Putnam patriot., 1915-01-22


 ed kind. not to be easily alarmed by visionary terrors. and yet he was man. ifestly afraid to sleep in the house. 1 was sufficiently acquainted with his type to comprehend there must be some real cause driving him to retreat ts the negro cabins for rest
 I sat there for some time smoking. endeavoring to think 1t all over coolly and listening intently. At first 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. l removed portion of my clothing and lay down on the bed a certain uneasi- ness preventing me from undressing entirely. was tired but with little inclination for sleep Could there be any truth in Mrs Bernard's question ing of the motives aetuating the man who had sent us here? Had we come mere pawns in some game Of crime deceived. perhaps betrayed to arrestg Was Coombs here merely to wstch Us and report to Neale and Vail how we carried out our part of the bargain? The affair certainly looked altogether different now l was upon the ground. although l could figure out no poSSi- ble object those men could have. At least they could accomplish nothing without my cooperation, and, if dis covered any evil afoot. 1 could block them instantly. 1 was there to save this property for the rightful heir and was determined now to see that Philip Henley received all that was due him. It was after l o'clock before l fell into drowsy sleep.
 Indeed. it hardly seemed to me that I had entirely lost consciousness when I was ierked bolt upright by the sharp report of firearm For single in- stant l imagined the shot fired within nay room; then sprang to the door md flung it 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 a strange premonition that l was not alone. There was an automatic pistol in the pocket of my coat. and step ped back after it. picking up the lamp on my return. determined on thor ough examination of the upper story. There was no douht about the shot the sound was no effect of a dream. wondered if the girl had been awak- ened by the report and paused to lis ten Ut her door, but no sound reached me from within.
 I moved down the hall cautiously. re gretting the need of lamp, but the place was strange, and l dare not ven ture about in the dark.
 The first doors 1 came to were ajar, but the moon was at the back of the house. and l 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 oe- eupancy. being in considerable disor- der. the bed unmade. some discarded garments strewn about the floor.
 
 lately, and it was not Goombs 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 bathroom. the tub half full of dirty water, mussed towel on the floor The last door, leading to room apparently extending clear across the rear of the house. was tightly closed l 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 sbrouded interior l could dimly perceive table and some chairs. one overturned There was no movement. however, no sign of present occupancy. Convinced as to this. l slipped back for my lamp. shading the flame so the light was thrown forward into the room A single glance revealed every thing The table, common deal ar fair, contained two bottles. one half filed. and three dirty glasses. together with a 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 d man cnrled mp in ball on the floor as dog lies. his face hidden ill his arms. That he was dead knew at a glance.
 This murder-or was it suicide?-had occurred within ten minutes. turned the man over. revealing q bearded face. the features prominent but refined. He was no ordinary rough. and his cloth ing was of excellent material He had been shot in the back of the head.
 It was murder then-murder, Even as struggled with the horror sudden gust of wind extinguished the lamp. and I gripped the table, staring about in the haunted darkness. moment and my eyes adapted themselves to the new environment the moonlight streaming through the open window and across the mans body. With heart quaking like a frightened girl stole across the floor and glanced out. sin gle story extension, probably the kitch- en roof. was below. kneeling upon this the assassin could easily fire into the room Beyond the pale moonshine revealed a patch of grass. weed en- tangled garden. and behind these dense forest growth To the right of