Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-31
THE
WOMAN IN BLACK
BIZ EDMUND CLERIHEW BENTLEY

see. / wish had thought OF pulling
down the cuffs, and had tied the
shoes more neatly. And putting the
watch in the wrong pocket was a
bad mistake. 1t had all to be done
so hurriedly.
you were wrong, by the way,
about the whisky. After one stiffish
drink l had no more; but l filled
up flask that was in the cupboard,
and pocketed it. had a night of
peculiar anxiety and effort in front
of me, and | didn't know how
should stand it. | had to take some
once or twice during the drive.
Speaking of that, you give rather a
generous allowance of time in your
document for doing that run by
night. You say that to get to South
ampton by half past six in that car
under the conditions, a man must,
even if he drove like a demon, have
left Marlstone by II at latest. |
had not got the body dressed in the
other suit, with tie and watch-chain
and SO forth, until nearly 10 min
utes past; and then l had to get to
the car and start it going. :.
But then l don't suppose any demon
would have taken the risks I did
in that car at night, without a head
light. 1t turns me cold to think of
it now.
There's nothing much to say
about what l did in the house. l
spent the time after Martin had
left me in carefully thinking over
the remaining steps in my plan,
while | unloaded and thoroughly
cleaned the revolver, using my hand
kerchief and a penholder from the
desk. l also placed the packets of
notes, the note case and the dia-
monds in the roll-top desk, which
| opened and re-1ocked with Man
derson's key. When l went up
stairs it was a trying moment, for
though I was safe from the eyes of
Martin as he sat in his pantry, there
was faint possibility of somebody
being about on the bedroom floor.
l had sometimes found the French
maid wandering about there when
the other servants were in bed. Bun
ner, | knew, was a deep sleeper.
Mrs. Henderson, l had gathered
from things l had heard her say,
was usually asleep by II; l had
thought it possible that her gift of
sleep had helped her to retain all
her beauty and vitality in spite of
marriage which we all knew was
all unhappy one. Still, it was I'M
easy work mounting the stairs and
holding myself ready to retreat to
the library again at the least sound
from above. But nothing happened.
The first thing | did on reaching
the corridor was to enter my room
and put the revolver and cartridges
back in the case. Then l turned
off the light and went quietly into
Manderson's room.
What l had to do there you
know. l had to take off the shoes
and put them outside the door, leave
Manderson's jacket, waistcoat,
trousers and black tie, after taking
everything out of the pockets, select
a suit and tie and shoes for the
body, and place the dental plate in
the bowl, which l moved from the
washing stand to the bedside, leav-
ing those ruinous finger marks as |
did so. The marks on the drawer
must have been made when shut it
after taking out the tie. Then
had to lie down in the bed and
tumble it, You know all about it
all except my state of mind, which
you couldn't imagine, and l couldn't
describe.
THE worst came when I had
hardly begun my operations; the
moment when Mrs. Henderson
spoke from the room where l sup
posed her asleep. I was prepared
for it happening; it was a possibili-
ty; but | nearly lost my nerve all
the same. However.
Continued Tomorrow