Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-26
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Gossip of Ghosts.


Gossip Of Ghosts.
There was no mockery in the
Panamanian's answer.
u have told you the court for me
has always been full OF ghosts" He
pointed to Silas Blackburn. ut
frightened me that this man should
come back through the court from
his grave, with all the evidence
pointing to an astral magic. ! want
ed to retrace his journey. / thought
at the grave, if l were alone, some
thing might expose itself that had
naturally remained hidden in the
presence of SO many materialistic
human beings"
A smile spread over Rawlins' cold
unimaginative features.
That sounds we'll, Mr.. Parades,
and there is lot about the case that
looks like ghosts, but leave US few
flesh land blood clues. This woman
in black is one of them, although she
has been as slippery as an eel. 1t
looks to me as if you went to the
grave to meet her alone exactly as
you went to the deserted house to
talk quietly with lner night before
last. Maybe she mistook you for
one of US shopping in the dark, and
let you have it."
IF that is So" Parades said easily,
"the nature of my wound would
suggest that she is guilty of the
crimes in the old room. Why not 60
out and arrest her then? She might
explain everything except the return
to life OF Mr.. Blackburn. I'm afraid
that's rather beyond you i'll any
case. But at least find her"
Robinson joined in Rawlin's laugh.
why go outside for that
Parades started.
"You never mean"
"You bet we d." Rawlins said.
"If what I've doped out hadn't been
so we'd have caught her long before.
We're not blind, and we haven't
missed the nerve with which she
helped the doctor fix you up. We
haven't caught her before because
her headquarters have been right
here in this house all the time. You
remember the other night, Mr.. Rob-
inson. You'd just questioned her in
the court and had threatened to
question him too, when she came i'll
here ahead of us and slipped out the
back way. She must have told him
to follow because they had to talk,
undisturbed by us. They went by
different roads to the deserted house
where light had been seen before.
We happened to hit his trail first and
followed it. III guarantee you did
not see her when you first came in?"
Robinson shook his head.
"Mr. Graham kept me busy and l
rather waited for your report before
pushing things. l didn't see her or
question her until after Mr.. Graham
and Mr.. Blackburn had started for
New York"
"And she could have sneaked in
the back way any time before that"
Rawlins said.
ITS utter NONSENSE" Graham
cried.
Rawlins turned on him.
"See here, Mr.. Graham, you've
been trying to fight me off this way
all afternoon. 1t won't d."
"Katy's a good girl Silas Black
burn quavered.
With a growing discomfort Bobby
realized that when the woman had
cried near the graveyard he had
reached out for Katherine and had
failed to find her. Moreover, the
night Graham and he had heard the
crying in the old room she had stood
alone in the corridor. 1t was easily
conceivable that the turn of events
after Robinson's arrival should have
made it necessary for conspirators
to consult free from any danger of
But Katherine, he told
was assuredly the victim of
coincidence. He, couldn't picture
her entangled in any Of Parades'
Her dislike of the man
was complete and open. But he saw
that Rawlins out of the mass OF ap-
parently inexplicable clues had ex-
tracted this material one and would
follow it desperately, no matter who
was hurt; and Robinson was behind
him. That accounted for their fire.
quent excursions upstairs during the
afternoon. for Rawlins' ascent as
soon as they had returned from the
grave. They had evidently found
to sharpen their suspic-
ions, and Graham probably knew
what it was. ...a.....
Robinson took out his watch.
1--WE can't put this off too late" he
unused. ,.a... -
The detective at his heels. he
walked to the library. Bobby start