Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-03
The Room
By Wadsworth Camp.

| Granam WnlSpcIcu. AHe III
chance, we'll destroy it so that no
trace will be left
They went to the hall. Without
speaking, Katherine climbed the
stairs. Graham drew chair between
Paroles and the doctor. Bobby
lounged gainst the mantel, trying
to find in the Panamanian's face
some clue as to his real feelings.
But Parede's eyes were closed. His
hand dropped across the chair arm.
His slender, pointed fingers held,
as if from mere habit, a iiteless
cigarette.
asleep" Graham whispered.
Without opening his eyes Paroles
spoke. mo, / feel curiously awake y
He yawned.
Doctor Groom glanced at his
watch. "The powers of prosecu-
tion," he grumbled, Ought to be
here within the next IS or 20 min
utes."
Bobby glanced at Graham. Then
it wasn't safe to delay too long.
More and more as he waited he
shrank from the invasion of the
room of death. The prospect Of
reaching out and touching the still
cold thing on the bed revolted him.
Was there anything in that room
capable of forbidding his intention?
Was there, in short, surer, more
malicious force for evil than his I'M
conscious self, at work in the house?
He was about to make some formal
comment to the others, to embark
on his distasteful adventure, when
Paroles, as if he had read Bobby's
mind opened his eyes, languldlv
left his chair, and walked to the
foot of the stairs.
where you goingi" Graham ask
ed sharply.
Paroles waved his hand indiffer-
entity and walked on up. There
was something of stealth in his fail
ure to reply, in his cat-like tread
on the stairs. Graham and Bobby
stared after him, unable to meet
this new situation audibly because of
Groom. Yet five minutes had gone.
There was no time to be lost. Par
edes mustn't rob Bobby of his
chance. With a sort of desperation
he started for the stairs. Graham
held out his hand as if to restrain
him, then nodded. Bobby had his
foot on the first step when Rather
ines cry reached them, shaping the
moment to their use. For there
was no fright in her cry. 1t was.
rather, anger. And Bobby and Ora
ham ran up while Doctor Groom
remained in his chair, an expression
of blank amazement on his face.
A candle burned on the table in
the upper hall. Katherine and Par
edes stood near the entrance OF the
old corridor. Paroles. as usual was
quite unruffled. Katherine's attitude
was defensive. She seemed to hold
the corridor against him. The anger
of her cry was active in her eyes.
Paroles laughed lightly.
Sorry to have given the house
hold one more shock. Fortunately
no harm done"
what is it. Katherine? Graham
demanded.
Il don't know" she answered. "He
startled me. He entered the corri-
dor"
Paroles nodded.
"Quite right. She was there. I
was on my way to my room. If
your house had electricity, Bobby,
this incident would have been avoid
ed. I saw something dark in the
corridor"
"You may not know" Graham
said, that ever since we found
Howells, one of US has tried, mo.
or less, to keep the entrance to that
room under observation"
"Yet you were all downstairs a
little while ago." Paroles yawned.
ITS too bad. ] might have taken
my turn then. At any rate, since !
was excluded from your confidence.
| overcame my natural fear, and. for
Bobby's sake, slipped in, and, l am
afraid, startled Miss Katherine"
eyes," she said.
His explanation was reasonable.
There was nothing more to be said.
but Bobby's doubt of his friend,
sown by Graham and stimulated by
the incidents of the last hour. was
materially strengthened. He felt
sharp fear of Paroles. Such reserve
such concealment of emotion, was
scarcely human.
Tf," Graham was saying, "you
really want to help Bobby, there is
something you can do. Will you
come downstairs with me for a
moAent? I'd like to suggest one or
two things before the police arrive"
! Without hesitation Paroles fol-
\ lowed Graham down the stairs.
Katherine turned Immediately to
Bobby. her eyes eager, full of the
tense determination that had dictat-
ed her plan in the library.
| Nov, Bobby~ she whispered.
"And there's no time to waste. They
may be here any minute. l won't
see you go, but I'll be back at
once to guard you against Paroles
if he slips up again"
| She walked across the hall and
disappeared in the newer corridor
Without witness he faced the oil
corridor, and with the attempt di-
rectiy ahead his repugnance achiev-
ed a new power. The blank en-