Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-26
The
Abandoned
Room
By WADsWORTH CAMP
AUTHOR OF
THE HOUSE OF FEAR"
WARS DARK FRAME" ETC.
CHAPTER Nv.
A Strange Light Appears Mt the De-
serted House.

SAhxAA N~As
A Strange Light Appears ut the De-
serted House.
Graham's intention, logical as II
was, impressed Bobby as quite futile
Silas Blackburn had died in this an
cient, melancholy room behind lock-
ed doors This afternoon. with q
repetition of the sounds that mao
probably accompanied his death. they
hud been drawn to find that, behind
locked doors again, the position Oh
the body had changed incredibly, as
Vi to expose to them the tiny fatal
wound ut the base of the brain. NOW
for the third time those stealthy
movements had aroused Katherine
and they had found, once more be-
hind locked doors. the determined and
malicious detective, murdered pre-
cisely as old Blackburn had been.
OF course Graham was logical. by
every rational argument the murder
er must still be in the room. Yet
Bobby foresaw that, as always, no
one would be found, that nothing
would be unearthed to explain the
succession of tragic mysteries. While
Graham commenced his search. in
deed, he continued to stare at the
little round hole in Howefls' head, at
the fresh, irregular stain on the pill
low, and he became absorbed IN MS
own predicament. Again and again
he asked himself if he could be re-
sponsible for these murders winch
had been committed with an inhu-
man ingenuity. He knew only that
he had wandered, unconscious, in
the vicinity of the Cedars last night;
that he had been asleep when his
grandfather's body had altered its
position; that he had gone to sleep
d little while ago too profoundly.
breeding owed Howells challenge to
the murderer to invade the room OF
death and kill him if he could.
Howcl!s had been confident that, he
could handle man and SO solve the
riddle of how the room had been en-
tered. Certainly HowelIs' challenge
had been accepted, and Bobby knew
that he had fallen into that deep
sleep hating the detective, telling
himself that the mans, death might
save him from arrest, from convic-
ton, from an intolerable walk to a
little room with single chair.
"Recurrent apha STA" The doctors
expression came back to him. In
such state a man could overcome
locked doors, could accomplish ap-
parent miracles and retain no rec
objection. And Bobby had hated and
feared Howells more than he had his
grandfather.
Duly he saw Katherine go out at
Graham's direction. As one. in a
dream he moved toward the door
they had had to break down on en-
tering. ~
stand close to IT." Graham said.
We'll cover everything"
Youth find no one" Bobby an
swered with perfect assurance.
He saw Graham take the candle
and explore the large closets. He
watched him examine the spaces be-
hind the window curtains. He could
smile little as Graham stopped,
peering beneath the bed, as he moved
each piece of furniture large enough
to secret a man.
you see, Hartley, it's no nse."
Graham's lack of success, how
ever, stimulated his anger.
Then" he said, there must be
some hiding place in the walls. Such
devices are common in houses as old
as this"
Bobby indicated the silent form of
the detective. IT,
HE believed killed my grand
father. The only reason he didn't
arrest me was his failure to find out
how the room had been entered and
left Don't you suppose he, looked
for hiding place, ora secret en-
trance the first thing? It's obvious"
But Graham's savage determine
ton increased. He sounded each
paHei.~ None gave the slightest re-
vealing response. He got tape
from Katherine and measured the di-
mensions of the room, the private
hall. and the corridor. At last he
turned to Bobby, his anger dead, his
face white and tired.
Everything checks" he admitted.
There's no secret room. no way in
OF out Logically Groom's right.
We're fighting the dead who resent
the intrusion Of your grandfather
and Howells."
He laughed mirthlessly.
After all, we can't surrender to
that. There must be another an
swer."
From the first Howells was sat
isfied with me-" Bobby said.
Graham. flung up his hands.
\. Then tell me how you got in with
out disturbing those locks. grant
you, Bobby, you hal sufficient mo-
tive for both murders, but don't
believe so.. have two personalities
one decent and loyable, the other
cruel and cunning to the point Of
magic. I don't believe II Z man had
two such personalities the actions Of
one would be totally closed to the
memory of the other" n 4. 81.
Bobby smiled wanly. ~,
Mt isn't pleasant to confess it,
Hartley. but ! have read Of such
cases y.
y ,:'Fiction!' ~. Il.
Scientific fact"
Il wish to the devil had shared
your room with you tonight" Gra-
ham mnttered. II might have fur
H.nished you an alibi for this affair
at least"
Either that" Bobby answered
frankly, cor YOU might have follow
ed me and learned the whole secret.
Honestly. isn't that what you were
thinking OF Hartley7 And Il did go
to sleep, telling myself II would help
i1iS e something &c .ne sc:. =:
ed to Howelis. Now I'm not 30 sura
that II viii. IL suppose you've got
- notify fy,A nolirA o us " " Il X w 4lss