Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-30
The
Abandoned
Room
By WADSWORTH CAMP
AUTHOR OF
THE HOUSE OF FEAR"
WARS DARK FRAME" ETC.
CHAPTER v.
The Crying Thru the Woods.

prevented MS etidiiiiihb Wv
and announcing to Paredes and Doc
tor Groom his unlawful presence IN
the room. During the moment that
the shock held him, silent, motion
less, bent in the darkness above the
bed, he understood there could have
been no ambiguity about his CHASTITY
and loathsome experience. The dead
detective had altered his position as
Silas Blackburn had done, and THIS
time someone had been in the room
and suffered the appalling change.
Bobby's fingers still responded to the
charnel feeling of cold, inactive flesh
suddenly become alive and potent
beneath his touch. And a reason for
the apparent miracle offered itself
Between the extinction Of his candle
and the commencement OF that
movement!--only a second or So
the evidence had disappeared from
the detectives pocket
Bobby relaxed. He stumbled across
the room and into the corridor. He
went with hands Outstretched thru
the blackness, for no candle burned
IN IIc upper Iltll. bul lc hAAsSe
Katherine was on guard there. When
he left the passage he saw her, an
unnatural figure herself, in the yell
lowish, unhealthy twilight which
sifted thru the stair well from the
lamp in the hall below.
She must have sensed something
out 81 the way Immediately, for she
l, n i'm, n nd har tyh hi
held no assurance.
You got the cast and the hand
kerchicf, 2cbby?"
And when he didn't answer at
once she asked with a sharp rush Of
fear:
whats the matter? What's hap
pened?"
He shuddered. At last he man
aged to speak.
Katherine! have felt death
cease TO be death"
Later he was to recall that phrase
with a sicker horror than he ex-
perienced now.
You saw something" she said.
But your candle is out. There is no
light in the room"
He took her hand. He pressed it.
You're real" he said with a ner-
vous laugh. Something l can I'M
derstand. Everything is unreal. This
light"
He strobe to the table found a
match, and lighted his candle. Kath-
erine, as she saw his face, drew
back.
Bobby"
MY candle went OUT" he said
DULY, and he moved thru the dark
ness | tell you he moved beneath
my hand"
She drew farther away. staring at
him.
You were frightened"
mo. Ii 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 after
noon
The monotonous voices of the three
men in the lower hall weaved a back
NAL, familiar sound was like a tonic
Bobby Strengthened. Katherine threw
off the spell OF his announcement.
But the evidence. You got"
She stared at his empty hands. He
fancied that he saw contempt in hel
eyes,
I'm spite of everything you must
go back. You must get that"
Even If l had the courage" he
said YEARLY, at would be no use
for the evidence is gone"
Put I saw it. At least I saw hi.
pocket"
TT was there" he answered, "wher
my light went out. | did put my
hand in his pocket. In that SECOND
it had gone"
There was no one there" she said
mo one but you. because l watched
He leaned heavily against the wall
Good God, Katherine! It's toe
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. She called:
Hartley. Will you come up?"
Bobby wondered at the steadines.
Of her voice. The murmuring below
ceased. Graham ran UP the stairs
Her summons had been warning
enough. Their attitudes, as Graham
reached the upper hall. were eloquent
OF Bobby's failure.
You didn't get the cast and tht
handkerchief" he said.
/ 2oooy toid briefly what had hap.
pened.
What is one to dog" he ended
! Even the dead are against me-"
its beyond belief Graham sale
roughly.
He snatched up the candle and en-.
tered the corridor. Uncertainty Kath.
crime and Bobby followed him. H,
went straight to the bed and thrus
the candle beneath the canopy. The
others could see from the door the
| change that had taken place. Ths
body of Howells was turned awk.
| wardly on it's side. The coat poke
was, as Bobby had described it, fla
! and empty.
| Katherine turned and went back
| to the hall. Graham's hand shool
as Bobby's had shaken.
''No tricks, Bobby?"
| Bobby couldn't resent the suspicion
| which appeared to offer the only ex-
PLANTATION of what had happened
Inc candIe Iiickereu in the draft.
'Look out!" Bobby warned.
l