The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-02-17

Silence from the Unknown-and
that blank stare of stupefaction.
''Look at his papers," 1t was Miss
Cornelia's voice.
The doctor and Bailey searched the
torn trousers pockets, the pockets of
the muddled shirt, while the Unknown
submitted passively, not seeming to
care what happened to him. But
search him as they would-it was In
vain.
"Not a paper on him." said Jack
Bailey, at last, Strengthening up.
A crash of breaking glass from the
head of the alcove stairs put a period
to his sentence. All turned toward
the stairs-or all except the Unknown,
who, for a moment, half rose in his
chair, his eyes cleaning, his face
alert, the mask Of bewildered apathy
gone from his face.
AS they watched, rigid little fig
ure of horror backed slowly down the
alcove stairs and into the room
Billy, the Japanese, his oriental pla-
cidity disturbed at last, Incompetent
sible terror written in every line Of
his face.
"Billy-what 1t is?'
The diminutive butler made pitt
full attempt at his usual grin.
"It-nothing," he gasped. The On
known relapsed in his chair-again
the dazed stranger from nowhere
Beresford took the Japanese by the
shoulders.
"Now see herer he said sharply.
you've seen something! What was
It'll"
Billy trembled like leaf.
"Ghost! Ghost 70 he muttered fran
tically, his face working.
Hes concealing something. Look
at hint" Miss Cornelia stared at her
servant. Brooks, close the door"
pointing at the terrace door in the al
cove, which still stood ajar after the
entrance Of the Unknown.
Bailey moved to obey. But just as
he reached the alcove-the terrace
door slammed shut in his face. At the
0dIuC CNSly ii5hI AA OSN~~
crest blinked and went out again.
Bailey fumbled for the door-knob In
the sudden darkness.
1.-THE doors locked!" he said, In
credulously. 'The keys gone, too.
Where's your revolver, Beresford"
81 dropped in it the alcove when ]
caught that man." called Beresford,
cursing himself for his carelessness.
The Illuminated dial of Bailey's
wrist watch f1ickered in the dark
ness as he searched for the revolver
"a round, glowing spot of phosphor-
escence.
Lizzie screamed. ''The eyeI The
cleaning eye! / saw on the stairs !"
she shrieked, pointing ,at it frenziedly.
"Quick-thereS a candle on the
table-light it somebody-never mind
the revolver have one" called Miss
Cornelia.
"Righto!" called Beresford, cheerily,
in reply. He found the candle-lit it
The party blinked at each other for
a moment, still unable quite to cO-or-
dinate their thoughts.
Bailey ratified the knob of the door
into the hall.
'This doors locked, tool" he said,
with increasing puzzlement. A gasp
went over the group. They were
locked in the room, while some devil
ment was going on in the rest of the
house. That they knew. But what it
might be, what form it might take,
they had not the remotest idea.
But it was not until Miss Cornelia
took the candle and proceeded toward
the hall door to examine it that the
full horror of the situation burst upon
them.
Neatly fastened to the white panel
of the door, chest high and hardly
more than just dead, was the body of
a bat.
OF what happened thereafter no one
afterward remembered the details. TO
be shut in there, at the mercy of one
who knew no mercy, was intolerable.
1t was left for Miss COrnelia to re-
member her own revolver, lying unno-
ticed on the table since the crime
earlier in the evening, and to suggest
its use in SCATTERING the lock.
Just what they had expected when
the door was finally opened they did
not know. But the house was quiet
and in order; no new horror faced
them in the hall; their candle re-
vealed no bloody figure, their ears
heard no unearthly sound.
Slowly they began to search the
house. Since no room was apparently
immune from danger, the men made
no protest when the women insisted
on accompanying them. And as time
went on and chamber after chamber
was discovered empty and undis-
turbed, gradually the courage of the
party began to rise. Lizzie, still whim-
pering,< stuck closely to Miss Cor
nelia's heels, but that spirited lady
began to make small side excursions
of her own.
OF the men, only Bailey, Beresford
and the doctor could really be said to
search at all. Billy had remained be-
low, impassive of face but rolling of
eve; the Unknown, after an attempt
to. depart with them, had sunk back
weakly into his chair again, and the
detective, Anderson, was still unac-
cOuntably missing.
AS time went on and the silence