The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-12-20
UNSEEN HANDS 4 Bepildering DetectiUe Story
 By Robert Orr Chipperfield
.hipperfield

commented. EV1Qently the pSISoD who hung the portrait did not put any too much faith into the strength of the stakes driven into the wall; and wisely, seeing what has occurred. cable which has just parted, as you see. You had narrow escape. then. Eugene; but it was sheer accident-
 Looking more mouseIike than ever with her gray hair lying in soft folds about her face and her slender figure encased in a drab dressing gown Miss Meade glided into the room.
 ''No, I'm not hurt, Aunt Fife. had just gone to ask dad about one of the letters when the portrait fe1l.s' Gene explained as she stood swaying, her thin, delicate hand gripping his arm until the fingers almost disap- peared in the folds of his coatsleeve.
 'Mr. Titheredge says it was a sheer accident, but after what Fannie said at dinner tonight; after we know how we've all felt since Jule-" He broke off and added: Ouch! Aunt Fife, you hurto
 She removed her hand from his arm and repeated mechanically in dazed fashion:
 "You had gone to ask your step 1 father about one of the letters?'' ttYes, These condolence things, you know. But m sure. it couldn't have been an accident. Why should that
 one picture in all this house have left the desk? I'd been sitting there
 for more than an hour.'' l What merciful blessing that you escaped!'' Miss Fife spoke in low sharper note. But T. it was I who
 asked you to reply to the letters, and
 suggested that you use the library
 desk here! I even arranged the light | for you! Had you been killed it would have been my fauh!" | Come, Miss Meade. that's all non
 sense!" Samuel Titheredge stepped
 forward. No one can foresee acci-
 dents; and that portrait has hung
 there more than twenty years with out falling. In any event it is all
 right. Gene wasn't hurt, and you and
 the girls had better go back to bed and try to forget all about it. As if conscious for the first time
 of their appearance she glanced
 down Shrinkingly at her own attire
 and then turned to where Nan and
 Cissie stood.
 MT. Titheredge is right: let us go back to our rooms. IT should new CT have forgiven myself if anything } had happened to Gene!"
 When she and the girls had taken : their departure the attorney turned . to the white-faced young man. l "You. too, Gene. No use trying to t clear up this mess tonight, and your l dad and I have some business mat s ters still to talk over. You've hadr@a l bad shock and you must try to get : a sornd nights rest.''
 e Titheredge compressed his lips and = nudged Lorne, who glanced at him
 and then spoke with sudden stern y ness: l, tEugene. you are hysterical, You > are behaving like child! This mai
 ter of the fall of the portrait will be a thoroughly Investigated tomorrow, = but meanwhile you must try to pull q yourself together. Things will look = different to you in the morning. Go D on up to bed Ike a. good chap. and |, 1 conference
 Gene went shakily from the {, room and they heard him ascending d Waiting until his footsteps mad e ceased with the thud of d closing Il door, Lorne turned to his companion. 's Nevertheless, Sam, the boy is dead o right. There is something horl ibly n sinister back of the whole thing: nd it is an insult to even his intelligen. e e to try to convince him of the fal1acy e to wait until morning and then per : haps find some other member of the : family dead in bed! At the risk of , the derisive notoriety you were talk l, ing about a little while ago I'm go- > ing to have the authorities in here q now"
 1T 'I agree with you that it looks a very much as if some human agency Is be certain of it in this last case, with e the evidence of the cut cable; but it s is after midnight and I don't believe IS another attempt will be made to- night. The attorneys calm, sa ne e voice fell upon the others like IS a dash of cold water. Besides, if
 you call up now you'll have a mob = of heavy-footed, matter-of-fact plain l. clothes men in here who wouldn't be n able to comprehend your almost su- perstitious apprehension and wno IS would obliterate any clue which may II remain. There is just one lad in the 1T homicide bureau at headquarters who d could understand your point of view o and carry out the investigation with
 
 n we are to avoid undue notoriety; and l. that is Barry Odell I'll stay here
 tonight with you and keep guard if 'e you think it necessary, turn and turn n. about; and in the morning we'll go 10 down to headquarters. I'll have a y word with the commissioner, and T. we'll bring young Odell back with h us.''
 Agitated as he was, I.orne saw the ie wisdom of the attorneys advice and D. a. accepted it. After a further examina i'd turned out the lights and went up ,o ,o stairs. Samuel elected to share his a ,a friends room; but sleep did not come 'e and they were still discussing the ex- traordinary chain of tragic events IS when Lorne stopped in the middle of II, II, a sentence and held up a warning re hand.
 11ee Did you hear that?" he whispered II II What? Don't let your nerves run Iu l away with you, old man. Ss Nerves nothing! Don't speak ,a aloud! I'm sure I heard a step out 'e in the halI.''
 , Well. I didn't; and I've keener ears lg than you,'' retorted Titheredge-
 Lorne padded softly to the dool T.. and listened for a space of severa :s is minutes. then turned away with 2 iS sigh of relief.
 t *I guess I must have been mistak- ' en. I'll go to pieces myself, like
 Gene, if I'm not careful. I wish this
 night would end and we could ge hold of that young fellow you spoke n of Perhaps it would be better ,, though, to go to some private detect
 i've agency and avoid the police. Ha And have your home overrun witt es operatives every 1iieliips, !, es;. he investigated; and nothing to show fo1