Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-14
Paroles sank back In his chair.
walked up!" he echoed In an awe.

TOUR hours the f'0n0manlan noQ peen
startled from his cold reserve.
Walked up!" Paroles repeated.
1 His voice rose.
AT what timer Do you remem-
Der the timer
| "Not exactly. Sometime after
noon."
i Bobby guessed the object Of Pa
redes' question. He knew 1t had been
about noon when they had seen the
coffin covered In the restless, wind
swept cemetery.
4 Paroles hurried on.
"How long had you been asleep p
''WhAt makes you ask that?" the
other whinsd. II don't know"
TT was a long timer"
Blackburn's voice rose complain
ingly.
''How did you guess that? never
slept 20. doxsd nearly three days.
but I'm tired now--tired as II l
hadn't slept at all"
Paroles made gesture OF sur
render. Bobby struggled against the
purpose Of tho mans questions,
against the suggestion Of his grand
fathers unexpected answers.
"Your idea IL madness, Carlos" he
whispered.
"This house is filled with it." Pa
redes said. II wish Groom was here.
Groom ought to be here
Hes coming back" Bobby told
him. "FIe shouldn't be long now. He
said before dinner time"
| Paroles stirred.
u wish he would hurry"
The Panamanian said nothing
moro. a. II he realized the futility Of
pressing the matter before Doctor
Groom should return. Necessary
questions surged In Bobby's brain.
Tho two that Paredes had put, how
ever, disturbed his logic.
Katherine, who hadn't spoken since
entering. kept her eyes fixed on her
uncle. Her lips were slightly parted.
She had the appearance OF one afraid
to break q silence covering impos-
aible doubts.
Bobby called on his reason. His
grandfather stood before him in flesh.
With the old man, In spita OF Pa
redes' shastly hint, probably lay the
solution Of the entire mystery and
his own safety. He was about to
speak when he heard footsteps In the
upper hall. His grandfather glanced
inauirinsly thru the stair. well. ask
ing:
"Who's that up thersf"
Tho sharp tone confessed that fear
Of the Cedars was active in the
warped brain.
1.-THE, district attorney Bobby an
swered. "a detective. probably Hart
ley Graham"
"What they doing here?'
He indicated Paroles.
whats this fellow doing here? l
never liked him"
Katherine answered.:
They've all come because I
thought I saw you dead. lying In the
old room"
1--WE all saw" bobby cried angrily.
and Paroles nodded.
Blackburn shrAnk away from them.
The three men descended the
stairs. Half way down they stop-
ped.
"Who is that's" Robinson cried.
| Graham's face whitened. He brac-
ed himself against the banister
"Next time. Mr.. District Attorney"
Paroles said, ''you'1l believe me
when say the court is fun of
ghosts. He walked in from the court.
tell you they found him In the
court"
Silas Blackburn's voice rose. shrill
and anery:.
Whats the matter with you all ?
Why do you talk Of ghosts and my
being deadf Haven't right to
come in my own house? You all
act ~ II you were afraid Of me-"
/ PAredes' questions had clearly add
Cd to the uncertainty Of his manner.
Katherine spoke softly,
/ I'VE are afraid"
The others came down. Robinson
walked close to Silas Blackburn and
for some time gazed at the gray face.
"Yes." he said. You arc Silas
Blackburn. You came to my office
In Smithtown the other day and
asked for = detective. because you
were afraid Of something out here"
there's no question" Graham
cried. ''Of course It 10 Mr.. Black
burn, vet II couldn't be-"
"What you all talking about1 Why
are the police In my houssf Why
do you act like fools and say I was
dead1"
They gathsrsd In . group at some
distance from him, They uncon-
sciously ignored this central figure.
~ II he were. In fact. ghost. Bobby
and Katherine told how they had
found the old man. q black shadow
against the wall Of the wing. Pa
redes repeated the questions he had
asked and their strange answers. Att
erward Robinson turned TO Silas
Blackburn, who waited, trembling.
"Then you did 90 to, the old room
to sleep. You lay. down on the bed.
but you say you didn't stay. You
must tell us why not, and how you
got out, and where you've been dur
ing this prolonged sleep. ] want
everything that happened from the
moment you entered the old bed
room until you Weakened"
That's simple" Silas Blackburn
mouthed. II went there along about
10 o'clock. wasn't 1t, Katy?"
| NEARLY half past" she said. "And
you frightened me-"
"He must tell us why he went, why
he was afraid to sleep in his own
room." Graham began.
| Robinson held up his hand.
Zone question at a time, Mr.. Ora
ham. The important thing now is to
learn what happened In the room.
You're not forgetting Howells, are
| you?s