The Room with the Tassels

Super

New York. He looked weary and exhausted,

from different windows and met on the stairs

o see him first and tell him the further awful d

horrors! Wait a minute, ti

others, hearing Braye, came trooping to

assed his hand across his brow,-"tell me a

oms. Professor Hardwick and I sat up half the night, talking. But we left Thorpe on guard in th

body could possibly come in from outside and take that child a

to?" queried Braye, his f

eturned Eve. "You must admit, Rudolph, th

here of mystery,-and Lord knows 'Black Aspens' is mysterious!-I get swayed over toward spiritualism, but whe

d to bore into his very soul, "then, pray, how d

ut some fiend in human shape must h

and carry the body with him,-when

rpe?" asked Br

le," and Eve indicated a posit

ut Professor Hardwick interrupted: "Nonsense, man, both doors w

Norma, you said they were closed

osed the doors, without looking in the rooms. He was scared, I think, though he won't admit

t's strange that he didn

ad no reason to think there had been any disturbance, and he is

all inexplicable. What's

hink he'll hold an inquest. Of cours

ural? First, those two deaths, impossible of human achievement, and now, the taking a

rm to let the coroner proceed along his own lines. He can't convict a murderer

n, "but suppose they pi

I can't see how it can be murder, or body-snatching, yet I can't stand

id, slowly, "that that Crawford person asked

next of kin, old chap," put in La

the thought that I am, without a doubt, the next heir. That can, I suppose, draw suspicion on me, as I may be said to have motive. But I am not afraid of that, for there's no possible way I could

a crime, and if anybody here committed it, they'll more likely suspect me, for I'm the next heir

nne," implored Milly. "It

me. That mutton-headed coroner can't rest till he fas

I want to go back to New Yo

ust stay and see what happens up here. For me to

n't here, you know, when those two people d

lained; "I was passing things round, so was Mr. Tracy. Eve was running the tea th

I was greatly interested. Mr. Landon had just given me a cup of tea, and I was sip

has a few in New York, and they're flabbergasted, of course. One of them, a Mr. Jennings, is sure it's a desperate murder, cleverly contrived by some people in Chicago, who are enemies of Uncle's, and who, he says, are diabolically ingenious enough to have brought it ab

section," exclaimed the Professo

ght over, or-oh, Lord, I don't know what he thinks! I

in hers. "You're all tired out, and I don't wonder. Let's have tea,-we must

tea served as usual, though Milly had declared

gratefully accepted the refreshment, which, until th

ooking at Landon. "I arranged to send the b

exclaimed Norma. "W

"I wish I had been here last night! Oh, forgive me, I'm not casting any hint of blame on you others, but,-well, you know I was

ate now, once for all, that I'm a complete convert to spiritism and I believe,-I know,-these deaths of our friends were the acts of a

believe that

hat the disappearance of-of little Vernie, is the

disembodied spirit making off with a real, material body!

uick glance at Eve, who returned it with

me like that, Norma?

in a soft significant ton

, and see how matters go on," said Braye, with

the last of the manifestations, and though I feel there is a dang

ly shook with nervous apprehens

ll follow as soon as things are adjusted up her

unding, I can scarcely get my wits together, but I see clearly, no on

?" asked Mil

cy, gently. "I'm not dictating, not even advising, but

Mrs. Landon prefers to go down to New York and st

t it that way,-if it's cowardly to go away, I don't want to g

n of any of us, we'll have to deal with him pretty roughly, I fear. He's a pig-headed sort, and he will move heaven and earth to gain his point. Moreover, we can't expect him to subscribe to spook theories, a

ay to look. Even a coroner can't produce a human criminal who could kill those two people the way they were k

indows were all locked?"

night, I invariably look after the locking up. And the house, properly locked, is impregnable. The

theory," mused Braye, "co

n they died. No, I'd trust Thorpe as far as I would any of ourselves. But

e, "he wasn't here w

way he could have arranged thing

ve, "you know we all ate

isoned, Eve, we can't

ck, "and doubtless Vernie was too,

s useless, when we surmise and speculate about it all. Let us decide on our immediate

t now. I can't see a

re anything

nd requested that all concerned remain at Black Aspens for the present,

le were murdered?" asked Lan

on is found in his stomach, it looks mighty like an intention of death on s

uce never would

be mighty few of them. Now, I hold that poison was taken into Mr. Br

wly, "but some of us think the poiso

asonable, rational men!" and Craw

doesn't think it non

ving asked an interview with th

l theories, commend me to a college professor. The

lieve in spiritual manife

supplying you with a ha'nted house! Who knew that ghosts must be forthcoming, if you folks was t

ng? That Mr.-that th

nderstand it. Well, why don't you investigate? You swallow all them

things we have seen or heard have occurred at night, or,-yes,-occasionally

you know

n commonplace errands, since we've been here. The supernatural manifesta

ttle common sense and not too much blind faith in your spook

the house rent, if

ne's gone, we'll have to do what we can without it. I don't deny that this case is beyond all my experience. I've sent for

u suspected E

ears, and I wouldn't put it past him to play ghost to scare you city people,

any defini

le,-as you might say. Now, there's them two Thorpes. Good, steady-going New England people, they are, and yet, if I had any reason to suspect '

he room at the time of those two deaths, but our

ny one of you with crime in this case. I know Mr. Braye will inherit the money that old Mr. Bruce left, and I know that you're related there, too, but I haven't seen one iota of reason to suspect any one of your crowd. If I do,

ve found it ourselves. You have my good wishes, for if it is a case of murder,

andon, take it fro