Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-25
Doctor Groom interrupted sharply.


the keening that barely survived the
heavy atmosphere Of the, old house.
You see the woman in black isn't
Miss Perrine." Paroles said.
He ran down the stairs. They
followed. responding to an excited
sense of imminence. Even in the
private staircase the pounding that
had followed the cry reached them
with harsh reverberations. Its
echoes filled the house as they DASH
ed across the library and the dining
room. In the hall they realized that
1t came from the front door. 1t had
attained feverish, desperate In
sistence.
Paroles walked to the fireplace.
Open the door," lie directed Raw.
Inns.
Rawlins stepped to the door, I'M
locked it, and flung it wide.
1.-THE woman" Katherine breathed.
A feminine figure. white with
snow, stumbled in, as if she had
stood braced against the door. Raw
Inns caught her and held her up-
right. The flakes whirled from the
court in vicious pursuit. Bobby
slammed the door shut.
"Maria!" he cried. you were
right Hartley"
Yet at first he could scarcely nc.
cept this pitiful creature DIS the bril-.
liant and exotic dancer with whom
he had dined the night OF the first
murder. AS he stared at her. her
features twisted. She burst into
retohins sobs. She staggered toward
Paroles. As she went the snow
melted from her hat and cloak. She
became a black figure asain. with
an appearance OF having been i'm.
mersed in water she sank on the
hearth, swaying back and forth,
reaching blindly for Paredes' hand.
DO what you please with me,
Carlos" she whfmpered with her
slight accent from which all the
music had fled. II couldn't stand II
another minute. I couldn't get to
the station, and Ii wanted to know
which-which--"
Paroles watched her curiously.
Get Jenkins" he said softly to
Rawlins.
He faced Maria again.
I could have told you, I think,
when you fought me away out there.
No one wants to arrest you. Jen-
kins will verify my own knowledge"
This IL dangerous" the doctor
l-umbled. ''This woman shouldn't
wait here. She should have dry
clothing at once"
Maria shrank from him. For the
first time her wet skirt exposed her
feet encased In, torn stockings. The
dancer wore no shoes, and Bobby
guessed why she had been so elu-
sive, why she had left so few traces.
Il won't CO." she cried, until he
tells me-"
Katherine got cloak and threw II
across the woman's shoulders. Maria
looked up at her with a dumb graft.
tude. Then Rawlins came back with
Jenkins. The butler was bent and
haEgard. His surrender to fear was
more pronounced than 1t had been at
the grave or when they had last seen
him in the kitchen. He grasped q
chair and, breathing heavily. looked
from one to the other, moistening his
Lips.
Paroles faced the man, completely
master Of the situation. Thru the
old butler, 1t became clear, he would
make his revelation and announce
that simple fact they all had missed.
1T was Mr.. Silas. Of course. who
came back"
ooh, my God!" the butler moaned.
what do you mean?"
II know everything, Jenkins," Pa
redes said evenly.
The butler collapsed against the
chair. Paroles syasped Ills arm.
pull yourself together, man. They
wont want you as more than an ac-
csssory."
Maria started to rise. She ahrank
back again, shivering close to the
fire.
us your master hiding" Paroles
asked. ''or has he left the houseT
Jenkins answer came thru trem-
bling lips.
"He,s gone! Mr.. s;ilas Is gone!
How did you find out? My God!
How did you find out?"
'.He said nothing to you?" Paroles
asked. Il.
Jenkins shook his head.
Tell me how he was dressed"
The old servant covered his face.
"Mr. Silas stumbled thru the kitch-
en-" he answered hoarsely. II tried
to stop him. but he pushed me away
and ran out" His voice rose. Il
tell you he ran without coat or a
hat into the storm"
Paroles sighed.
'The Cedars' final tragedy, yet it
was the most graceful exit he could
have made" 49,
Maria struggled to her feet, Her
eyes were the eyes of a person with
out reason. That familiar, hysterical
quality which they had heard before
az a distance vibrated in her voice.
"Then he was the one! I. wanted
to kill him, couldn't Kill him be-
cause never was sure"
did you see him go out an hour
or so ago." Paroles asked.
II saw him." she cried feverishly,
run from the back of the house and
down the path to the lake, III tried
to catch him, but my feet were froz-
en-. and the snow was slippery. and
I couldn't find my shoes. But I
called and he wouldn't stop. had
to know. because wanted to kill him
If it was Silas Blackburn. And saw
him run to the lake and splash in
until the water was over his head.
She flung her clenched hands out.
Her voice became a scream, shot
with all her suffering, all her doubt,
all her fury.
YOU don't understand. He can't
be punished. / tell you he's at the
bottom of the lake with the man he