Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-22
The
Abandoned
Room
By WADSWORTH CAMP
AUTHOR OF
1.-THE HOUSE OF FEAR"
WARS DARK FRAME" ETC.
CHAPTER III.

lie StCppCu W thS eoos 1850 $500
Doctor Groom to come out.
"He won't be likely to pass your
condolences on to Howells,' he said.
"Those men are natural antagonists"
After a moment the doctor appear
cd, a SLOUGH hat drawn low over his
shaggy forehead.
what you want?" he grumbled.
"This courts a first class place to
catch cold. Dampest hole In the
neighborhood. Often wondered why
II want to ask you." Graham be-
gan, something about the effects or
such drugs as could be given In
wine. Tell him, will you, Bobby,
what happened last night?"
Bobby vanquished the discomfort
with which the gruff, opinionated
physician had always filled him. He
recited the story Of last nights din
ner, of his experience In the cafe, or
his few blurred impressions OF the
swaying vehicle and the woods.
Hartley thinks something may
have been put in my wine."
"what for?" the doctor asked.
What had these people to gain by
dr,Igging you? Suppose for some FAR
fetched reason they wanted to have
Silas BLACKBURN put out OF the way.
They couldn't make you do it by
drugging you. At any rate, they
couldn't have had a hand in this
afternoon. Mind, I'm not saying you
had a thing to do with it yourself,
but / don't believe you were drug
ged. Any drug likely to be used in
wine would probably have sent you
into a deep sleep. And your symp-
toms on walking up are scarcely
sharp enough. Sorry, boy. Sounds
more like aphasia The path you've
been treading sometimes leads to
that black country and it's there
that hates sharpen unknown. l re-
member case where tramp re-
turned and killed farmer who had
refused him food. Retained no rec
objection of the crime-hours drop
ped out of his life. They executed
him while he still tried to remem-
ber."
II read something about the case"
Bobby muttered.
Been better if you hadn't" the
doctor srumbled. Suggestions work
in a mans brain without his know
| ing it."
He thought for moment, his
heavy, black brows coming closer to-
gether. He glanced at the windows
| of the old room. His sunken, In
fused eyes nearly closed.
II know how you feel, and that's
a little punishment maybe you de-
serve. I'll say this for your COM
fort. You probably followed the plan
that had been impressed on your
brain by Mr.. Graham. You came
| here. no doubt, and stood around
With an automatic appreciation of
your condition you may have taken
| that old precaution of convivial men
| returning home. and removed your
shoes. Then your automatic judg-
ment may have warned you that you
| weren't fit to go in at all, and you
probably wandered off to the empty
house"
Then" Bobby asked, you don't
think did it,"
God knows who did 1t. God
knows what did it. The longer
live the surer become that we
scientists can't probe everything
Whenever ! 90 near Silas Black
burns body receive a very power
full impression that his death In that
room from such wound goes deeper
than ordinary murder. deeper than a
case Of recurrent aphasia."
His eyes widened. He turned with
Graham and Bobby at the sound OF
an automobile coming thru the
woods.
Probably the coroner at last" he
said.
The automobile, q small runabout.
drew up at the entrance to the court.
skin stretched across high cheek
bones, stepped out and walked up
the path.
Well" he said shrilly. what
you doing, DR.. Groom?"
Waiting to witness another rea-
son why coroners should be abolish
ed" the doctor rumbled. This Is the
dead mans grandson, coroner and
Mr.. Graham, friend of the fam
ily's."
Bobby accepted the coroner's hand
with distaste.
"Howells," the. coroner said in his
squeaky voice, seems to think it's q
queer case. Inconvenient, l call 1t.
Wish people wouldn't die queerly
whenever l go on little holiday. I
had got five ducks, gentlemen. when
they came to me with that damned
telegram. Bad business mine cause
people will die when you. least ex-
pect them to. Let's 60 see what
Howells has got on his mind Bright
sleuth. Howells! ought to pc IN
New York" %
He started up the path. side by
side with Doctor Groom.
Are you coming Graham asked
Bobby. (, nv
Bobby shook his head. II don't
want TO-. I'd rather stay outside.
You'd better be there. Hartley"
Graham followed the others while
Bobby wandered from the court and
started down . path that entered
the woods from the rear Of the
house.
Immediately the forest closed
greedily about him. Here and there.
where the trees were particularly
stuuted, branches cut against q pal
lid. 1reenish glow In the west-ths
last light.
Bobby wanted. II he could, to find
that portion Of the woods where he
had stood last night fancying the
trees straining In the wind like puny
mon. visualizing . dim figure In q
black mask which he had called hts
conscience.
The forest was all q = pattern ~