South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-17
The Room
A Mystery Story by Wads-
worth Camp.
CONTINUED
SYNOPSIS.

Bobby BLACKBURN Is suspected OF the
murder sof his grandfather. Silas Black
burn, who was found dead with small
/ hole az the base Of his brain. In an
/ the Cedars: CircumstantiAl evi e &c
/ points 70 the guilt OF Bobby, who is un-
able 20 establish an alibi "a a result Of
loss loss o. memory after a night Of gay
Of Parades, from Panama, and Marie. a
! Spanish woman. He awakes I'm q de-
/ serted shack near the Cedars and goes
20 the house, where be meets his cousin,
agree that mystery surrounds the death
\ OF the old man, who was one OF many
Blackburns TO die Ia same manner.
| Strange sighs Invariably mark the occa-
sioE Of death In the room.
I'D had my trousers and jacket
on under my dressing gown" the old
man answered, because 1 knew the
bed wasn't made up. That's what 1
wore except for the dressing gown.
1 reckon I must have left that in
the room. wouldn't have gone back
there Cor anything. My mind was
full Of those angry people. wanted
TO go as far away from the Cedars
as possible. ! knew the last train
| from New York would be along
about o'clock, so l thought I'd go
on into Smithtown and in the morn
ing see this detective I'd been talk
| ing to. / went TO Robert Waters
house. I've known him for a long
/ time. I guess you know who he is
| He's such a book worm l figured he
might be .up, and ne wouldn't ask
lot Of silly questions, being selfish
like most people that live all the
time with BOOKS. He came to the
| door, and 1 told him l wanted 10
| spend the night. He offered to shake
hands. That's funny. too. / didn't
| feel like shaking hands with any
body. L recoilect that. because I'd
| felt sort of queer ever since going
in the old room, and something told
me I'd better not shake hands"
Paroles looked up. wide-eyed. The
cards slipped from his fragile, point
ed fingers
do you realize. Mr.. District At
| torney, what this man is saying?"
But Robinson motioned him to ST
lence.
Let him go on. What happened
| them"
That's ALL" Blackburn answered.
except this long sleep 1 can't make
out Old Waters didn't get mad at
my not shaking hands. He was too
! tied up in some book, 1 guess. l told
| him / was sleepy and didn't want
TO be bothered, and he nodded to the
| spare room of the main hall, and
tumbled into bed and was off almost
| before l knew it,"
Paroles sprang TO his feet and
| commenced to walk about the hall.
Tell us. he said, when you first
woke up?"
II guess it was late the next aft
ernoon," Silas Blackburn quavered,
| fumbling with his pipe again.
But it was only for a minute"
Paroles stopped in front OF Rob-
inson.
When he turned, You seel"
1T was Waters knocking on the
! door," Blackburn went on. II guess
he wanted to know what was the
matter and he talked about some
| food, but / didn't want to be bother
ed, so 1 called TO him through the
| and went 10 sleep again"
He turned over and went 10 sleep
again." Katherine said breathlessly
land it was about that time that 1
heard the turning in the old bed
room"
/ Katherine" Graham called.
What are you talking about? What
are you thinking about? "
What else is there2" she asked.
/ J''She's thinking about the truth, &"
Paroles said tensely. 1--WE always
heard of such things. So have you.
! You've read OF them. il you read
at all India is full Of il. 1t goes back
TO ancient Egypt-the same person
simultaneously in two places-the
astral bOdy-whateve you choose
TO call it. It's the projection OF ones
self whether consciously or uncon-
sciously; perhaps the projection of
something that retains reason after
an apparent death. You heard him.
He didn't seem to walk. He doesn't
remember leaving the room, which
!, was locked on the inside. His de-
scent of the stairs was without mo-
ton as we know it. He had gone
some distance before his mind con-
sciously directed the movement of
this active image of Silas Black
burn, while the double from which
ii had sprung lay apparently dead
in the old room. You notice he
shrank from shaking hands. and he
slept until we hid away the shell
What disintegration and coming to-
gether again has taken place since
we buried that shell in the old grave
Yard II his friend had shaken
hands with him would he have
grasped emptiness? Did his normal
self come back 10 him when the
shell was put from our sight, and
he awakened? These are some of
the questions we must answer"
You've a fine imagination, Mr..
Parades," Robinson said dryly.
His fat face. nevertheless. was
bewildered. and in the eyes, sur
rounded by puffy flesh, smouldered
a profound uncertainty.
II wish Groom were here" Par
edes was saying. He would agree
with me. He would know more
about ii than l."
Robinson threw back his shout
/ 10 70 ,,.g4A