The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-04-18
CHAPTER IV-Continued.

g.
Her story, Of course, would have
to be checked up, but her actions were
frank and her manner seemed truth
full. She could evidently throw NJ
light on our problem. She waited
quietly for Bartley's next question
which, when 1t came, was a surprise
even to me.
did you see the dog when you
came INF"
ooh, yes He came to the door and
walked to the foot Of the stairs with
me-"
BARLEY turned to the butler and
asked, "Was the dog in this room
when you came down this morningT
Yes, sir. He always sleeps here"
There was a long silence after this,
broken at last by the girl asking If
she might return to her room. Bart
ley smiled and assented. 1 could see
that he was not satisfied at the way
things had gone. His lips were shut
tight and his eyes wandered restless
ly around the room He glanced
modify down at the woman In the
chair, who had recovered her com
posture to some extent, and was now
watching with keen eyes everything
that was going on.
After a while, BARLEY turned to the
butler. did you see anyone near the
door Of Mr.. Sykes room while we
were in there?"
"Why, don't know, sir. did see
the chauffeur coming down the stairs.
But I don't know If he had been up
to the room"
eff you can find him, send him to
me at once" Barley commanded.
The butler took this order as a dis
missal and left the room. BARLEY
turned to Miss Potter and asked her
If she had returned to Sykes room
head. There was again a long 81
lence. At length BARLEY broke it by
telling her that she need not remain
any longer. She rose to her feet and
started toward the stairway. Half
way across the floor she paused, and
odlu Ill fOlCc tInt HSSlldlSu noIS
than once, "You asked me, Mr.. Bart
ley, II, when I found Mr.. Slyke was
dead, 1 touched the bedclothes."
BARLEY turned quickly. The tone
of his voice as he answered her ques-
ton showed that he knew something
important was coming.
ayes, I did"
With her hands playing nervously |
with a fold of her dress and her eyes |
IN the floor, she continued slowly, Il
lid not touch the bedclothes, but
-"
"Yes," encouraged BARLEY. "Yeu
lid what?"
She seemed to find 1t difficult to
answer. "When-I went in that room
and found him dead"-her voice
vas very low-"he looked mean,
lis eyes so frightened me that L"
he paused again-"I closed them"
For while we looked at her, too
urprised to speak. Bartley's brows
nit end a curious look came into his
ace.
All at once 1 realized the full
leaning of her words. Ii she had |
losed Sykes eyes, then 1t would be
ard for BARLEY to prove that he had
cen murdered. He had claimed that,
Slyke had committed suicide, his
yes would have been open. He had I
one even further and said 1t was
ie murderer who had closed his eyes, [
linking that was the way they should {
ok In death. But now Miss Potter I
ad told Us that 1t was she who had
osed them. Slyke might, after all, s
ave killed himself Would BARLEY {
Ill be able to prove that he had been G
ordered?
Once more Miss Potter lapsed into G
IT old sullen meod and refused to '
Id anything further. BARLEY piled h
n with questions, but In the end she t
ID added nothing to her first state f
emit that Sykes staring eyes had Y
Ightened her and she had closed S
EN-. She insisted, however, that she h
d not touched the bedclothes, that h
ey had been close around his neck h
d up over his chin when she found k
N. O.
When we were alone, Roche turned S,
BARLEY and said, "There goes your W
cory of murder. You can't prove
W that he did not kill himself" HI
BARLEY listened to Roche vis- -be d