's
curiosity. The bed had been occupied last night, but to all appearances
for only a brief period, since the blankets and sheets were little
disturbed. Some clothing and a pair of shoes lay at one side, and
clothing, shoes, and hats were neatly arranged in the closet, but
nowhere could he find a dressing gown or a pair of bedroom slippers.
Clara, moreover, could not recall having seen the housekeeper wear any
hat or clothes other than those in the closet. If McDonald's daughter
had fled from the house in slippers and dressing gown it was strange she
hadn't been heard of long ago. It became increasingly clear to him that
the woman remained hidden in the house. It should be easy enough to find
her. He would search every corner for the one whose brain, he was now
convinced, held the solution of the mystery. But on the lower floor he
found no trace. He paused in the lower hall, intending to ring for
McDonald to guide him through the rest of his task.

All at once his hand which he had raised to the bell hesitated. He
braced himself against the wall. Through the heavy atmosphere a stifled
groan had reached him, followed by a difficult dragging sound. But as he
sprang up the stairs he knew he hadn't heard the cause of Clara's
fright, for the groan had sufficiently defined itself as having come
from a man.

In the upper hall there was no light beyond the glow sifting through the
stair well. It was enough to show Garth a dark form huddled at the foot
of the stairs leading to the third story. He ran over and stooped.

"McDonald! What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

The silence of the house was heavier, more secretive than before.

At last, in response to Garth's efforts, a whimpering came from
McDonald's throat. The heap against the wall struggled impotently to
rise. Garth recalled the medicines in Taylor's bath room and started
down the hall. The unintelligible whimpering increased. Garth went on,
aware that the black, huddled figure crawled after him with the sublime
and unreasonable courage of a wounded animal.

He snapped on the light and ran to Taylor's bath room where he poured a
stimulant into a glass. As he stepped back to the bedroom he faced
Taylor's body on which the light shone with peculiar reflections. They
gave to the pallid face the quality of a sneer. But it was only in
connection with another radical difference at the bed that that illusion
arrested Garth and sent a chill racing along his nerves. For on th