The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-01-27

his revolver.
you're sure of that, are your he
said roughly to Billy.
"Sure, 1 surew
where's that hysterical woman,
Lizzie?" queried Anderson. "She may
get a bullet in her II she's not care
full"
"She see too. She shut In closet
say prayers, maybe" said Billy, with
out a smile.
The picture was ludicrous one but
not one of the little group laughed.
Doctor, have you revolver?" An
derson seemed to be going over the
possible means of defense against this
new peril.
"No."
How about you, Beresford?"
Beresford hesitated @
EYES," he admitted finally. SAL
ways carry one at night in the coun-
try" The statement seemed reason
able enough but Miss Cornelia gave
him a sharp glance of mistrust, new
ertheless.
The detective seemed to have more
confidence in the young idler.
"Beresford, will you go with this
Jap to the kitchen?" as Billy, grimly
clutching his butcher-knife, retraced
his steps toward the hall. "If anyone's
working at the knob-shoot through
the door. I'm going round to take a
look outside"
The detective ran lightly up into
the alcove and tiptoed out of the ter
race door, closing the door behind
him. Beresford and Billy departed
to take up their posts in the kitchen
"Pll go with you, If you don't mind"
and Jack Bailey had followed them
leaving Miss Cornelia and Dale alone
with the doctor. Miss Cornelia, glad
Of the opportunity to get the Doctors
theories on the mystery, without An
derson's interference, started to ques-
ton him at once
Doctor"
"Yes." The doctor turned, politely.
slave you any theory about this
occurrence tonight?" She watched
him eagerly as she asked the ques-
ton.
He made a gesture of baffiement
''None whatever-it's beyond me-
he confessed.
sand yet you warned me to leave
this house." said Miss Cornelia, can
nily. "You didn't have any reason to
believe that the situation was even as
serious as 1t has proved to be?"
81 did the perfectly obvious thing
when I warned you," said the doctor,
easily. "Those letters made a dis
tinct threat
Miss Cornelia could not deny the
truth in his words. And yet she felt
decidedly unsatisfied with the way
things were progressing.
"Yeu said Fleming had probably
been shot from abover' she queried,
thinking hard.
The doctor nodded. yes"
"Have you a pocket-fiash, doctor p
she asked him suddenly.
"Why-yes-" The doctor did not
seem to perceive the significance of
the query. "a f1ashlight is more i'm
portant to country doctor than
castor OIL" he added, with a little
smile.
Miss Cornelia decided upon an ex-
pertinent. She turned to Dale.
"Dale, you said you saw a white
light shining down from above?"
eyes," said Dale, in minor voice
Miss Cornelia rose.
MAY / borrow your fiashlight, doc
tor? Now that fool detective is out
of the way" she continued, somewhat
acidly, 81 want to do something"
The doctor gave her his flashlight
with a stare of bewilderment. She
took it and moved into the alcove.
Doctor, shall ask you to stand at
the foot of the small staircase, facing
up"
The doctor slowly followed her into
the alcove and took up the position
she assigned him at the foot Of the
stairs.
'Now, Dale" said Miss Cornelia,
briskly, when / give the word, you
put out the lights here-and then
tell me when have reached the point
on the staircase from which the flash.
light seemed to come. All ready?"
Two silent mods gave assent. Miss
Cornelia left the room to seek the Sec
ond floor by the main staircase and
then slowly return by the alcove
stairs, her fiashlight poised, In her
reconstruction Of the events Of the
crime. At the foot Of the alcove-stairs
the doctor waited uneasily for her ar
rival. He glanced up the stairs-were
those her footsteps now? He peered
more closely into the darkness.
An expression of surprise and ap-
prehension came over his face.
He glanced swiftly at Dale-was
she watching him7 Ne-she sat in
her chair, musing. He turned back
toward the stairs and made frantic.
insistent gesture-"Go back, 60 back 7"
IT said, palmer than words, te-Some-
thing-in the darkness by the head Of
the stairs. Then his face relaxed-he
gave a noiseless sigh of relief.
Dale, rousing from her brown study,
turned out the standing lamp by the
table and went over to the main light
switch, awaiting Miss Corneffa's sig
nal to plunge the room in darkness.
The doctor stole another glance at
her-had his gestures been observed?
apparently not.
Unobserved by either, as both wait
ed tensely for Miss Cornelia's signal,
a Hand stole through the broken pane
Of the shattered French window be-
hind their backs and fumbled for the
knob which unlocked the window
door. 1t found the catch-unlocked
1.-THE WindoW-door swung open,