The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-04-11

butler In great establishment, "But
Robert, how can you say thatl Yol
know Miss Ruth was not at home las
evening. She spent the night at Sara
toga. She has not returned yet"
For second no one spoke Bart
ley's eyes went from the butler to tn,
woman and back again. We all won
dered what his next question would
be, but we never found out. Sud
denly, from above us, girlish voice
called, "Who Is talking about me"
Astonished, we all turned anc
looked in the direction from which
the voice had come. On the top OF
the stairway a young girl of nineteen
years stood looking down at us.
For several seconds Miss Potter
seemed unable to believe her eyes
then she half gasped, "Why, Ruth
The girl, surprised at the effect her
simple question had made, clutched
her blue silk dressing gown closer
about her and started down the stairs
1t was plain that she had just gotten
out of bed and had not yet had time
to dress. Her eyes went from one
person to another questioningly. Who
were we, and what were we doing
here?
AS she came slowly down the steps
we watched her in silence. She was
a handsome girl with beautiful red
hair and the creamy white skin that
goes with II. When she reached her
aunt's side. Miss Potter was still too
astonished to speak and the girl gave
Roche an appealing look. She was
beginning to realize that something
was wrong
Have the burglars been here
again p she asked.
Not trusting herself to speak, Miss
Potter shook her head. The girl knew
nothing CT the tragedy that had taken
place, evidently, or she would not
have been SO carefree. She waited,
and as her aunt did not seem able to
tell her what had happened she turned
again to Roche. After swallowing
hard for a moment or two the chief
stammered out, why, Miss Ruth, you
see, we-that is-well, Mr.. Slyke has
been killed"
The laughing look In her eyes
faded and one Of surprise, blended
with horror took its place. For a Sec
ond, that to me seemed an hour, she
waited. steadying herself by her hand
on the table. Then she asked slowly,
almost spelling out each word, Dead
-dead-why-howT
Again a silence No one wanted to
tell her what had taken place. Her
eyes sought each one of US In turn
and then rested on BARLEY, as If she
recognized that he was in charge. 4
glance passed between the two, then
he told her what we had found
Though the girl had been startled,
I noticed that she was not over
whelmed with grief. Neither had the
older woman been In fact we had
yet to hear any word of regret that
Slyke was dead. That the girls as
constituent at Bartley's story had
been genuine there was no doubt; still
the buffers assertion that he had seen
her go into her room when she was
to have been away from the
house had to be explained. Her I'M
expected presence here this morning
seemed to add color to his statement. |
A glance at her dressing gown with |
her nightdress peeping beneath it
showed that she had Just come from !
her bed. Yet her aunt's surprise at
her appearance had also seemed genu-
me.
your aunt told u.s." BARLEY said
20 her. that you were away, spending
he night with a friend; but the but
er says he saw you early this morn
ng going into your own ROOM"
The girl flushed, as if she realized
he gravity of her position, and sank
nto a chair before she answered, Il
lid intend to spend the night with
riend in Saratoga. On our way home
rom a dance at the lake our machine
ost a tire and K took so long to re-
lace it that as we were near the
ouse 1 decided to come home Not
7ishing to go through the woods
|
I'd TO come with me-"
Seeing that we were puzzled by the
lention of her uncle, she explained
nat he was really a cousin of her
tepfather whom she called uncle. He
as a retired clergyman who, during
he summer, lived on the estate in
tile cottage facing the main road
ear the entrance to the driveway to
lie house. When asked If her uncle
ad come into the house with her SHE
,plied that he had not; that he had
lly waited long enough for her to
llock the front door. She herself had
,ne directly to her own room, pass
& the door Of her stepfather's room,
hich had been closed. She had seen
, one and heard nothing. She had
ept until our voices had awakened
II.