pposed
the man had gone home immediately after bringing Mrs. Taylor from the
station.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Reed yawned.

"Mrs. Taylor and this young lady woke me up searching through the spare
bedroom in which I was resting. They were after a woman in black. That
sounds rather silly, doesn't it? I've heard Taylor drool about his pet
guest--lady in black, strangled in attic by jealous husband. I see
you're surprised to find me still here. I thought it was understood I
should stay and be of what help I could to Mrs. Taylor and her mother."

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to stay for some time," Garth answered
dryly. "The house is guarded. No one will be permitted to leave until I
have found or accounted for McDonald's daughter."

"Clever girl that!" Reed said indifferently. "Never heard her open her
mouth."

He took a book from a shelf and seated himself in a comfortable chair by
the lamp.

"If I can be of any use you'll find me here or in my room."

"I'm wondering," Garth answered, "if Clara knows anything about
McDonald's daughter. For to-night the back part of the house interests
me."

At his nod Nora followed him into the hall.

"Apparently Reed knows nothing," Nora said. "But the old woman--"

"I'm thinking about the room where Taylor's body lies," Garth replied.
"From the first an attempt seems to have been made to color the case
with the supernatural. The wording of Taylor's note, for instance. An
illusion is furnished us that it was written after the man's death. That
is followed by another illusion that his cold hand wounded McDonald with
the knife. And this crying! The complete disappearance of the black
figure almost under our eyes! I grant you it's a moldy, unhealthy house,
but it can't shelter such miracles. These phases are clearly
manifestations of some abnormal criminality. I have to work on physical
lines. The black figure proves that the woman is actually hidden here.
The knife on Taylor's bed means that the murderer was in the room this
evening. McDonald's gesture, instead of accusing, probably tried to
tell me that; tried to warn me, perhaps, that the murderer would return
again to the body. I didn't tell Reed the truth. I am going to that room
about which nearly everything centers. Before the night is over it may
tell me what McDonald tried to say. There at any rate my mind should be
more receptive to that flash of intuition I need to make some theory fit
this mystery