The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-12-23
II De1ecfi,Je Story
By BURTON 3. STEVENSON
CHAPTER vIu.-(continued.o

HHI
Ny nerves grew calner, presently.
n l was able to think commercially of
the events of the night, but there were
TWO things which, looked at from any
angie, l could not understand. One
was SWANS dazed and incoherent
manner; the other vas the absence of
servants.
AS to Swain. I believed him to
be a we'll poised fellow, not easily
upset, and certainly not subject to
attacks of nerves. What had hap
pened to him, then, to reduce him
he had ceme back to us over the
wall. and in which he was still
plunged? The discovery of the murder
and of Miss Vaughan's senseless body
might have accounted for 1t, but
his incoherence had antedated that
unless. indeed. he knew of the murder
before he left the grounds. That
thought ave me a sudden shock, and
I put it away from me, not daring to
pursue tt farther.
AS to HI house, Its deserted condi-
ton seemed sinister and threatening.
1t was absurd to uppos that an estab-
lishment such as this could be carried
on without servants. or with less than
three or four. But where We're they?
And then I remembered that Godfrey
and I had not completed u explora-
ton of the house. We had stopped at
the gruesome room where the adept
and his serpent gazed unWinking into
the crystal sphere. There was at least
one suite on the same floor we a not
looked into, and no doubt there were
other rooms on the attic floor above.
But that any one could have slept on
undisturbed by those piercing screams
n by our coningS nj goingS seemed
unbelievable. Perhaps there were sep
arate quarters in the grounds some
where
And then. without conscious will of
my own. I felt my body stiffen and my
fingers grip my pipe conJulsively. A
slow tremor seemed to start from the
end of my spine, travel UP 1T, n pass
off across my scalp. There was some
one in the room behind rle; someone
with cleaning eyes fixed upon me; and
/ sat there rigidly. straining my ears,
expecting l knew not what-a blow
upon the head. a cord 0 the neck
A rapid step came up the walk and
Godfrey appeared suddenly out of the
darkness.
wei Lester" he began; but I
sprang to my feet and faced the room,
for I could have sworn that I had
heard behind me the rustic of a silken
dress. But there was no n there ex-
cept Swain and Miss Vaughan and the
dead man-and non of them had
moved.
What is it?" Godfrey asked, step
ping past me into the room.
There was SOllGOue there, IOQlTey,
l said. I'm sure of It'll felt some
one-I felt his eyes on me-and then,
as you spoke, l heard the rustic of Il
Dress
"Of a dress?'
cor of a robe" and my thoughts
were OF the bearded man upstairs.
Godfrey glanced at me, crossed the
room, and looked out into the hall.
Then he turned back to me.
Well. whoever it was" he said, and
l could see that he thought my ears
had deceived me. che has made good his
escape. There'n be a doctor and a
nurse here in a few minutes, and I got
Simmonds and told him to bring Gold
berger along. He can't get here for
an hour anyway. And I've got a chang
here for SWAIN he added, with a
gesture toward some garments he car
ried over one arm: also a bracer to be
administered to him." and he drew a
flask from his pocket and handed it to
me. Maybe you need one, yourself
he added, smiling drily. since you've
taken to hearing rustling robes"
Il do I said, though not on that
account and 1 raised the flask to my
lips and took a long swallow.
Suppose you take Swain UP to the
bath roorn,' Godfrey suggested, and
help him to get cleaned up. I'll go down
to the gate and wait for the DOCTOR
The gates probably locked"
Il thought of that" and he drew a
small but heavy hammer from his
pocket. I'll smash the lock. if there's
no other way. I'd like you to get Swain
into shape before anyone arrives" he
added. Flies not a prepossessing OBJ
ject as he is"
No, he isn't" I agreed, looking at
him. and I took the garments which
over to Swain and put the flask into
his uniniured hand. Take a drink of
that 1 said.
He did not understand at first; then
he put the flask to his lips and drank
eagerly-so eagerly that I had to draw
1t away. He watched me longingly as
l screwed on the cap n slipped it
into my pocket; n there was more
color in his face and a brighter light
in his eyes.
NOW, come along" I said, and get
that cut fixed up
He rose obediently and followed me
out into the hail. Godfrey had pre-
ceded us. found the light switch after
a brief search. and turned it on.
There's a switch in the bath room,
too, no doubt" he said. Bring him
down again, as soon as you get him
fixed up. You'll find some cotton and
gauze in one of the pockets Of the
coat"
Swain followed me up the stair and
into the bath room. He seemed to UNI
derstand what I intended doing, for he
Invested himself of coat and shirt and
was soon washing arms and face Wig
orously. Then he dried himself, and
stood patiently while I washed and
bandaged the cut on the wrist. 1t was
not II deep one. n had about stopped
bleeding.
Feel better" I asked.
YES" he said, and without waiting
for me to tell him. slipped into the
clean shirt which Godfrey had
brought, attached h collar and tied
the tie. all this quite composedly and
without hesitation or clumsiness.
Yet 1 felt. in some ~indefinable way,
that something was seriously wrong
with him. His eyes We're vacant
n his face labby, as though
the muscles were relaxed 1t gave me
the feeling that his intelligence was
relaxed, too
He picked up his own coat, but I
stopped him.
Don't put tina on I said. speak
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