The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-09-19
fcon,lnaed From Our Last issue)
BY CAROLYN WELLS

II H. iutuknN w NhN ttttf IN
returned 10 my pondoring, more
hyaterical women more Potter
gcintl wish | did believe In the
II would work on,
SO beautifully. The yellow hand
tho Hand OF Revenge. CLASSY called
it-turning on the dcath-dealins
gas. and then leaving a ring from
It's finger az a sign manual-slgn
IL good" smiled nj my
own unlntentional bon mot.
what did vida sayI" asked
Janet Field. stopping at my door q
few moments later.
Come in. SIT down" she did
and told her what tho maid had
said. and also how | wished ! could
feel that tho problem was thus
solved.
~ sign manual" she repeated
rs ! adroltly brought In my clever
phrase. doesn't that mean the
sign OF tho handf"
Elm a way. yes. And n the hand
% revenge brought about Mary
bellies death. tho ring was left In
evidence"
How you talk" Janet nhud.
dercd. "Why don't you drop that
ghost foolishness and find out
something realT"
well. listen. then. while | sum
up, As | make II. five theories may
be tenable. Accident. suicide"
''oh. she never"
wait minute. please. Five
I said. Accident. Suicide
Murder. pol,ergeist and Hypno.
tism. The first we all agree is Inn
possible. Tho second. none OF us
beliovss after reading her letters
and diary. Poltergoist is rubbish
isn't it7"
IL suppose So"
-Hyrnotism equally sou
Il don't know. Hypnotinm IL .
very real thing"
Yes. but granted your hypno
,ixed murderer. how could he get
lny"
True enough. but how could an
murderer get I'M"
Il don't know. That IL my
problem. Hut l contend II In cas-
Ter for a clever. widc-awake villain
30 pass thru tho eye of needle
than an unconscious slcepwalker
by the way. did Marybelle ever
walk in her sleepT"
Not that I know o. Would
that open up a new theory"
at might. Tho don't see how
she could slcepwsik In any way to
reach that chandelier"
Nor l."
Look hero. Miss Field" Janet
was a good listener. suppose the
murderer was concealed IN the
room. say. from dusk on. or. from
dinner time on"
Eyes" prompted Janet. eagerly
And suppose he stayed con.
reaied--but would Marybelle hunt
Tor burglarsr'
mo. she wasn't tina, sort. And
she was a bit ear-siEhted. you
know. She wouldn't SEQ your In
frufer. Go on"
We'll. and suppose. at 4 o'clock
hs. being a very tall man. or hav.
Ing crooked umbrella or other
Implement. turned on the gas and
softly got away"
Yes"
"oh. don't know how he locked
tho door behind him. any more
than you do, DO stop looking tri.
rmphant over that point, Nobody
knows how he locked the door be-
hind hint But I'm going TO find
luti"
Perhaps you will. Mr.. Prali."
md Janet looked rcproved. But
think"
VIVA. do you Think" de-
as she hesitatcd
Il am not supers,itious." she
vent on. but can see no pos
.ible solution but the-what was
he phrase1 the Hand OF Revenge. ="
She went away. and ! devoted
'ully ten precious minutes 10 con.
OF the supernatural a. a
instrument. And 7
couldn't make myself believe In Il.
so gave II up.
came back TO thoughts Of the
practical and tho material. ! pom
tered even more deeply than be
ore. had n genius for detection
was my genius going 10 fail met
Sos knew II was not. but when.
,h. when. would Il get 10 burning7
I remembered that Lowell had
declared that Poe had two OF the
prime qualities OF genius--"a fac
ilty OF vigorous yet minute
analysis and a wonderful fecundlty
" imagination"
HIM. my genius should show
hose two qualities also. more
,ver. II should begin TO exhibit
hem right away.
looked around tho room with
q gaze OF vigorous yet minute
analysis. I divided II into its ak
'ides. mean, tho ceiling. floor
Ind four walls. | reconstructed the
scenes OF that night. With wonder.
hi fecundity OF Imagination. ! saw
happily writing her let.
.ers. confiding to her diary. laying
Put her riding.habit for next day.
hiding her pearl necklace, locking
md boiling doors and windows.
and. finally. disrobing and switch
ing off the electric lights. and
Iying down with n smiling face and
OF happy dreams.
And then, in thru one Of those
six sides came the murderer. who
turned on the fateful gas and went
away as he had como. Was II
thru floor. ceiling. or ono of the
tour walls7 Two walls had doors,
two had windows: floor and cell.
Ing had no apertures. Yet thru
Dne OF the six sides OF the cube the
murderer had entered, and ! should
discover which. My problem was