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CHAPTER I THE SHERIDAN PARK MYSTERY
CHAPTER I THE SHERIDAN PARK MYSTERY
With a screaming of brakes, the elevated train on which I happened to be jerked to a stop, and passengers intending to disembark were catapulted toward the doorways—a convenience supplied gratis by all elevated roads, which, I have observed, is generally overlooked by their patrons. I crammed the morning paper into my overcoat pocket, fell in with the outrushing current of humanity, and was straightway swept upon the platform, pinched through the revolving gates, and hustled down the covered iro
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CHAPTER II THE PRIVATE SECRETARY
CHAPTER II THE PRIVATE SECRETARY
Stodger at once left us together, having, I surmised, his own method of getting into the curtained alcove of which he had spoken. In order that he should have ample time to reach it, I held Burke with a question or two in the hall. "Mr. Burke," said I, "who besides yourself and Mr. Page was in the house last night?" He replied promptly, but with a deliberate precision, as if he were making a weighty confidential communication, and wanted to be exceedingly careful to convey an exact interpretatio
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CHAPTER III SOME DISCOVERIES
CHAPTER III SOME DISCOVERIES
But I was not yet permitted to begin my examination of the body and its immediate surroundings. I had no sooner arrived at the landing than I heard a man's voice, somewhere above in the second story, speaking with a note of determination that demanded some sort of recognition from the person addressed. The clear, ringing, resolute tone made me involuntarily pause and listen. "Where 's your headquarters man?" the voice was irately demanding. "I want to see him, d' ye hear? You blithering idiot, I
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CHAPTER IV THE RUBY
CHAPTER IV THE RUBY
Unless I wanted affairs to get away from me entirely, it was high time to assume complete control of them, and immediately to abandon all temporizing measures. I turned Maillot about without ceremony. "Go with this man to the library, Stodger," I peremptorily directed. "Burke, you come with me." In the next ten seconds I had the big library table between the two, Burke impassive, while Maillot glared at him savagely. I wanted to give them time to cool—Maillot, at any rate; so I took advantage of
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CHAPTER V THE HIDDEN SAFE
CHAPTER V THE HIDDEN SAFE
I left the four reporters to Stodger's tender mercies—his instructions did not include any such extreme measures as Maillot had suggested—confident that he was the proper person to relieve me of this unwelcome intrusion. It has always been hard for me to talk to these sharp-eyed, alert young chaps of the press, without saying something I had no business to say. Even if I did n't say it, some one of them would be sure to make a pretty shrewd guess, sometimes causing me no end of trouble. Stodger
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CHAPTER VI AN EXTRAORDINARY ERRAND
CHAPTER VI AN EXTRAORDINARY ERRAND
I fancy that in ordinary circumstances Mr. Maillot would have betrayed some discomposure at the unintentional ridicule of this remarkably pretty girl's naïveté , and furthermore, that the fact of his not having done so at once perplexed and alarmed her. For a moment she contemplated his worried countenance in round-eyed bewilderment, and then glanced inquiringly at me. Maillot, in a sober manner, presented me. The handsome brown-eyed girl was Miss Belle Fluette; the other was her cousin, Miss Ge
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CHAPTER VII HOW THE ERRAND ENDED
CHAPTER VII HOW THE ERRAND ENDED
"Don't you know, Swift," Maillot resumed, after a meditative pause, "that it's a mighty easy matter to misjudge a man? Certain reports concerning a person become current, for example, and before we know it—perhaps without giving the matter a thought—we gradually grow to accept them as accurately descriptive of his personality. "I have wondered more than once during the past week whether we have n't an entirely erroneous conception of every prominent man whom we don't know intimately. 'By your ac
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CHAPTER VIII MAILLOT'S EXPERIENCE
CHAPTER VIII MAILLOT'S EXPERIENCE
"We must have made a Rembrandt-like picture"—to quote the young man again—"the two of us bending over this table by the light of a solitary candle. There was a wan reflection of the flame from the polished table-top, but elsewhere all was darkness and the shadows crowded in close. The most brilliant thing in the room was that wonderful jewel, glowing and scintillating like blood-red fire. "It was considerably larger than the end of my thumb—as large as a big hickory-nut and, my uncle averred, fl
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CHAPTER IX TRACKS IN THE SNOW
CHAPTER IX TRACKS IN THE SNOW
I knew that Royal Maillot appreciated his position as well as I did myself; and I felt perfectly secure in granting him his liberty. In truth, I had a certain policy in doing so. He might possibly have slain his uncle; if so, however, the act had not been premeditated, but the result of a sudden uncontrollable outburst of passion, and he was not the sort of fellow who would run away from the consequences, however severe they might be. The effects of my friendliness and my willingness to take him
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CHAPTER X THE SECOND STORY
CHAPTER X THE SECOND STORY
The reader will have observed, very likely, that up to the present I have made no mention of a close examination of the second story, nor, moreover, of having ascended the stairs above the balcony-like landing with its grewsome burden. Such was indeed the case; and while my failure in this regard might argue neglect, or at least a strange lack of system, I can only point out that the entire sequence of events, from the moment of my arrival at the house, had been most unusual. It is rare that so
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Diagram of second floor
Diagram of second floor
One leaning over the balustrade at the top looked down upon the ascending stairs, the balcony midway up, and a good portion of the spacious hall below. The lateral hall gave access to all the rooms on the second floor. An examination of the appended plan, although drawn from memory and by fingers to which such a task is strange, will give a better idea of the locus criminis than any amount of verbal description alone can accomplish. So the reader, if he will consult the chart from time to time a
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CHAPTER XI A PACT
CHAPTER XI A PACT
At my involuntary expression of amazement, Miss Cooper looked up, and our eyes met. Her charming face immediately broke into a smile; her fears seemed to fall away from her like the dissolving of a sun-smitten mist. "Mr. Swift!" she exclaimed under her breath. Her voice expressed relief. And, too, she spoke as if there might be others in the house whom her errand did not in the least concern. "I 'm so glad! I was afraid I should not find you here." The idea of her wanting to find me for any reas
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CHAPTER XII THE CIPHER
CHAPTER XII THE CIPHER
We sat rigid and breathless, with our eyes glued to the slowly revolving door-knob. At last a faint click announced that the latch was released. Then the door opened a few inches, to reveal the slender figure of Alexander Burke....
