The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-07-03

The light fell on the basebOard and
 arrow, pointing toward pick this time O night to look the place over2"
 The tall old clock in the library was striking midnight when final. iy the three young people decided to cal h halt in the unsuccessful search.
 Pat threw himself into Q big chair and wiped his forehead. "Whewi I'll begin to Bprout BideburnB myself if I stayed here long. All this old- fashioned grandeur. I'll bet if any one should try to horn in here, 1t would be some nut on the track of Q carved walnut bedstead or some- thing"
 Probably it's too dark to make 1t worth while looking around outside tonight, isn't it2" asked Bob.
 "doodness yeS," answered Claire. wed better call 1t Q day and get c fresh start in the morning"
 Accordingly, rooms were as. signed to the young men and, after bidding them goodnight, Claire lighted Q glass lamp and made her way up the gloomy stair way to the bedroom directly under the cupola. This was Q large room and had been Lyman Fosdick's. Everything in 1t remained as he had left 1t.
 Wearily pulling of her riding bootg, the girl climbed Up on the high four-poster bed and threw herself down. Tired aS she was, the thought of the mysterious shot that had found It's mark in the dog, still persisted, carrying with 1t q subtle warning.
 What was this unseen force that geemd to be closing about her? She stirred Testlessly. Nick Baum and his hold on her father. These two young men whose path had crossed hers 50 curiously. What did she really know about them, anyway? Pat had said the dog was alive when they went around to the barn but was 1t still alive when they came back into the house? Susie and ED. And where did Dan Dallas At into the picture?
 
 Claire's mind swung back to Pat Magan, and she smiled in the dark ness. Again came the remembrance of strong arms lifting her in the darkness. Had 1t been Pat? She hoped 50, though she did not ask herself why. A rollicking, care-free newspaper man with an impish smile and Irish blue eyes shaded by very black Iashes-well, what of 1t? Bob Steele had blue eyes too, very nice eyes, and he had looked at her with the same admiration that many men had given her.
 They were both very different from Nick Baum, though Nick was the handsomeSt. His manner was everything a woman could desire, too.
 Claire shivered a little as the coolness of the mountains crept about her. Resolutely she closed her eyes and determined to go to sleep.
 But the next instant she was bolt upright in bed, every nerve stralning to hear something - she was not sure what. Had some spirit of the long ago come into the room? Or had 1t been merely the sound of the night wind fin the old pine tree? Could 1t be that she had been aroused by fancy of her own?
 She listened intently and finally lay down again, feeling a little folish. Then it came again. This time the tapping noise from the wall near the head of her bed could not be explained away. Gently, regularly. the muffled sound pierced the stiffness. Once twice. She caught herself num- bering the beats as though she were counting a pulse. All power of movement seemed drained from her. except the ability to mark the sounds.
 With an effort she got out of bed and fumbled for the lamp. Her fingers shaking. she touched a light to the wick. The feeble yel- low gleam that cut an arc in the shadows brought . feeling of relief. The noise had stopped now. She pulled on her boots. wondering if afterall there wasn't some common place explanation. Anyway, sine would look behind the bed-that ig. # she could budge 1t out from the wall. She eyed It's majestic bulk doubtfulDy.
 Putting her shoulder to the near est post. she exerted all her healthy young strength. After one or two attempts. she managed to widen a space from the wall through which to squeeze her slender body. Carry