New Britain herald., 1930-04-29
CHAPTER 2 THE KNIFE OF MADEMOISELLE

It was a pleasant room into which the housekeeper took me. Windows looked south and west. The south window, of the French type, was open, and gave access to a flat roof The library was underneath, I thought.
 Life must be pleasant on San Lucas, Miss Jahres,' I remarked.
 DO you think so?'' Miss Jahries answered. we have dinner at eight, MT. Hunt"
 While I dressed I pondercd over the curious human behavior I hal noticed since I had entered the house.
 ] wondered if there was a connec- ton between Parados' attitudo towards Celia and Annersley's un- expected appearance, and Parado5' panic when he looked at the glass case and his abominable treatment of Miss Jahries. If there was, might not those incidents tie up with that sense of "wronsness' l had felt on the island?
 Seven o'clock found me with an hour on my hands. I ought to have gone downstairs, but l stepped to the window.
 The roof, an oblong open on two sides, along which a low parapct ran, looked south and west. On the west side a stair descended to the cliff.
 I had a pretty good idea of my surroundings. The cove indente,l the southwest corner. Parados had quilt his home on the north side of the cove; the ruin of the fort Nelas- ouez had built was on the south side A light indicated the location of the fort tower Evidently it was occupied. By whom?
 The cove was q hundred yards or so wide; the light was perhaps twice that distance from where stood. Unless Tho Gut was bridgel and I had seen no bridge-it would be necessary to walk around the head of Tho Gut. a conSidcra bl , distance, to get from the house 70 the fort
 I began to dig up what I knew C. the islands history. The original estate had been granted to the father of Don Ramon by the King of Spain about 1910. San Lucas Island had teen thrown in with it.
 The Nrlasquczs prospered until the Americans began to blow over the horizon. Don RCmon built the fort on San Lucas as a, protest against the Yankee invasion.
 When California joined the Unioi,, Don Ramon withdrew 10 San Lucas Island and lived in the fort until his death. His grandson died without heir in the nineties. Meanwhile. the mainland estate had been lost. The island was sold for debt and Parados bought it cheap around 1912.
 I happened to glance at the cliffs below. There had been no one there 8. moment before. I was sure Ue that. As a figure moved in front Of what l supposed was the west win dow of the library, I saw it was Il girl. She drew closer to the win dow and peered in.
 T wonder what she's after?" 1 muttered. I had q notion she did not belong to the house.
 Parados had told me the Brent collection was in the room beyonl the library. Suddenly. the girl van ished.
 I ran down the stair, passed tho library window, the shades of which were drawn. and came to the sec ond window Tho shades wcre drawn. but not together.
 l did not see the girl. The Brent pottery was spread on a billiard table in the center of the library. touched one Goor of the window. II opened noiselessly. The girl ap- pcared in the center of the room.
 She was holding ono of the oils, looking at it intently. The subject vas the head and shoulders of an old lady with red-applc cheeks and a white collar and an indomitabl2 air that made you look twice d,