Nogales international., 1932-01-13
TENTH INSTALMENT
SYNOPSIS

Six people, Horace Johnson (who tells
the story), his wife, old Mrs. Dane, Herbert
Robinson and his sister, Alice, and DR..
Sperry, friends and neighbors, are in the
habit of holding weekly meetings. At one OF
them, Mrs. Dane. who is hostess, varies the
program by unexpectedly arranging a spirit.
ualistic seance with Miss Jeremy, friend of
Dr. Sperry and not a professional, as the
medium.
At the first sitting the medium tells the
details of murder as it is occurring. Later
that night Sperry learns that a neighbor,
Arthur Wells, has been shot mysteriously.
at second seance, Miss Jeremy adds
details about a summer resort where
Charles Elingham was known to have been
at the same time that Mrs. Wells was
there. She also speaks of pocketbook
being lost which contained some impor-
tant car tickets and letters. Mrs. Dane.
alone OF the women. seems thrilled by the
investigation.
deserted house. He is frightened by strange
noises, as of lan:sintruder in the house, but
completes his investigation.
He visits Mrs Dane and tells her how
he had carried off the fire-tongs and left
behind his oyercoat in his excitement She
then tells him she had advertised for the
finder of the pockethook and turns over to
Johnson an answer she had received from
one having guilty knowledge of the crime;
DR.. Sperry announces he is to be married
Hawkins the butler, is Identified as being
the person who answered Mrs. Danes ad-
vertiscment. Johnson's missing overcoat is
mailed to him, but the letters contained in
pocket are missing. Sperry accompanied by
i Johnson; makes another search .irs&Welis
house for the letters written by the. slayer.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
Our inspection of the curtains was
hurried but finally we found what
we were looking for In the lining of
one of the curtains, near the bottom,
a long, ragged cit had been made.
"Cut in hurry, with curved scls-
sors," was Sperry's comment. Prob
ably manicure scissors"
The result was a sort of pocket in
| the curtain, concealed on the chintz
side, which was the side which would
hang toward the room.
"Probably," he said, 'the curtain
1conld have been better 1t would have
STAYED anyhow. Whereas the bag"
| He was flushed with triumph. How
in the world would Hawkins know
that?" he demanded. "You can talk
! all YOU like. She's told us things that
! no one ever told her."
"We1l have go at the floors under
the carpets tlow," he said.
The dressing-room had large
rug, like the nursery above it, turning
back the carpet was simple matter.
There had bec;, stain beneath where
the dead man head had lain, but It
had been scrubbed and scraped aWaNS
The boards were white for an area.
Of a square foot or SO.
Spcrry eyed the spot with indif-
ference. "Not essential. t. he SAID.
"Shows good housekeeping. That's
all. The point is, are there other
spots?"
Aud, after time. we found what
we were after. The upper hall was
carpeted. and my penknife came into
reo,isltion to lift the tacks.l They
came up rather easily. as if but re-
Gently put in. That, indeed, proved
to be the case.
lust outside the dressing-room
door the boards for al area OF two
4 square feet or more beneath. the
carpet had been scraped ard scrubbed.
With the lifting Of the carpet came,
I too, a strong odor, as Of ammonia.
But the stain Of blood had abso-
lutcly disappeared
Sperry, kneeling on the floor with
the candle held close, examined the
wood. "Not only scrubbed" ne
said. "but scraped down. probably
with a foor-scraper, It's pretty
clear, Horace. The p5cr devil fell
here. There was a Struggle, ard ne
went down. He lay there for
while. too, until some plan was
thought out. A man does not usl-
ally kill himself in hallway. It's
a sort of solitary deed. He fell here
and was dragged into TIE room
The angle of the bullet in the cell
ing would probably show it came
from here, too. and went through
the doorway"
1t was getting on. so I suggested
we give up further searching.
We reached Mrs. Danes, to fine
that Miss Jeremy had already ar,
rived. looking rather pale, as I had
noticed she always did before a Sc
ance. Her color had faded, and hei
eyes seemed sunkcn in her head.
mot iii. are you?" Sperry asked
her, as he took her hand.
"Not at all. But | am anxious
always am. These things do mo-
come for the calling"
"This is the last time. You have
promised"
eyes. The last time"
For our last seance. Herbert Rob
inson, who had been reading vi
psychic literature, said he had ar
ranged things to convince US all o
the genuineness of any phenomen;
that might appear.
Herbert placed Miss Jeremy ii
her chair, and proceeded to wrat
her, chair and all. in a strong net
work of fine threads, drawn sufh
GENTLY taut to snap with any move
rnent
He finished by placing her fee
on the sheet of paper, and outlining
their position there with a, penci
line.
The proceedings were, saved from
L al o1