Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-06
Robinson faced an empty chair. The

Robinson faced an empty chair. The
hall was pungent with cigarette
smoke, but Paroles had gone.
Robinson pointed to the stairs.
Get him down." he said to Raw
Inns.
HE wouldn't have gone to bed.
Graham suggested. Suppose he's
in the old room where Howell'
lies?"
But Rawlins found him nowhere
upstairs. With an increasing excite
ment Robinson joined the search
They went through the entire house.
Paroles was no longer there. He
had, to all appearances, put a period
to his unwelcome visit. He had
definitely disappeared from the &C.
dars.
His most likely exit was through
the kitchen door which was unlock
ed, but jenkins who had returned
to his room heard no one. With
their electric lamps Robinson and
Rawlins ferreted about the rear en-
trance for traces. The path there
was as trampled and useless as the
one in front. Rawlins, who had
gone some distance from the house,
Strengthened with a satisfied excla-
nation. The others joined him.
Here's where he left the path
right enough" he said. "And our
foreigner wasn't making any more
noise than he had to-"
He flashed his lamp on a fresh
foot in the soft soil at the side of the
path. The mark Of the toe was deep
and firm. The impression Of the
heel was very light. Paroles. it
was clear, had walked fom the house
on tiptoe.
Follow on" Robinson command
ed. 81 told this fellow l wanted to
question him. I've scared him off"
Keeping his light on the ground,
Rawlins led the way across the
clearing. The trail was simple
enough to follow. Each of the Pam
amanian's footprints was distinct.
Each had that popularity that sug-
gested the stealth of his progress.
As they continued Bobby respond
ed to an excited premonition. He
sensed the destination of the chase.
He could picture Paroles now in the
loneliest portion of the woods, for
the trail unquestionably pointed -
the path he had taken that afternoon
toward the stagnant lake.
Hartley" he said, "Paredes left
the house to go to the stagnant lake
where l fancied l saw a woman in
black. Do you see? And he dicr't
hear the crying of woman little
while ago, and when we told him
he became restless. He wandered
about the hall talking of ghosts"
"A rendezousw Graham answered.
"He may have been waiting for just
that The crying may have been a
signal. Perhaps you'll believe now,
Bobby, that the man has had an
undetermined purpose in staying
here"
1--WE made too many hasty judg-
ments in my life, Hartley. I'll go
slow on this. III wait until we see
what we find at the lake"
Rawlins snapped off his light. The
little party paused at the black en-
trance of the path into the thicket.
Hes buried himself in the
woods" Rawlins said.
They crowded instinctively closer
in the sudden darkness. A brisk
wind had sprung up. 1t ratified
among thte trees and set the dead
leaves in gentle, rustling motion.
1t suggested to Bobby the picture
which had been forced into his brain
the night of his grandfather's death.
The moon now possessed less light,
but it reminded him again of a
drowning face and through the dark
ness he could fancy the trees strain
ing in the wind like puny men.
Abruptly the thought of penetrating
the forest became frightening. The
silent loneliness Of the stagnant lake