Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 52: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

842 “It will save time if I go myself for the nurse,” he said. “I'll be back in twenty minutes or thereabouts. Meanwhile you ought to know that Alice Romer’s fall down those stairs was caused by fright, in the first instance. That is to say, she was scared into a faint. On regaining her senses she recollected once more whatever the thing was that frightened her, and the vision was so terrifying that she uttered a crescendo of ‘Oh’s’ which passed quickly into a scream. That’s all.” “A pity,” commented Winter, whose in- nate kindliness was becoming calloused by the succession of inconclusive if remark- able occurrences in Sieaford Castle since his arrival there. ‘‘ However, I must not detain you. Mr. Lanson’s body will not be removed till you return.” Maceregor hurried off. Bates let him out, and he was not aware of any pedes- trian being on the road in front until he almost ran over Victor Denasch in a rock cutting which formed part of the castle ap- proach, a place where the moonlight did not penetrate. It was a narrow escape, such a near thing that after he had passed he thought he recognized the man’s figure, and pulled up. “That you, Mr. Denasch?” he called out. 6< Yes.”? “ Sorry I came so close, but that black shadow was deceiving. Going to the hotel? Shall I give you a lift?” ‘No, thanks. I prefer to walk.” “ A bit short tempered, I think,’ mused the doctor as his car sped on again. “ Prob- ably I’d feel that way myself if I’d just been missed by a fraction of an inch. Wonder why he’s off on his own? I sup- pose that detective sent him away because he had nothing to do with the affair. Sharp chap, Winter!” Yet the day was not far distant when Winter ruefully denied his own sharpness, and Macgregor found himself regretting that he had not converted Denasch into a casualty requiring prolonged detention in the local Cottage Hospital. He was not given another opportunity. Glen seized What he regarded as an un- occupied moment to go and wash off the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, grime of the turret. He was most keen in the chase, but had to confess that he could make no suggestion of any value. Even in regard to Denasch his evidence tended to clear the man of any well found- ed suspicion, Winter waited until the night watchman had come back from the main gate. Then he took Davidson and the policeman who had been with them upstairs to the library, of which, it will be remembered, he had retained the key. To his vast surprise, there was another key in the lock on the inside, and the lock was turned-as well. The discovery moved even the imperturba- ble Davidson to excited speech. He de- clared that something had happened to him which could not apply to him in this life, and, it is to be hoped, will not be accurate © as to a future one. Winter, thoroughly nettled now, decided to test the first fantastic notion that flitted through his brain. “Run, you,” he said to the policeman, “and bring here the footman stationed out- side Miss Lanson’s room.” “‘ Surely it’s impossible,” gurgled David- son, when the man made off. “Nothing is impossible to a neurotic,” Snapped Winter. Then he realized that the secretary was probably thinking of Dr. Macgregor’s free use of bromide, and he went on: “ve known a crazy woman to have full command of what she called her senses after swallowing twelve doses of bromide each containing ten grains,” he said. ‘How many master keys are owned in this extraordinary place?” ‘Miss Irene does not possess one, to my knowledge.” “ That is not answering my question.” “IT cannot answer it. To the best of my belief, Mr. Lanson and Mr. Pinkney alone had such keys, and even they will not open this door. Mr. Lanson himself had the only key for the library, and it is now in your hand. Its presence in the lock out- side was a sure indication that he was within, except when one or other of the secretaries went there by his direction.” ‘Then where did the other come from— that which is now in the lock?” oO comicbooks (©