The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-03-09
CHAPTER Iv-continued.

Her story, OF course, WOulu nave
to be checked up, but her actions were
frank and her manner seemed truth
full. She could evidently throw no
light on our problem. She waited
quietly for Bartley's next question,
which, when it came, was surprise
even to me.
"Did you see the dog when you
came in?"
"Oh, 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 morning?'
Eyes, sir. He always sleeps here
There was long silence after this,
broken at last by the girl asking if
she might return to her room. Bart
ley smiled and assented. / 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
moodily down at the woman in the
chair, who had recovered her COM
posure to some extent, and was now
watching with keen eyes everything
that was going on.
After while, BARLEY turned to the
butler did you see anyone near the
door of Mr.. Sykes room while we
We're in there?"
"Why, don't know, sir. I did see
the chauffeur coming down the stairs.
But I don't know If he had been up
to the ROOM"
''If you can find him, send him to
me at once" BARLEY commanded.
The butler took this order as dis
missal and left the room. BARLEY
turned to Miss Potter and asked her
If she had returned to Sykes room
after she left us there. She shook her
head There was again long ST.
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
said in a voice that hesitated more
than once, "You asked me, Mr.. Bart
ley, if, when I found Mr.. Slyke was
dead, / 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.
"Yes, / did"
With her hands playing nervously
with fold Of her dress and her eyes
on the floor, she continued slowly, II
did not touch the bedclothes, but
IL"
EYES," encouraged BARLEY. "You
did whatY'
She seemed to find it difficult to
answer. when went in that room
and found him dead"-her voice
was very low-'he looked mean,
his eyes so frightened me that II
she paused again-'I closed them"
For while we looked at her, too
surprised to speak. Bartley's brows
knit and a curious look came into his
face.
All at once I realized the full
meaning Of her words. If she had
closed Sykes eyes, then 1t would be
hard for BARLEY to prove that he had
been murdered. He had claimed that,
If Slyke had committed suicide, his
eyes would have been open. He had
gone even further and said it was
the murderer who had closed his ewes.
thinking that was the way they should
look in death. But now Miss Potter
had told us that it was she who had
closed them. Slyke might, after all,
have killed himself! Would BARLEY
still be able to prove that he had been
murdered?
Once more Miss Potter lapsed into
her old sullen mood and refused to
add anything further. BARLEY piled
her with questions, but in the end she
had added nothing to her first state
ment that Sykes staring eyes had
frightened her and she had closed
them. She insisted, however, that she
had not touched the bedclothes, that
they had been close around his neck
and up over his chin when she found
him.
When we were alone, Roche turned
to BARLEY and said, "There goes your
theory of murder. You can't prove
now that he did not kill himself"
BARLEY listened to Roche with the