ld of whose adjacence their solitude
must have convinced them.

He snatched his hand back, rendered for the moment without purpose by
this silent and singular tryst to which chance had led him in the evil
forest. It was necessary, however, to strip the mask of night from the
face of the one who lay, defeated and beyond resistance, in the path of
the shadowy army.

He took his pocket lamp from his coat and pressed the control. The light
fought through the fog to the face of the old servant who a few hours
ago had begged him to get Mrs. Alden away, whose lips had been
incomprehensibly sealed.

Quickly he searched for the manner of death, for there could be no
coincidence about two such catastrophes in the same spot. In spite of
the coroner's verdict, murder was the only sensible deduction. Yet he
found no slightest souvenir of violence. The face alone held a record of
an attack--the features were twisted as if from its vehemence, and the
eyes appeared to secrete some shocking vision.

Garth sprang to his feet. Alden's sick fear and his wife's hysterical
misgivings were placed on a basis far sounder than imagination. A
danger, unconformable, but none the less real, skirted their isolated
house, had at last, according to the woman, forced an entrance.

Garth knew his limitations. He must have help, and now Alden must be
made to talk.

He ran back to the house and stepped through the window. The lamp had
been lighted. It shone on Mrs. Alden who bent over the writing-table,
her gaze directed hypnotically towards the huddled man in the chair.
Garth, since he came from the rear, could not see Alden's face at first.

"Mrs. Alden," he said, "I found your man, out there--"

Her hands left the table. She straightened. With a perceptible effort
she raised her eyes from the chair to meet Garth's.

"Not de--"

She put her hand to her mouth and crushed back the word.

Garth nodded.

"I must have help. Where's the telephone?" he asked.

He started for the hall.

"Lock that window," he said. "I've left it open."

Suddenly he paused and turned. A sound, scarcely human, had come from
the chair--a hollow, a meaningless vocal attempt, as though there were
no palate behind it, no tongue to shape its intention.

From where he stood Garth could see Alden distinctly enough. His head
was sunk forward on his chest. His fingers clutched powerlessly at the
chair arms. His eyes appeared to have hoarded and just now released all
t