e most important message in the tragedy. It came at half-past nine that night through the Corona Exchange and was sen

ge, from the inquest, and from the New York papers. All I ask of you is to remember that I

ut down first Sylvia's move

saying she was going to her room to write letters, and her mother retired to hers for the nap she always took before dinner. Wha

all her. He came back saying she wasn't in her room, and Mrs. Fowler, getting uneasy, went up herself, sending Harp

gee, the chambermaid. She was a smart girl and saw pretty quickly that Sylvia had evidently left. The toilet things were gone from the dresser; the jewelry case was open and empty, only for a few old pieces of no great value. It

t to the desk and opened it. There, lying careless as if it had been thrown in in a hurry, was Jack Reddy's letter. She gave a

ill the Doctor came back. That wasn't till nearly two in the morning, when he reached home, dead beat, sa

age, yet, two and a half hours from the time she had made the date with Mr. Reddy, she was seen a

e. It's got a shady reputation, being frequented by a rough class of people and once there was a dago-a laborer on Cresset's Farm-killed there in a drunken row. It's called t

into the bar. Along the top of the piazza goes the sign "Wayside Arbor," with advertisements for some kind of beer at each end of it, and in the window the

New York. We'd been to Bloomington by train and were motoring back and stopped to get some beer. But we ladies, not liking the looks of the place, wouldn't

fields. Back of it and all round is Cresset's land, some of it planted in crops and then s

n bed with a cold. There was a fire burning in the stove, as a good many of Hines's customers were the dagoes that work at Cresset's and the other farms and they like

za, the door opened and a lady came in. He didn't know who she was but saw right off she wasn't the kind that you'd expect to see in his place. She had on a long dark fur coat,

to the window and looked out to see if there was a car or a carriage that he hadn't heard, the mud making the road soft. But there was nothing there

gh the Corona Exchange to Firehill and there was no one in the world who heard it but Ja

and you won't be angry. Come and get me-start now, this minute. Come up the Firehill Road to the Turnpike and I'll be there waiting, where the roads meet. Don't ask any quest

turally, he made no effort to find out where the call had come from, being i

-and that her right hand was scratched in several places. Thinking she looked cold he asked her if she would have something to drin

said. "I'll wait here for a l

er neck. Both Hines and Tecla Rabine noticed that her feet were muddy and that there were twigs and dead leaves caught in the edge of her skirt. As she didn't seem inclined

ong way, I gu

ust n

ington mayb

direction-tow

aid next, and she answe

's down

a hand," he suggested and

he added, after a minute, "I've telephoned for someone to co

es began to get less curious, still he wante

de if you come from

any satisfaction

long wa

urnpike-a good bit shorter by the Firehill R

suppose," she said, as if sh

for a bit, then

roke in y

if he annoyed her and she was

least idea. That's the cha

of haughty as if she wanted him to stop. So after a while he said no more, but sat by the bar pretendin

s going. Hines was surprised and asked her if she wouldn't wait the

ing and she said: "By the Firehil

answered that she'd just about time to get t

nd needed a little walk; it was early yet and there was nothing to be a

locked up, went upstairs to his wife and told her about the strange lady. His wife said he'd done wrong to let her go, it wasn't right fo

dow and watched and presently saw a big car with one lamp dark coming at a great clip down from the Firehill Road direction. The moon had come out a short while before, so that if

horn and the whirr of a car passing. He couldn't

d of voices. He jumped up just as he was, ran to the window and opened it. There in the road he could see plain-the clouds were gone, the moon saili

akers, half drunk and wanting more,

nder are you

on the steps of the piazza

d woman up the roa

Bloomington to Huntley. The moon being so fine they were going slow, otherwise they never would have found the body, which was lying by the roadside.

er. The right arm was flung out as if when the body stiffened it might have slipped down from a position across the chest. As he held the lantern close he saw below the hat

fractured by a blow that had cr