Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-27
The
Abandoned
Room
By WADSWORTH CAMP
AUTHOR OF
1.-THE HOUSE OF FEAR"
WARS DARK FRAME" ETC.
CHAPTER Y.

THAT was when katherine heard"
Bobby said, when we found the
body had moved"
1T put him in u dreadful way.
Jenkins mutubled |"fOr no one had
bothered to tell ME it was young MIR.
Robert the detective suspected. and
when Mr.. Silas heard the detective
boast that he knew everything and
would make an arrest in the morn
ing, he thought about the handker-
chief and knew he was done for un-
man did ask for trouble. sir. Well.
Mr.. s;ilas gave It to him to save him
self"
i've never been able to under
stand" Paroles said, why he didn't
take the evidence when he killed
Howells"
Didn't you know YOU prevented
that, sir?" Jenkins asked. II Heard
YOU come in from the court.
thought you'd been listening. sig
nailed Mr. Silas there was danger
and to get out of the private stair
way before you could trap him. And
couldn't give him another chance
for a long time. Some of You were
in the room after that, or Miss kath-
crime and Mr.. Graham were sitting in
the corridor watching the body until
just before Mr.. Robert tried to get
the evidence for himself Mr.. Silas
had to act then. It was his last
chance. for he thought Mr.. Robert
would be glad enough to turn him
over to the, law
why did you ever hide that stuff
in Miss kltherine's room?" Bobby
asked.
Jenkins flung up his hands
"Oh. he was angry, sir. when he
knew the truth and learned what a
mistake he'd made. Howells didn't
give me that report showed you. 1t
was in his pocket with the other
things. We got it open without tear
ing the envelope and MIR. Silas read
it. He wouldn't destroy anything.
He never dreamed of anybody's sus-
pecting Miss Katherine, so he told
me to hide the things in her bureau
I think he figured on using the evil
dence to put the blame on Mr. Rob-
ert in case it was the only way to
save HIMSELF
"Why did you show the report to
me?' Bobby asked.
II was afraid to take all that
responsibility" the butler quavered.
i figured If you were partly to
blame it might go easier with me.
Paroles shrugged his shoulders
You were a good mate for Silas
Blackburn" he sneered
Even now l don't see how that old
scoundrel had the courage to show
himself tonight" Rawlins said.
That's the beautiful justice of the
whole thing" Paroles answered, "for
there was nothing else whatever for
him to do. There never had been
anything else for him to do since
Miss Katherine had spoiled his
scheme, since you all believed that
1t was he who had been murdered.
He had to hide the truth or face the
electric chair. If he disappeared he
was infinitely worse off than tho he
had settled with his brother-a man
without a home. without a name,
without a penny"
Jenkins nodded.
He had to come back he said
slowly and he knew how scared you
were of the old room"
THE funeral and the snow" Pa
redes said, gave him his chance.
Jenkins will doubtless tell YOU how
they uncovered the grave late this
afternoon, took that poor devils
body. and threw il In the lake. then
fastened the coffin and covered II
again. OF course the snow effaced
every one of their tracks. He came
In. naturally scared to death, and
told us that story based on the le-
gends of the Cedars and the doctors
supernatural theories. And you must
admit that he might, as you call II.
have got away with it. He did
create a justification. The body of
the murdered man had disappeared.
There was no murdered Blackburn
as far as you could tell Heaven
knows how long you might have
struggled with the case of Howells."
He glanced up.
Here is Miss Katherine"
She stood at the head of the stairs
Il think she's all right" she said
to the doctor. "She's asleep. She
went to sleep crying. May I come
down ~
The doctor nodded. She walked
down. glancing from one to the other
questioningly.
Poor Maria" Paroles unused,