Evening star., 1933-07-04
CHAPTER K.
SUES FRIGHT.

r. XCEPT for the witches and the
l. wind and myself, the courtyard
was empty. I crossed it again
IL and had the good sense to find
and put the discoverable pieces
of my flashlight into my pocket against
the search the police would make. be-
fore 1 assembled the little iron stairway
and stepped again into the corridor.
The priest had gone, and the little
porter wore an anxious look, and Sue
Tally was standing there beside him.
She looked at me, and closed the
door and shut out some Of the wind,
and she said, "Oh," in q gaSping way.
She looked stricken. The toe Of her
scarlet slipper was near the dead mans
hand, and I got the impression that
she had been leaning over him.
I said to the porter: Where Is
Father Robart?"
soon as you left us he went away, too"
"You were alone here?"
YES" His wiry little shoulders
moved In a kind Of shudder, and
believed him. although that left the
porter and the priest each to his own
devices at time when I was pursuing
and being pursued in the courtyard
below
1 paused to consider whether the
priest or the porter could have got by
way to the corridor into the courtyard
in time to discover me still on the
landing with my fashlight and fired at
me. and decided that neither of the
two had had time to do so. Still, there
It was: The priest or the porter or Lov-
schiem: inclined toward Lovschiem.
The porter repeated: But, yes, mon
sieur. Until Miss Tally arrived
There were things wanted to ask
Miss Tally. said to the porter:
What was the matter with the
Mghts?"
He shrugged and spread out his
bad here without lights. There was one
that moved. think. think he move
but 1t Is only that have fear" Sue
Tally caught her breath and the little
porter added quickly with an anxious
glance at her: There was only the
wind. Me- am not afraid"
Go and" And what? I sought
for an excuse, 60 and bring some
wood, please. The fire in my room is
and will question us all"
He gave me sharp and rather du-
bious look but went.
do you know this man." asked
Sue across the thing on the floor
ITO the best of my belief" she said
slowly and so gravely that at the mo-
ment did not note the curious word
ing Of her reply, Il have never seen
him before"
Then he wasn't the man who-ab-
Quoted you?"
II don't know" she said. Il don't
know. How could I know? I didn't
see him.
She was white and tired and fright
ened and lovely. I turned my. eyes
resolutely away from her and said:
why did you leave my room? Why
didn't you waltz"
II was-afraid," she said in small
voice. When you left. I was afraid.
I followed you almost at once. think
ing to meet you in the corridor But
when reached my room the kew was
in the door. I can't think whv I was
so stupid-it still seems that I left 1t
on the keyboard"
How long did you waltz" I asked,
despising myself and staring through
the shadows at the lighted lobby.
"Only a moment or two"
Long enough for me to reach the
lobby?"
"Oh. no." she said. "As matter
Of fact. was counting. I thought I
would count up to three hundred, and
could begin to expect you back again.
But I got to my first hundred. and the
wind was rafting things. and-I ran
out and along the corridor" Her voice
broke, and she added more steadily:
SILLY of me- To be so absurdly afraid.
I'm not as a rule"