The Deep Lake Mystery

loser and pushing aside the gray hair,

riven into the skull with such force that it showed merely as a metal disk. Having been hi

but it was far too firmly faste

or asked, helplessly. "Shall we

diagnosis of apoplexy was most natural in the circumstances, for the symptoms are the same. I, too, thought death was the result of an apoplect

I can hardly believe a human being capable of such a horror! Mr. Moore, you

this terrible tragedy as a problem after Moore's own heart seemed

hat he would investigate the murder,

peech by a noncommittal nod a

a man of brute passions and brute strength. That nail is almost imbedded in the bone, and, I fancy, needed more than one

Griscom, the butler,

called pop-eyes. He stared in a frightened manner, but

er's tea at nine o'clock, as

ed in the morning?"

I knock and Mr. Tracy would get up and open

locked, and the key in

, but when there was no

re you

ake more exercise. I've been with the master a long time, sir, and I had the privilege of a bit of talk with him now and then. So I did try to persuade him t

Moore said, "wha

to Mr. E

eved voice of Harper Ames. "Why did he do tha

re instructe

the chauffeur-and tell him to bring some tools, I did that, and Louis first pushed the key out

cam

d Mrs. Fenn-she's the housekeeper-she saw

you s

saw him, sir. Just as he is now, except

hat was locked, the entr

he only one connecting th

what about t

't been tou

all of these windows overlooked the deep, black waters of the Sunless Sea. It had been the whim of the man to have his quarters thus, to be surrounded on all sides by the water of the lake that h

w these rooms

lroom, sir.

g room, bathroom and sitting room, Moore said, slowly:

he didn't say they were inaccessible

drop to the lake was about fifteen or more feet. The outer walls of marble presented no footh

said, at last, having looked out of every one. "I sup

about that. He and all the household had latchkeys, and the fron

as lat

ousekeeper. Then there are others which

, one may have been abstracte

. We keep strict

e. How could anyone get into and out of Mr. Trac

m. He had often said to me, "if you don't want a question asked of you, ask it yourself of s

us voice volleyed

business, Moore," he said. "That's

stand this

I should think you would see the matter in

y sleeve. And first of all, I'm keen to avenge my friend. And I kno

s to haste being advisable. The circumstances were so peculiar, the conditions so fantastic, that search for

and Keeley Moore consulted a few mom

ediate inquiry, preliminary to his formal inquest. No one may leave the house; you, Griscom, will tell the servants this, and I shall call in more

y a detective. He locked the door that commanded t

d hear women's voices in a smal

derate size and contained several desks or writing tables, evidently a writing room

nd pleasure. Save for the sinister atmosphere now pe

ervants one at a time. He also told the butler to serve breakfast as usual, and advis

The realization of the awful facts of the case

n. She corroborated Griscom's story of the locked door and the subs

Moore, kindly, for the poor woman wa

as a good master an

the guests of the house,

I'm housekeeper, to be sure, but the maids do

out any one who had an enmity

entle, peaceable man, was Mr. T

t in, and then he dismissed Mrs. F

of any guest or neighbour who was unfriendly to M

nclined to talk. In fact, he refused to do so unless

dy out except Farrell and Dete

and declared that Mr. Ames and

his own against Ames. But Hart listened avidly to the chauffeur's a

that the two men were continually quarrelling

oney matters?"

wed Mr. Tracy a great deal of money and he couldn't

uarrelling on o

now and then ab

at abou

idn't want Mr. Tr

favour the l

so. No, but he didn't want Mr. Tracy to marry anybody

know all t

an't help hearing them. They make no bones of it, they talk right out. I n

. So Mr. Ames would suffer fin

ut I know he thought he wo

t to know the terms of Mr. Tracy's will

"and anyway, this is merely a preliminary inq

. A chambermaid, one Sally Bray, convinced us that all the queer decorations spread on

ble, and the whole bunch had been removed from the vase and laid around the dead man. The orange and crackers had been on a plate on the bedside

Hart. "The red chiffon scar

t she knew it to be a scarf belonging to Mrs. Dallas, and the lady had l

n returned to her?"

the lady, sir, and, too, Mr. Tracy was that fond of beautiful thing

his love for beautiful things, and that would explain the flower

've not been allowed

ell the guard he's to let

ren't! Don't mak

with real fear, bu

. But it is important for me to know if anything has been taken away that you know of. I don

ing, and Hart finished up the re

n a fancy to Everett, and somehow, from the way

his eyes were alert and showed a sense of humour. Not that the occasion called f

e but a little detached. He was quite ready to answer quest

short time over a cigar and a whisky and soda. Then, perhaps about ten o'clock, he had said good night to his employer and had gone t

t in easy enough, but I don't see how he could

little sententiously, "where there has

ore spoke

said, "unless the murderer stays there. If the mur

get out?" de

not through the door to the hall. Remains the

unusual burst of unasked information. "I've been here three

If Mr. Tracy wanted a private entrance to his suite for any

man. I think I may say I knew all about his affairs, both busi

s of most men there is some secret, somethi

ver with me, both before it occurred and since. I know all about his habits and his fads and

ut if none can be found, then the murde

t?" ask

ide. But this I don't think likely, for the door has a rather com

of his will, then?"

rvants, but the bulk of the estate goes to Miss Remsen. Mr. Tracy knew that his marriage would invalidate this will, which was w

isting will, Mrs. D

without telling me. He may have done

had sufficient enmity toward M

he hadn't an acquaintance in the world w

ssed and Billy De

. His work was far from being as important as Everett's. In

a curly mop of brown hair. He too, scoffed a

gh it in no time. I can ferret out anything queer of that sort by instinct, and there's nothing doing. There's no way in and out

e afraid of

robberies down in the village and he sa

n, how did the man who killed M

nybody twisting that peculiar key with a bit of wire. Though that's

dows are not

there is mighty de

cially d

s Sea, as Mr. Tracy named it, is in a cove and the winds make the water eddy about, and-wel

er mechanician or an expert diver," said

. Tracy's head. He loved him, as, indeed, we all did. Nobody could help

?" asked the Coroner. "She,

n blushed

, but no clairvoyance was need

d Moore, knowing we

ned her so soon as we knew what had

he Coroner, "and please