Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-22

above the trees and disappeared 70
the south.
The morbid loneliness of the place
touched Bobby's spirit with chill
hands. A. child he had never car
ed to play about>the stagnant lake.
nor, he recalled, had the boys OF the
village fished or bathed there. Ger
tainly he hadn't glimpsed II last
night. He was about to walk away
when a movement on the farther
bank held him, made him gaze with
eager eyes across the sleepy water.
He thought there was something
black In the black shadows Of the
trees--a thing that stirred thru the
heavy dusk without sound. He re.
ceived, moreover. an impression or
anger and haste az distinct a. the
bird had projected. But he could
see nothing clearly In this bad light
He couldn't be sure that there was
any one over there.
| He started around the end OF the
lake, and for a moment he Thought
| that the shape of woman, clotned
in black, detached itself from the
shadow. The image dissolved. He
wondered II 1t had been more sub
stanual than fancy.
| who Is that?" he called.
The woods muffled his voice. There
was no answer. Nor was there, ne
noticed, any cracking OF twigs or
rustling Of dead leaves. II there had
been woman there she had fled
noiselessly, yet, as he went on around
the lake, his own progress was dis
tinctly audible thru the decay OF
autumn.
| 1t was too dark on the other side
to detect any traces of a recent hu-
man presence in the thicket. lie
couldn't quiet, however, the feeling
that he had had a glimpse OF
woman clothed in black who had
studied him secretly across the
stagnant stretch Of the lake.
On the other hand, there was no
logic in a woman's presence here at
such an hour, no logic in a strang-
ers running away from him. While
he pondered the night invaded the
forest completely, making it impos-
sible for him to search farther IL
had grown 80 dark, indeed, that he
| found his way out with difficulty.
The branches caught at his clothing.
The underbrush tangled itself about
his feet. 1t was as if the thicket
were trying to hold him away from
the house.
AS he entered the court he noticed
a discoiored glow diffusins ITSELF
thru the curtains of the room OF
death.
He opened the front door. Paroles
and Graham alone sat by the fire
"Then they're not thru yet"
Bobby said
Graham arose. He commenced to
pace the length of the hall.
They've had Katherine in that
room. One would think she'd been
thru enough. Now they've sent for
the servants"
Paroles laughed lightly.
After this" he said, I'm afraid.
Bobby, you'll need the powers Of the
police to keep servants In your
house."
Muttering. frightened voices came
from the dining room. Jenkins en-
tered, and, shaking his head, went
up the stairs. The two women who
followed him, were in tears. They
paused, as If seeking an excuse to
linger on the lower floor, to post
pone as long as possible their en-
trance Of the room of death.
Ella, a pretty girl. whose dark
hair and eyes suggested a normal
vivacity, spoke to Bobby.
Its outrageous, Mr.. Robert. He
found out all we knew this morning.
What's he after now? You might
think we'd murdered Mr.. Blackburn
Jane was older. An ugly scar
crossed her cheek. 1t was red and
like an open wound as she demand
ed that Bobby put stop to these in
QUESTIONS.
Il can do nothing" he said. Go
on UP and answer or they can make
trouble for YOU"
/ Muttering again to each other,
they followed jenkins, and in the
lower hall the three men waited.
Jenkins came down first. His
face was white. 1t twitched.
1.-THE body!" he mouthed. Its
moved! / saw 1t before"
He stretched out his hands to
Bobby.
That's why they wanted us, to
find out where we were this after
noon, and everything we've done. as
II we might have gone there, and
disturbed"
Angry voices In the upper hall in
terrupted him. The two women ran
down, as white as jenkins. At an
impatient nod from Bobby the three
servants went on to the kitchen.
Howells, the coronef, and Doctor
Groom. descended.
What ails you, doctor7" the cor
oner was squeaking. : Il agree It's an
unpleasant room. Lots Of old rooms
are. I follow you when you say no
post mortem contraction would have
caused such an alteration in the po-
sition Of the body. There's no ques-
i ton about the rest Of 1t. The man
was clearly murdered with a sharp
tool of some sort, and the murderer
was In the room again this after
noon, and disturbed the corpse.
Howells says he knows who. It's up
/ to him to find out how. He says he
has plenty of evidence and that the
4 guilty PERSONS In this house. so I'm
/! not fretting myself. I'm cross with
you, Howells, for breaking up my
holiday. One of my assistants would
4, i :a::ve dor. := ::s::. .a ~ u
!. Howells apparently paid no atten-
ton to the coroner, His eyes fol-
lowed, the doctor with z growing
curiosity. His level smile seemed to
have drawn his lips into line, In
flexible, Z little cruel. The doctor
grunted: