Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-04
CHAPTER XIV
The Crying Through the Woods.

Bobbys lnaDlllty 10 cry out alone
prevented his alarming the others
and announcing to Paroles and
Doctor Groom his unlawful pres,
ence in the room. During the NOM
ent that the shock held him. silent
motionless, bent in the darkness
above the bed. he understood there
could have been no ambiguity abou,
his CHASTITY and loathsome expert
ence. The dead detective had al
tered his position as Silas Blackburn
had done, and this time someone
had been in the room and suffered
the appalling change. Bobby's fin
gers still responded to the charnel
feeling of cold inactive flesh sud
denly become alive and potent be-
meath his touch. And a reason for
apparent miracle offered itself. Be
tween the extinction of his candle
and the commencement OF that
movement!-only a seco. ! or So
the evidence had disappeared from
the detectives pocket.
Bobby relaxed. He stumbled
across the room and into the cor
ridor. He went with hands out
stretched through the blaCkness tor
no candle burned in the upper hall,
but he knew that Katherine was on
guard there. When he left the pas
sage he saw her, an unnatural figure
herself, in the yellowish, unhealthy
twilight which sifted through the
stair we'll from the lamp in the hall
below.
She must have sensed something
out of the way Immediately, tor
she hurried to meet him and her
whisper held no assurance.
you got the cast and the hand
kerchief, Bobby"
And when he didn't answer at
once she asked with sharp rush
of fear:
whats the matter What's hap
pened:"
He shuddered. At last he man
aged to speak.
katherine! I have felt death
cease to be death"
Later he was to recall that phrase
with sicker horror than he ex-
perienced now.
you saw something" she said,
But your candle is out. There is
- light in the room"
He took her hand He pressed it.
You're realp' he said with ner-
vous laugh. Something | can un-
derstand. Everything is unreal.
This light"
He strobe to the table. found a
match, and lighted his candle, kath-
crime, as she saw his face, drew
back.
Bobby" .
"My candle went out" he said
duly, and he moved through the
darkness. | tell you he moved be-
meath my hand"
She drew farther away, staring
at him.
You were frightened-"
mo. If we go there with a light
now" he said with the same dull
conviction, I'VE will find him as we
found my grandfather this alter
noon"
TIE monotonous voices of the
three men in the lower hall weaved
background for their whispers.
The normal, familiar sound was like
a tonic. Bobby Strengthened, kath-
crime threw off the spell of his an
nouncement. o. %.
But the evidence! You got"
She stared at his empty hands. He
fancied that he saw contempt in her
eyes.
In spite of everything you must
60 back. You must get that.
Even il | had the courage he
said YEARLY at would be no use,
for the evidence is gone"
But | saw it. At least | saw
his pocket"
1T was there" he answered, when
my light went out. did put my
hand in his pocket. In that second
it was gone
"There was no one there" she
said, "no one but you, because |
watched
He leaned heavily against the
wall.
Good God, Katherine! It's too
big. Whatever it is, we can't fight
it."
She looked for some time down
the corridor at the black entrance
OF the sinister room. At last she
turned and walked to the banister,
She called:
Hartley! Will you come up?'
Bobby wondered at the steadinesS
OF her voice. The murmuring be-
low ceased. Graham ran up the
stairs. Her summons had been warn
ing enough. Their attitudes, as
Graham reached the upper hall, were
eloquent of Bobby's failure.
You didn't get the cast and the
handkerchief" he said.
Bobby told briefly who had hap
pened. :,
What is one to do?" he ended.
"Even the dead are against me"
Its beyond belief" Graham said
roughly.
He snatched up the candle and
entered the corridor. Uncertainty
Katherine and Bobby followed him.
He went straight to the bed and
thrust the candle beneath the cano-
DIV. The others could see from the
door the change that had taken
place. The body of Howells was
turned awkwardly on its side. The
coat nocket WAS. as Bobby had de-