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The door opened a few inches, to reveal the figure of Alexander Burke
The door opened a few inches, to reveal the figure of Alexander Burke
Manifestly he was ignorant of our presence. Neither I nor Miss Cooper stirred, and Burke was for the time being blinded by having come so abruptly from the snow glare into the comparative dimness of the hall. I regretted that we were not in a position to follow his movements unobserved, for of course he must be attracted to us the instant either of us stirred. I was exceedingly curious to learn what had brought him back to his employer's house. And now he did a singular thing. His hand was still
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CHAPTER XIII DISCLOSURES
CHAPTER XIII DISCLOSURES
After some minutes of miserable waiting on my part, the storm spent itself; she sat upright again, dried her eyes upon a bit of handkerchief, and spoke—quite calmly, but terribly in earnest. "Mr. Swift, I know what your inference is—that Uncle Alfred must be in some way involved—but you don't know all the significance of the flash of understanding that so overwhelmed me. The idea that there could ever have been a love affair between Aunt Clara and Mr. Page is astounding enough"—she glanced at th
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CHAPTER XIV RIDDLES
CHAPTER XIV RIDDLES
I returned to the library and heaped the fireplace with coal. For an hour after Genevieve's departure I was utterly unable to concentrate my mind upon any congeries of fact that might be of the least possible use in unravelling the badly tangled skein presented by Felix Page's death; I could see nothing but the fine blue eyes clouded with trouble, and the sweet face under the shadow of her gnawing anxiety. I fished up the cipher, flattened it upon the library table, and strove manfully to hold m
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CHAPTER XV A WOMAN'S SCREAM
CHAPTER XV A WOMAN'S SCREAM
I turned from Alfred Fluette to encounter a sober, questioning look from Genevieve. Her sweet face was pale and still troubled, and while nothing would have pleased me better than to hasten to her side, I was obliged—for the present only, I made mental qualification—to content myself with a smile and a reassuring nod. Her cousin Belle's demeanor was haughty, even supercilious, and she quite frankly ignored everybody excepting her father, her cousin, and Maillot. Nothing occurred to retard the in
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CHAPTER XVI THE FACE IN THE ALCOVE
CHAPTER XVI THE FACE IN THE ALCOVE
The first thing I noticed as I sped up the stairs was the absence of Stodger from his post in the upper hall, where I had last seen him. Only a few minutes previously I had peeped into the lower hall to satisfy myself that everything was right; at that time he was leaning on the balustrade, engaged in a desultory conversation with Officer Morrison, stationed below. But in a moment I understood. The bath room door stood wide open, and on the floor lay Miss Cooper—lifeless, was my first horrified
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CHAPTER XVII PRISON DOORS
CHAPTER XVII PRISON DOORS
As I recall the scene that brilliant winter morning in the Page library, one detail stands out so much more prominently than all the rest, that the really important aspects are quite overshadowed in my memory, and notwithstanding the surprising nature of Alfred Fluette's deportment, I am obliged to pause and group them in my own mind in order to produce a reasonably correct portrayal of what actually transpired. But one's memory is apt to play strange and unaccountable tricks, and mine is no exc
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CHAPTER XVIII A FIGHT IN THE DARK
CHAPTER XVIII A FIGHT IN THE DARK
After the cell door closed upon Royal Maillot I returned at once to the house of tragedy, whose evil genius was promising to play havoc with the lives of so many of the living; and as I approached the bleak, austere old mansion something in its silent and inanimate exterior seemed to repulse my advance up the gravel walk. My steps lagged, and at last I drew to a halt. Cold and clear and snappy as the day was, still there was something oppressive in the air that hung about the house of death. I l
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CHAPTER XIX BELLE
CHAPTER XIX BELLE
It was a very crestfallen detective that presented himself at the Fluette home early Friday morning. I had counted so much upon unearthing the ruby myself, assured that through it I must certainly succeed in drawing some betrayal from the murderer, that its loss amounted to a thwarting of all my efforts. My feeling was that of one who has striven and failed—failed through a solitary act of gross carelessness. But if I was dejected, I was no less determined. Only a little more than two days had e
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"I 'll shoot," she announced in a tense tone, "so help me, I 'll shoot."
