In the dark.
The first doors ] came to were ajar.
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
can't 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
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 a 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 rear Of the house, was tightly
closed. set my lamp down well out
of sight and gripped my pistol before
attempting to, manipulate the knob. 1t
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 a 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 dame 30 the
light was thrown forward into the
room. A single glance revealed every
thing The table. q common deal at
fair, contained two bottles. one half
oiled. and three dirty glasses. together
with a pack Of disreputable looking
cards, some of these scattered about
the door. 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 q man curled up In ball on the
floor as q dog lies. his face hidden In
his arms. That he was dead knew at
q glance.
This murderer was II suicide7-had