South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-29


IF Howells were alive Graham
answered shortly. he would look on
the fact that you were awake and
alone with the body as the worst
possible evidence against you"
Bobby's citation died.
There is always something to
tangle me in the eyes of the law
with these mysteries. But I know,
and I'll fight. Can you find any trace
Of a conspiracy against me in this
last CHASTITY adventure?"
1T complexities everything" era
ham admitted.
ITS beyond sounding" Bobby
said, for my grandfathers death
last night and the disturbance of his
body this afternoon seemed calcu-
lated to condemn me absolutely yet
Howells' murder and the movement
of his body, with the disappearance
of the cast and the handkerchief,
seem designed to save me. Are there
two influences at work in this house
one for me, one against me?"
Let's think Of the human ele
ments," Graham answered with
frown. 81 have no faith in Paroles.
My man has failed TO report on
Maria. That's queer. You fancy a
woman in black slipping through
/ the woods, and we hear a woman
cry. ] want 10 account for those
| thinks before l give I'm TO Groom's
spirits. / confess at times they seem
the only logical explanation. Here's
Jenkins"
Of trouble comes Of his with
holding the report I'll take the
blame" BObby said.
Graham snatched the long envels
| ope from Jenkins hand 1t was
addressed in a firm hand 10 the dis
trict attorney at the county seat.
There's no question: Graham
said That's il. We mustn't open
IT, We'd better not destroy IT, Put
il where il won't be easily found
Jenkins. IF you are questioned you
have no recollection of Howells hav-
ing given it to~you. Mr. Blackburn
promises he will see you get in no
/ trouble"
The ola man SmHed-
TROUBLE, he scoffed. "Mr. Black
burn needn't fret himself about me.
He's the last OF this family-that is
Miss Katherine and he. I'm old and
about done for. I don't mind trouble
Not bit, sir"
Bobby pressed his hand His voice
was little husky: Il didn't think
you'd go that far in my service, Jen-
kins,"
The old butler smiled slyly: I'd
go a lot further than that sir
Wed better get back" Graham
said. THE bloodhounds ought TO be
here, and they'll sniff at the case
/ harder than ever because it's done
1 for HOwells."
They watched Jenkins go upstairs
with the report.
Were taking long chances" Gra-
I ham said, desperately long chances,
B but you're i'm q desperately dangerous
/ position. It's che only way. You'll
! be accused of stealing the evidence;
but remember. when they question
You. they can prove nothing unless
/ the cast and the handkerchief turn
up. If they've been taken by an
enemy in some magical fashion to
be produced at the proper moment.
! there's no hope. Meantime play the
game, and Katherine and 1 will help
YOU all we can. The doctor, too. is
! friendly. There's no doubt Of him.
/ Come. now. Let's face the music"
| Bobby followed Graham TO the
/ hall trying 20 strengthen his nerves
/ for the ordeal Even now he was
more appalled, by the apparently
supernatural background of the case
/ than he was by the material details
which pointed to his guilt. More
than the report and the cast and the
/ handkerchief, the remembrance Of
that impossible moment in the
! blackness of the cd room filled his
mind. and the unearthly and remote
\ crying still throbbed in his ears.
Katherine. Graham and the doctor
waited by the fireplace. They had
heard nothing from the authorities.
But they must be here soon
! Doctor Groom said.
Did YOU learn anything back
there. Hartley" Katherine asked.
1T wasn't the servants he said.
jenkins heard the crying He's
( certain it came from outside the
| house"
Paroles looked up.
Extraordinary, he said.
II wish I had heard It. Doctor
Groom grumbled
Paroles laughed.
Thank the good Lord I didn't.
! Perpetually. Bobby. your house re-
minds me that I've nerves sensitive
TO the unknown world 7 Will go
/ further than the doctor. L will say
that this house Is crowded with the
/ supernatural. Ii shelters things that
we cannot understand. that we will
never understand. When I was a
child in Panama I had a nurse who
unfortunately. DEVELOPED too strongly
my native superstition. How she
frightened me with her bedtime
stories, They were all OF men muir
dered or dead of fevers. crossing the
trail, or building the railroad. or dig
ging insufficient bitches for DeLes-
seps Some OF her best went further
back than that. They were thick
with the ghosts of old Spaniards and
the crimson hands of Morgan's buc-
cancers. Really that tiny strip across
the isthmus Is crowded with souls
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