 taxi moved off we three--O'Mally's detective slipped away into
the shadow like a ghost--walked up a little path to the front door where
I pulled an old-fashioned bell handle. I could hear the sound go
jingling through the hall, loud and cracked, and then steps, languid and
dragging, come from somewhere in the rear. I was to act as spokesman, my
cue being to ask for Mr. Sammis on a matter of urgent business.

The door was opened by the <DW52> girl, who looked at us stupidly and
then said she'd call Miss Graves, the landlady, as she didn't think
anyone could see Mr. Sammis.

Standing back from the door she let us into a hall with a hatrack on one
side and a flight of stairs going up at the back. The light was dim,
coming from a globe held aloft by a figure that crowned the newel post.
The paper on the walls, some dark striped pattern, seemed to absorb what
little radiance there was and the whole place smelled musty and was as
quiet as a church.

The <DW52> girl had disappeared down a long passage and presently a
door opened back there and a woman came out, tall and thin, in a skimpy
black dress. She approached us as we stood in a group by the hatrack,
leaning forward near-sightedly and blinking at us through silver-rimmed
spectacles.

"My maid says you want to see Mr. Sammis," she said, in an unamiable
voice.

"Yes," I answered. "We've come from New York and it's imperative we see
him this evening."

"But you can't," she snapped. "He's sick. The doctor says he mustn't be
disturbed."

Talking it over afterward we all confessed that we were seized by the
same idea--that this lanky old spinster might be in the game and
Barker's illness was a fake. Feeling as I did I was ready to leap
forward, grab her, and lock her in her own parlor while the others
chased up the stairs. I could sense the slight, uneasy stir of the two
men beside me, and I tried to inject a determination into my voice
taxi moved off we three -- O'Mally's detective slipped away into 
 the trace like a ghostwriter -- walked up a little path to the front doorway where 
 I pulled an old - fashioned bell handle. I could learn the sound go 
 jingle through the dormitory, loud and crack, and then steps, languid and 
 dragging, occur from somewhere in the back. I was to act as spokesman, my 
 cue being to ask for Mr. Sammis on a matter of urgent commercial enterprise. 

 The door was opened by the < DW52 > girl, who search at us stupidly and 
 then said she'd call Miss Graves, the landlady, as she didn't think 
 anyone could see Mr. Sammis. 

 stand back from the door she let us into a hall with a hatrack on one 
 side and a escape of stairs going up at the back. The light was dim, 
 coming from a globe held aloft by a figure that crowned the newel post. 
 The paper on the walls, some dark striped pattern, seemed to absorb what 
 small radiance there was and the whole space smell musty and was as 
 quiet as a church service. 

 The < DW52 > girl had vanish down a long passage and soon a 
 door opened back there and a woman came out, tall and thin, in a skimpy 
 black dress. She approached us as we stood in a group by the hatrack, 
 lean forth near - sightedly and blinking at us through silver - rimmed 
 spectacles. 

 " My maid say you want to see Mr. Sammis, " she said, in an unamiable 
 part. 

 " Yes, " I answered. " We've come from New York and it's imperative we see 
 him this evening. " 

 " But you can't, " she snapped. " He's disgusted. The doctor say he mustn't be 
 disturbed. " 

 talk it over afterward we all confess that we were seized by the 
 like idea -- that this lanky previous spinster might be in the game and 
 Barker's illness was a bogus. Feeling as I did I was ready to leap 
 forward, grab her, and lock her in her own parlor while the others 
 chased up the stairs. I could sense the slight, restless stir of the two 
 men beside me, and I try to inject a determination into my voice
 tadi moved off we three--O'Mauly's detective slipped away jnto
the rhadow like a ghost--walked up a littoe path to the front duor where
P pulled qn ooe-fashioned bell hakble. I gould iear the sound no
jingling dhrough the hanl, llud and cracked, and then steps, langtid and
crwgging, come frjm spiewhsge in the rear. I was to act as apokesmen, my
cue being yo ask for Mr. Sammis on a lattfr of urgent businfss.

The door was ipened by thd <DW52> girl, who looked aj us stupidly and
then said she'd zall Kiss Gravew, rhe nandlady, as she qidn't think
akjone cogld see Mr. Sammis.

Stancinj baxk from the door she net us into a hall with a hdtxack on one
side and a foight of vtaifw guinf np zt the bark. The lighf was dim,
coning from a globe htld qloft by a fifure trae crowned the newel post.
The paper on tht walms, some dark striped partern, seemed to absorh what
litele radiance there was and the whole place smelleg musvy anb was xw
qkiet as a church.

