The Moon Rock

Robert com

ting bolt upright in indignant amazement, she rejected the idea in the sharpest scorn. It was nothing to her that the police sergeant from the churchtown shared her brother's view, and that Dr. Ravenshaw was passively acquiescent. She brushed aside the plausible web of circumstances with the impatient hand of an angry woman. They might talk till Doomsday, bu

mport at Austin, and addressing h

. I don't care what you say, but if there's la

r husband, leaving her brother to walk back to his lodgings at the

f the circumstances which pointed to suicide, hammered at her consciousness with deadening persistence, but she resolutely refused to give it entry. Why should Robert commit suicide? Why indeed? It was the question which had sprung to her lips w

any other theory which would account for her brother's death. If he had been murdered, as in the first flush of her indignatio

over by the throng of later tremendous events. It was the memory of that momentary glance of a pair of eyes through the slit of the door while her brother was telling of his daughter's illegitimacy and her mother's shame. In the light of Robert's subsequent dea

and there they remained. She was now convinced that she had all along believed it was Thalassa she had seen watching through the door, watching and listening for some fell purpose of his own. She knew nothing about Thalassa, but she had taken an instant d

he was up and dressed before her husband was awake. He came down to breakfas

sked, with a glance at

a painful ordeal before me in breaking the news of Robert's death to her. It's all over the hotel already, unfortunately. Sisily is out

ments for their departure by the morning's train had been cancelled. Then his better nature asser

d his wife. "Try and keep her i

ted having undertaken the responsibility of her niece's future. She had not disturbed Sisily on the previous night. She had tried her doo

shrink from a duty because it was unpleasant, and womanly sympathy for h

still untouched, stood on a small table beside her. She p

d worn and fatigued, with black rings under her eyes, as though she, too, had passed a sleepless night. But she w

taking another one beside her. "I have sad news for you, dear, an

taking in the import of her aunt's tone, rather than

n than that," she went on, her voice drooping to a whisper. "He ... he ha

the hand was immediately withdrawn, and Sisily sprang away from he

about it!

g about the girl's reception of the news which puzzled her, and her own look fell before the sombr

e left alone for a little

-timed, but Sisily's manner had momentarily disconcerted her. "You had better put on your hat and coat and go out with your uncle. H

tly, though her face remained calm-"but I would ra

and resolve which forced Mrs. Pendleton in spite of herself t

you feel like a walk later on, yo

om she heard the d

the manner in which she had received the news of her father's death. The horror of that event filled her own thought

clock. The lobby of the hotel was deserted, and through the glass doors leading to the breakfast-room she could see a few guests still a

nt sunshine was sporting wantonly on the hoary castled summit of St. Michael's Mount, and promised

e of Flint House, deeming that would be sufficient to gain her an interview with somebody in authority. In that expectation she was not disappoint

t a leather-covered table opening his morning correspondence. He looked up and bowe

he said. "What c

een aroused by the strange death of the occupant of Flint House, whose object

spoke earnestly, drawing her chair closer with the feeling that the man

port has just reached me. Anything I can do for you-" Inspector Dawfield preten

s a case of suicide, does he no

here is no doubt on that point, is there? Your brother's revol

ndleton vehemently. "I do not-I cannot believe that my bro

or again, with something more than surprise in his eyes, then

that it is suicide," he said as he replac

s been murdered," she

ndleton. Have you anything to support it? Anythi

of the earnest attentive face before her. The incident of the person she had detected looking through the door took on a new significance as she related it. By her constant ass

amily matters at the time?" asked Inspector Da

brother's announcement of his daughter's illegitimacy, but afterward

ield. "In this case it may seem to have a sinister interpretation because of

wicked face," she added hastily, as though that fact cancelled a rec

le with a sheet of foolscap. "Have you

seem to me to need further investigation. There's the question of the door being locked on the inside. It seems to me that the door might have been locked

of the keys in your brother's house? This se

after we came down. And when we got there he was ready to g

His lady visitor might disclaim suspecting anybody

wish me to

e of bringing to light any mystery which may be hidden behind my brother's supposed suicide. He does not

was unnecessary. It was his duty to look into her

. "I am rather short of men just now, but I'll see if I can get Bodmin

e him holding a colloquy over the telephone. After rather a lengthy conversation he retur

int of returning to London. I was able to speak to him personally and relate the facts of your brother's death. He decided to telephone to Scotland Yard, an

found," replied Mrs. Pendleton, rising a

letters to be written and telegrams to be sent before lunch. But she was destined to do neither. As she entered the lounge, her eye fell