"I 'll shoot," she announced in a tense tone, "so help me, I 'll shoot."
For a moment we confronted each other, I utterly nonplussed, every line of the girl's figure breathing relentless determination. "Miss Fluette," I tried to reason with her, "you are beside yourself. Pray don't do anything you 'll regret." But she stopped me. Her voice was harsh and strained. "Get up out of that chair. Do as I say." Should I continue to humor her?—for further parleying was wholly out of the question. And if I wrote anything at all, it would doubtless have to pass her critical ins
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CHAPTER XX GENEVIEVE'S MISSION
CHAPTER XX GENEVIEVE'S MISSION
Almost at once a summons came from the up-stairs room for Miss Belle's maid. The rest of the servants were dismissed, and Genevieve signalled over the balusters for me to wait. A very old man, cheerfully garrulous, who announced that he was the butler, took me downstairs. "The drawing-room—living-room—or if you're of a mind to smoke, sir, Mr. Fluette's study." He indicated each of the rooms mentioned with a little flourish of the hand. Although I am not a smoker, the word "study" arrested my att
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CHAPTER XXI SHADOWS
CHAPTER XXI SHADOWS
It required some little time for me to determine that my shadow was one of the "Japanese"; for it was a most intangible and elusive shadow. Whatever else I might think of these worthies, I could not deny that their ability to hang on a man's trail, and at the same time keep themselves well-nigh invisible, amounted positively to genius. With all my doubling back and lurking in doorways around corners, the fellow never came up to where I could get a good view of him. Of course it occurred to me th
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CHAPTER XXII ASHES OF OLD ROMANCE
CHAPTER XXII ASHES OF OLD ROMANCE
It was Friday afternoon when Genevieve started on her mission; the following Wednesday morning I received a telegram from her announcing that she would be home that same afternoon. The interim was so uneventful that my note-book mentions only two incidents as being worthy of preservation. Late Friday night the welcome news came to headquarters that Alexander Burke had been found. He appeared at his lodgings shortly before midnight, looking wretchedly ill and exhausted. Saturday morning a physici
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CHAPTER XXIII BURKE UNBOSOMS
CHAPTER XXIII BURKE UNBOSOMS
Eight o'clock Thursday morning: an hour before, Fanshawe had heard with a sigh of relief that I would take his place that morning. I had since been kicking my heels opposite the rooming house where Alexander Burke had his lodgings. At the hour mentioned Burke appeared. I retreated into a sheltering doorway, and watched him. He stood for a moment upon the top step, darting quick glances up and down the street, and intently scanning the few pedestrians who were abroad at the time. Then he came rap
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CHAPTER XXIV CONFESSION
CHAPTER XXIV CONFESSION
I stared at Burke in speechless amazement. The tremendous possibilities opened up by this revelation left me bewildered. But the wave of joy which suddenly swept over me was unmistakable. "Then, how—" I began, and stopped. If I could not understand, it was only too clear that Burke could not tell me what I wanted to know; for it was also plain that he too was utterly at a loss to account for the circumstance. This, then, had been the intelligence imparted by the Burman on Friday morning, which h
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"Uncle, Uncle! Sit up! Don't go to pieces this way"
"Uncle, Uncle! Sit up! Don't go to pieces this way"
And sure enough, as the bent figure painfully straightened a light rap sounded upon the panel, and Belle's fresh young voice again called: "Are you in there, papa? May I come in?" Genevieve drew suddenly back to a shadowed corner, wringing her hands with a helpless, despairing gesture. Fluette rose unsteadily to his feet. Then the door opened, and Belle stood framed in the doorway. The man's look darted feverishly between the two girls—Genevieve well-nigh overcome, while the smile on Belle's han
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CHAPTER XXV "THIMBLE, THIMBLE——"
CHAPTER XXV "THIMBLE, THIMBLE——"
It is needless to dwell upon the scene in Alfred Fluette's study; I shall take up merely such details as constitute an integral part of this memoir, and hurry along. After Genevieve had led Belle away, Mr. Fluette quickly mastered himself. The bitter moment of the confession once passed, it seemed as if his mind had been relieved of a great burden, and he talked to me with comparative unreserve. But his appearance was in pitiable contrast with what it must have been before he wandered into devio
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CHAPTER XXVI THE CIPHER SOLVED
CHAPTER XXVI THE CIPHER SOLVED
Chaya's ante-mortem statement, properly attested by Dr. Larrimer, Dr. De Breen, the hospital secretary, and myself, together with the otherwise complete case I had, was sufficient of course to open the prison doors for Royal Maillot. It should also have lifted the cloud from Alfred Fluette; but, alas! it did not. To make my story end as all well-conditioned stories ought to end, I should here be able to wave my wand, or invoke some good genie, or however it is that the writer-folk bestow happine
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