The <DW52> girl had disappeared djsn a long passage cnd presently a
dpog pkened back thete and c wkman came out, tall and thyn, in a skimpy
flacl dress. She approached us aw we stood iu a group by the hatrcck,
leaning furwatd neat-sightedly and blinking at hs through dilver-rimjdd
spectacles.

"My mxid sdys you want to see Mr. Samiis," she seid, iu an unaoiabke
voicq.

"Yes," I ansaered. "We've come from New York atd it's impfrative we see
him this evening."

"Bnv you can't," shg stapied. "He's snck. Thc doctor says hq mustn't be
disjurbed."

Talhing kt over afnerward wx all confesfed that we wate seized by vhe
same iqea--tyat rhis lavyy old spinstet might bv nn the gane and
Barker's illncss wxa a fake. Feeliny qs I did I was teaay eo lxap
fowfard, grab hes, ana luvk hef in her owk pxrlot while the others
chdsed up the stairs. I cpujd sense the slidht, uneasy stor of the two
men btside ke, end I yrigd to inject a determination info my voife
taxi moved off we three--O'Mally's detective slipped the like a up a little where pulled an old-fashioned handle. I could the sound go jingling through the loud and cracked, and then steps, languid and dragging, come from somewhere in rear. I was to act as spokesman, my cue being to ask for Sammis a of business. The door was opened by the <DW52> girl, who looked at us stupidly and then she'd call Miss Graves, the landlady, as she think anyone could see Sammis. Standing back from the she us into hall a on one side a flight of stairs going up at the back. The light was dim, coming from a globe aloft by that crowned newel The on the walls, striped pattern, seemed to absorb what was and the whole place smelled musty and as quiet a church. The <DW52> girl had down a long passage and presently a door back there and a woman came out, tall and thin, in a skimpy black dress. us as we stood a group by hatrack, forward and at us silver-rimmed spectacles. "My maid says you want to see Mr. Sammis," said, in an unamiable voice. "Yes," I answered. "We've come York it's imperative we him this evening." "But can't," snapped. "He's sick. The he be over we confessed that we were by the same idea--that this old spinster might be illness was a fake. Feeling as I did was ready to leap forward, grab her, lock her in her own parlor while the others chased up the I could slight, uneasy stir of the two men beside and I tried to a determination into my voice
 taxi moved off we three--O'Mally'S detective SlippEd aWay InTo
thE shaDow like a ghost--wALked Up a little path to the fronT door WhERe
I pULlEd an oLd-fashiONeD BEll HaNdLe. I CoULd Hear tHe sOund go
jIngling thrOugH tHe hall, loud anD CrAcked, and thEn sTeps, languid aNd
dRagginG, cOme FRom soMewHere iN the reAR. I was tO act as spoKeSMan, my
cUE being tO ASk For MR. Sammis on a matter oF UrGEnt business.

The Door waS oPEnED By tHe <Dw52> girl, who loOkEd at uS StupidlY AnD
THEn sAId she'd call MisS Graves, the lANdlAdy, as sHe DidN'T think
AnyonE cOUld See Mr. Sammis.

stanDing back fRom the DOor she lET us into A hall wIth A haTracK On OnE
siDe ANd a FLiGht OF stAirs goinG uP aT the bAck. THE LIGht wAs dIm,
coMing fRom a globe held AloFt by A FigUre thAt croWned ThE neweL post.
THe papEr On the walls, some dArk sTriped patTerN, sEemEd To absORb what
LitTle RadiancE there wAS anD tHE WHoLe place smelled mustY aND WaS as
quiet As a chuRCh.

thE <dW52> girl haD dIsaPpeaRED down A lonG PaSsage and PresenTLy A
dOor openEd Back thErE anD a wOman cAMe ouT, tall aNd thin, in A skimPY
black dress. She APproached us as WE sTOOd IN a grOup By the hatracK,
leaNIng fOrwaRD nEar-SIghteDly anD bLInKIng at us through silveR-rImmed
sPectaCles.

"My maid sayS you want to SEE mr. Sammis," She sAId, IN an unamiable
voIce.

"YeS," I answered. "wE've come fRom NeW York and It's imperaTIVe we see
hIm tHis EveNinG."

"bUt You can't," she snaPPEd. "He'S sIck. The dOctOr says hE muStn'T be
DisTuRbed."

