The Circular Staircase

scination. Then she put out her hands blin

inarticulately; and at that, because my n

anyhow, and she seemed to pull herself together. But not another word would she say: she stood gazing down at that gruesome figure on the floor, while Liddy, ashame

, and the maids huddled in a corner, as much use as so many sheep. In a short time, although it seemed hours, a car came rushing up, and Anne Watson, who had wa

made a strange picture, no doubt. "Nobody

. Jarvis," I said. "

k began to cry, and Mrs. Watson knocked ov

mily?" Mr. Jarvis asked,

mation, and they all hurried across the room. Mr. Jarvis took the lamp from me-I remember that-and then, feeling myself getting dizzy a

"you and Miss Gertrude, too. This has be

ho is it?" I asked with difficulty. There

looking at me oddly, "and he has be

up-stairs, and the two strange men from the club stayed with the body. The reaction from the shock and strain

Halsey?"

cken face rose before me the empty

Jarvis persisted. "He stoppe

where he is,"

e, and I could hear him excitedly talking, saying something

?" he said. "If I can do anything I

hen I told of Jack Bailey's being in the

nished. "Whatever mad prank took them away, it

ially

toriously bad friends. It was Bailey who got Arnold into t

there is anything m

g we may bank on, Miss Innes. Any court in the country will acqui

I exclaimed. There was a queer feeli

Miss Innes, you're a ghost of yourself and I am going to help y

window I surmised that Mr. Jarvis and his companions were searching the grounds. As for me, I lay in bed, with every faculty awake. Where had Halsey gone? How had he gone, and when? Before the murder, no doubt, but who would

came in. She was fully dres

you have had!" She came over and sat down on th

hing new?" I a

"-he is the chauffeur-"Warner is at t

told him a few things. When we get this cleared up, I am going back to the city to be qui

ore, and the figure on the veranda in the east wing.

key, no doubt, but why he should steal into his father's house I can not imagine. He could have co

the pearls in it; she clutched at the foot of the bed, and s

her face. It was a relief when Mrs. Watson tapped at the door and brought me some tea and toast. The cook was in bed, completely demoralized, she reported, and Liddy,

al, of course, that the thing would shock her, having been the Arms

n-stairs. The billiard and card-rooms were locked until the coroner and the detectiv

d precursed the murder. The house seemed to choke me, and, slipping a shawl around me, I went out on the drive. At the

clothes," I said sharply. "Yo

r the card-room. I took it from her, and sent her up for dry garments. Her daylight courage and self-importance, and her shuddering delight in the mystery, irritated me beyond words. After I left her I made a circuit of the buildi

ground was a revolver! I scraped the earth off it with the tip of my shoe, and, picking it up, slipped it into my pocket. Not until I had got into my bedroom and double-locked the door did I venture to take it out

but anxiety gave me courage to look through the barrel-the revolver had still two bullets in it. I could only

l I could see some reason for displaying them. The cuff-link had been dropped into a little filigree box o