Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-07
CHAPTER XVII.
Who Crept in the Private Staircas

wind. The thicket from which it
seemed to issue assumed in the pal
lid moonlight new unfriendliness.
lnstinctively the six men moved
closer together. The coroner's thin
tones expressed his alarm:
What the devil was that? | don't
really believe there could be a
woman around here"
"A queer one" the detective
grunted.
The district attorney questioned
Bobby and Graham.
That's the voice you heard from
the house?"
Graham nodded
Perhaps not so far away"
DR.. Groom, hitherto more cap
tured than any Of them by the I'M
minence OF a spiritual responsibility
for the mystery OF the Cedars, was
the first now to reach for a rational
explanation OF this new phase.
We mustn't let our iances run
away with us. The coroner's right
for once. No excuse for woman
hiding in that thicket. A bird, may
be, or some animal"
Sounded more like human be-
ing" Robinson objected
The detective reasoned in a steady
unmoved voice: Only a mad wo-
man would wander through the
woods, crying like that without a
special purpose This man Paroles
has left the house and come through
. here. I'd guess is was a signal"
Graham and | had thought of
that" Bobby said.
"Howells was sharp one" Rob-
inson unused, but he must have
gone wrong on this fellow. He
'phoned me the man knew nothing.
Spoke of him as a foreigner who
lolled around smoking cigarets and
trying to make a fool of him with
lot of talk about ghosts"
"Howells," Graham said, mis-
judged this case from the start. He
wasn't to blame, but his mistake
cost him his life
Robinson didn't answer. Bobby
saw that the man had discarded his
intolerant temper. Fran that change
he drew a new hope. He accepted
it as the beginning of fulfllment of
his prophecy last night that an acct
dent to Howells and the entrance of
a new man into the case would give
him a fighting chance. 1t was clear
" Paroles at the moment who filled
the district attorneys mind.
go after him." he said shortly to
Rawlins. IF you can get away with
it bring him back and whoever you
find with him"
Rawlins hesitated.
Pm no coward, but | know what's
happened to Howells. This isn't an
ordinary case. | don't want to walk
into an ambush. 1t would be safer
not to run him down alone"
All right" Robinson agreed, 81
don't care to leave the Cedars for
the present. Perhaps Mr.. Ora
ham"
But Graham wasn't enthusiastic
1t never occurred to Bobby that he
was afraid. Graham, he guessed, de-
sired to remain near Katherine.
"I'll go, if you like" DR.. Groom
rumbed.
1t was probable that Graham's in
stinct to stay had sprung from serv'
ice rather than sentiment. The man
it was reasonable, sought to protec
katherine from the Cedars itself ant
from Robinson's too direct methods
OF examination. AS an antidote for
his unwelcome jealousy Bobby Of
fered himself to Rawlins.
Would you mind if came, too
I've known Paroles long time"
Robinson sneered.
NNhat do you think of that, Raw
lins?"
But the detective stepped clos
and whispered in the district attor
ney's ear. =, -.
"All right" Robinson said. "G'
with 'em, if you want, Mr.. Black
burn"
And Bobby knew that he woul
go, to help, but to be watched.
The others strayed toward tn
house. The three men faced til
entrance of the path alone.
mo more loud talk now" the de
tective warned. IF he went on tip
toe, so can we"
Even with this company Bobb
shrank from the dark and restles
forest. With a smooth skill the de
tective followed the unfamiliar patl
From time to time he stopped clos
to the ground, shaded his lamp wit
his hand and pressed the contro
Always the light verified the pres
ence of Paroles ahead of then
Bobby knew they were near tn
stagnant lake. The underbrush wa
thicker. They went with more cal
to limit the sound of their passae
among the trees. And each mt
ment the physical surroundings
the pursuit increased Bobby's doul
of Paroles. No ordinary impul!
would bring a man to such pla'
in this black hour before the dawn
particularly Paroles, who spoil
constantly of his superstitious n
ture, who advertised a thoroug
paced fear of the Cedars. The Pan
mainian's decision to remain. h
lack of emotion before the tras
succession of events at the hous
his attempt to enter the corrid
lust before Bobby had gone himst
to the old room for the evidence. /
desire to direct suspicion again
Katherine, finally this excursion
response to the eerie crying,
suggested a definite, perhaps da
gerous purpose in the brain of t
serene and inscrutable man.
They slipped to the open spa
about the lake. The moon bare
distinguished for them the fiat, m
ancholy stretch OF water. They !
Il