South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-16
The ABANDONED ROOM

His eyes had grown heavy. his brain
trifie numb.
Almost Alphabetically he assured
himself that he couldn't accomplish
these mad actions in his sleep.
yet last night" he murmur-
Of the law. The doctor will testify
to aphasia. According TO him I am
two men-two mem"
He yawned, recalling snatches OF
books he had read and one or two
scientific reports Of such cases. He
climbed into bed and blew out his
candle. His drowsiness thickened. In
his dulled mind one recollection re-
mained-the picture of HoweIls
coldly challenging him with his level,
smile to make &. secret entrance Of
the old bedroom in a murderous eff
fort to escape the penalty of the
earlier crime. And Howells had been
right. His death would give Bobby
chance. The destruction of the
evidence, the bringing into the case
of a predetermined man, a man
without a carefully constructed the
ory-all that would help Bobby,
might save him. Howells. moreover,
had indicated that he had so far
withheld his evidence. But that was
, probably a bait.
In his drowsy way Bobby hated
more powerfully than before this de-
tective who. with a serene malevo-
lence, made him writhe i'm his net.
| Thought ceased. He drifted into a
trance-like sleep. He swung in the
black pit again, lighting out against
crushing odds. The darkness thun-
dered as though informing him that
| graver forces than any he had ever
imagined had definitely grasped him.
/ Then he understood He was In
/ black cell. and the laundering was
the steady advance of men along an
] iron floor TO take him
Bobby! Bobby"
He flung out his hands. He sat
upright. opening his eyes. The black
ness assumed the familiar, yielding
quality of the night The thunder.
the footballs. became a hurried
knocking at his door.
Bobby You're there IT was
Katherine. Her tone made the night
as frightening as the blackness of
the pit.
Whats the matter?"
YOU'RE there. 1 didn't know.
Get up. Hartleys putting some
clothes on. Hurry! The house is so
dark-so strange"
She didn't answer at first. He
struck a match, lighted his candle,
threw on a dressing gown. and step
ped TO the door Katherine shrank
against the wall, hiding her eyes
! from the light Of his candle. He
thought it odd she should wear the
dress in which she had appeared at
| dinner. But il seemed indifferently
| fastened, and her hair was in dis
order. Graham stepped from his
room.
What is il ?" Bobby demanded
"You wouldn't wake up, Bobby.
You were so hard to wake" The
idea seemed to fill her mind. She
repeated it. several times.
Its nothing" Graham said. eco
back to your room, Katherine. She's
fanciful-"
She lowered her hands. Her eyes
were full of terror mo. We have
to go to that room as I went last
night. as we went today"
Graham tried to quiet her. Wen
go to satisfy you
Her voice hardened. ct know. I
was asleep. 1t woke me up, stealins
in across the court again"
Bobby grasped her arm. "You
came out and aroused up at once ?"
She shook her head. II couldn't
find my dressing gown. This dress
was by the bed. put it on, but
couldn't seem to fasten it,"
! Bobby stepped back, remem ber-
ing his last thought before drifting
into the trance-like sleep. She SEEM
| ed TO know what was in his mind.
But when I knocked you were
sleeping so soundly"
TOO soundly. perhaps"
Come. We're growing magma
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