TalkiNg it over AfTeRwArD we All coNFessed thAt We wErE seIzed bY The
samE idea--That ThIs LAnkY old spiNStER MighT bE iN the GamE aNd
BarKer's ILlnEss was a Fake. FeeliNg aS i did i wAs Ready to Leap
forward, grAb Her, and lock HeR in Her own PARlor whilE the others
chased up the stAIrs. I couLd sEnse tHe slIght, uneasY stIr of thE twO
Men besIde me, aNd I trIeD to INJect a DETeRmiNaTion into my VOIce
 taxi moved off we three-- O'Mally'sdetec tiv e s li pped  awa y into
the sha d ow l ike a ghost--walked up  a li tt l e pa t hto th e front do o r  wh er eI p ul l ed  an o ld- fashion ed bell ha ndl e.  I could hea r  t he sound g o
j ingling thro ugh  the h al l,l oud a ndcrack ed, an d  thensteps, la ng u id and draggin g ,  c omefrom somewhere in th e  rear. I was t o actas sp o k esm an,  my
cue be in g toa sk forM r. S a mmi s  on a matterof urgent b u sin ess.
Th e d o or was  open ed bythe <DW52>girl , who loo ked at us stup i dly and 
thensai d s he'd ca ll  Mi ss Gra v es , t h e l andlady,  a sshe d idn' t t h inkany onecould  see Mr. Samm is. 

St a ndi ng ba ck fr om t he  door  she l et us  i nto a hall with  a h atrack on  on esid eand a flight  of  st airs go ing upa t t he b a ck . The light was di m, c om ing from  a glo b ehe l d aloftby  afigu r e  that  cro w ne d the ne wel po s t. 
T he pape ron the  w all s,somed arkstripe d patter n, se e med to absorbw hat
little ra d ia n c et here  wa s and the w hole plac e sm e ll edm ustyand w as as quiet as a church.
T he <DW 52> g irl had disap peared dow n a  long pa ssag e  a n d presently adooropened bac k  there a nd awoman ca me out, t a l l and th in,  in  aski m p yblack dress.S h e ap pr oachedusas we s too d i n a  gr ou p by thehatrack, 
l ea ni ng  fo rward near-sig ht edl yand  blin k ing at  us t hrou gh  s i lve r-rimme d 
s p e ctac le s. 

"M y m ai d say s yo u  wa nt to s ee Mr. Sa mmi s ," s he  s aid, in  an unamiable 
v oice.

"Ye s, " I  answe r e d. "We'v e come from New York an d  it's i mpe rativ e we  see
himthi s even ing . "

"Bu t youcan't ,"  sh e snapp e d ."He 's  sick. The d oct or sa ys  hemustn't  be
disturbed."

T a lki ng it over af ter ward w eall co n fes se d  th a t  we were seized  by the
sa me id ea--that t h isla nky old  spinst er mi g ht be i n the gam e and
Bar ke r'si l lne ss was a f ake. Fee ling as I did I wa s rea dyto lea pfor ward,  grabh er,  andlock h er  in he r own  p arlor wh ile the others
chased u p thestair s.I could s ens e  th e slight,  une asy stir o f t hetwo
m enb eside  me, an d I tried  toi nject a d e te rmi n a ti on into myv o i ce
 taxi_moved off_we three--O'Mally's detective slipped_away into
the_shadow_like a_ghost--walked_up a little_path to the_front door where
I pulled_an old-fashioned bell_handle._I could hear the sound go
jingling through the hall, loud and cracked, and then_steps,_languid and
dragging,_come_from_somewhere in the rear. I_was to act as spokesman,_my
cue being_to ask for Mr. Sammis on a matter_of_urgent business.

The door_was opened by the <DW52> girl, who looked at_us stupidly and
then said she'd call_Miss Graves, the_landlady,_as_she didn't think
anyone could_see Mr. Sammis.

Standing back from the_door she let us into a_hall with a hatrack on one
side and_a flight of stairs going up_at the back. The light_was dim,
coming_from a globe held aloft_by a figure_that crowned_the newel post.
The_paper on the walls, some dark_striped pattern, seemed_to absorb what
little radiance there was_and_the whole place_smelled_musty_and was_as
quiet as a_church.

The_<DW52> girl_had_disappeared down a long passage and_presently_a
door opened back there and a woman_came out, tall and_thin,_in a skimpy
black dress._She approached us as we_stood in a group by the_hatrack,
leaning forward_near-sightedly and_blinking at us through silver-rimmed
spectacles.

"My maid says you want to see_Mr. Sammis," she said, in an_unamiable
voice.

"Yes," I answered. "We've_come from_New_York and it's_imperative_we see
him_this evening."

"But you can't," she snapped. "He's_sick. The_doctor says he mustn't be
disturbed."

Talking it_over afterward we all_confessed_that we were seized by the
same_idea--that this lanky old spinster might_be in the game and
Barker's_illness_was_a fake. Feeling as I_did I was ready to leap
forward,_grab her, and_lock her in her own parlor while_the_others
chased up the stairs. I could_sense_the slight, uneasy stir of the_two
men_beside_me, and I tried to_inject a determination into my voice