The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-02-24

said, her voice cold with anger. shat
we left her here alone. When we
came back, you were here. The cor
ridor door was locked, and she was in
that room-unconscious"
She moved forward to throw the
light of her candle on the hidden
room as the detective passed into it,
gave it a swift professional glance,
and stepped out again. But she had
not finished her story by any means.
"As we opened that door," she con-
tinued to the detective, tapping the
false mantel, "the doctor deliberately
extinguished our only candle!'
do you know who was in that
roomT queried the detective, fiercely,
wheeling on the DOCTOR
But the latter had evidently made
up his mind to cling stubbornly to
policy of complete denial.
"No," he said sullenly. II didn't
put out the candle. 1t fell. And /
didn't lock that door into the hall.
found it locked!"
A sigh of relief from Bailey now
centered everyone's attention on him.
self and Dale. At last the girl was
recovering from the shock of her ter
rible experience and regaining con-
seriousness. Her eyelids f1uttered-
closed again-opened once more. She
tried to sit up, weakly, clinging to
Bailey's shoulder. The color returned
to her cheeks-the stupor left her
hunted little glance and then shud-
dered violently.
please close that awful door," she
said in a tremulous voice. Il don't
want to see it again."
The detective went silently to close
the iron doors.
"What happened to you? Can't you
remembers" faltered Bailey, on his
knees at her side.
The shadow of an old terror lay on
the girls face. -
II was in here alone, in the dark"
she began slowly-'Then, as l looked
at the doorway there, saw there was
somebody there. He came in and
closed the door. didn't know what to
do, so / slipped in-there, and after
while knew he was coming in, too,
for he couldn't get out Then I must
have tainted"
"There was nothing about the fig
ure that you recognized?"
'No. Nothing"
"But we know it was the Bat" put
In Miss Cornelia.
The detective laughed sardonically.
The old duel of opposing theories be-
tween the two seemed about to recon-
mence.
"Still harping on the Bat % he said,
with little sheer.
Miss Cornelia stuck to her guns.
II have every reason to believe that
the Bat is in this house," she said.
The detective gave another Earring,
mirthless laugh.
"And that he took the Union bank
money out of that safe, I suppose|
he jeered. "No, Miss Van Gorder."
He wheeled on the doctor now.
ASK the doctor who took the Union
bank money out of that safe!" he
Numbered. "Ask the doctor who at
tackled me downstairs in the drawing
room, knocked me senseleSs and
locked me in the billiard roomw
There was an astounded silence.
The detective added parting shot to
his indictment Of the doctor.
"The next time you put handouts
on a man, be sure to take the key out
of his vest pocket" he said biting off
the words.
Rage and CONSERVATION mingled on
the doctors countenance-on the
faces of the others establishment was
followed by growing certainty. Only
Miss Cornelia chung stubbOrnly to her
original theory.
perhaps I'm an obstinate old wom-
an" she said, in tones which obvious
ly showed that If so she was rather
proud of it, "but the doctor and all the
rest of us were locked in the living
room, not ten minutes ago"
"By the Bat / supposed" Knocked
Anderson.
"By the Bat!" insisted Miss Cor.
nelia infexibly. "Who else would have
fastened dead bat to the door down.
stairs? Who else would have the
bravado to do that? Or what you call
the imagination"
In spite of himself Anderson seemed
to be impressed.
1.-THE Bat. chr" he muttered, then,
changing his tone, "you knew about
this hidden room, Wells?" he shot at
the doctor.
"Yes." The doctor bowed his head.
sand you knew the money was in
the roomY
swell, was wrong, wasn't TT par
ried the doctor. "You can look for
yourself. That safe is empty"
The detective brushed hts evasive
answer aside.
"You were up in this room. earlier
tonight" he said in tones of appar-
ent certainty.
mo, / couldn't get up!" the doctor
still insisted, with strange violence
for a man who had already admitted
such damning knowledge.
The detectives face was study In
disbelief.
"You know where that money is.
Wells, and I'm going to find it"
This last taunt seemed to goad the
doctor beyond endurance.
"Good God!" he shouted recklessly.
"Do you suppose if knew where it is,
I'd be here? I've had plenty of
chances to get awayI No, you can't
pin anything on me, Anderson! 1t
isn't criminal to have known that
room is here"
"Oh, don't be so id virtuousw