Evening star., 1925-02-11
Observation-Disclosures
of Jane Smith
By PATRICIA WENTWORTH. -
Copyright by
Bv PATRICIA WENTWORTH.

two neat plaits. Her feet were bare.
Molloy pushed forward quickly.
We'll, there. If that wasn't the
start of our lives" he said, land no
reason for 1t when al's said and
done. It's my daughter Renata
comrades, and she's walking in her
sleep. Now, I'll just take her back
| to her room and be with you again"
"A minute, l think. Molloy," said
Number Two. He got up slowly out
OF his chair and came across to where
the girl stood motionless, blinking at
the light. Il said there was a most
internal draught. Will you come in
Miss Molloy?" he added politely, and
took the girl by the hand. She
yielded to his touch, and came into
the room, shivering little. Some
one shut the door. Molloy, Struggling
his shoulders, pulled the crimson
cloth from the table and wrapped it
about his daughter. The ink soaked
patch came upon her bare shoulder
and she cried out, cast a wild look
at the strange and terrifying faces
about her and burst into flood OF
tears.
Molloy, standing behind her, looked d
around as she had looked. and his
face darkened. Number Four had
his back against the door and his
revolver in his hand. There was only
one face in the whole circle that was
not stamped with suspicion and
fear, and behind the fear and the
suspicion there was something icy,
something ruthless. Number Two
with a slightly bored expression, was
feeling in his waistcoat pocket. He
produced a small glass bottle, ex-
tracted from it a tiny pellet, and
proceeded to dissolve 1T in the glass
of water which had stood neglected
at Number Four's right hand.
Now, Miss Molloy," he said, but
Molloy caught him by the wrist.
What the devil" he stammered,
and Number Two laughed
my dear Molloy," he said, how
crude. You might know me better
than that" te
He held the glass to Renata's lips,
and she took 1t and drank. When
she had set down the glass, she felt
her way to a chair and leaned back
with closed eyes. The room seemed
to whirl about her. A confusion of
| sound was in her ears, loud, angry,
with sentences that came and went
IF she heard,"-then another-"How
long was she there? Some one must
| have seen the door open"
Who did, them" Then in the
II she's Molloy's daughter fifty times
over, IL she heard what Four said
about The Process, she must 60"
| Go where?
There was something cold and wet
touching her shoulder. The cold
| seemed toIspread all over her. Now
her father was speaking. She had
| never heard his voice quite like that
before. And now the man in the fur
| coat, the one who had given her the
glass of water:
Yes, certainly, elimination IL 1t
| Is necessary. We're all agreed about
that. But let US make sure" His
voice had quite a gentle sound, but
Renata's heart began to beat with
great thuds.
Miss Molloy,"-he was speakine
to her now, and she opened her eyes
and looked at him. His face was of
a clear, even pallor. His eyes. light
blue and without noticeable lashes,
looked straight into hers. The veil
was gone from them. They held a
terrifying intelligence.
Renata sat up. The crowd of men
had cleared away. She, and her
father, and the man IN the fur coat
were In an angle formed by the table
and the black screen, which had been
drawn close around them. Her father
sat between her and the fire. His
head was turned away, and he
drummed necessarily on the table
with the fingers of his right hand
Beyond the screen Renata could hear
movements, and it came to her that
the other men were there waiting.
The man in the fur coat spoke to