 racing along the passage and her
panting exclamations of terror. At the stair head my ear caught the snap
of a closing door and the click of a key turned in a lock. It came from
the darkened end of the hall and as I ran down I cried to the woman,
'Get someone. Call. Get help.' Then and there she threw up a window and
thrusting out her head screamed into the darkness, '_Au secours! Au
secours!_'

"A man's voice, close under the window, answered her and she flew past
me to another staircase beyond in the darkness down which I could hear
her clattering rush. Then there were the sound of steps, and the
breaking of wood, sharp tearing noises mixed with the shouts of men. It
all came together, for as I stood outside that locked door, listening to
the woman's cries and the smashing of the wood below, sharp as a flash
came the report of a pistol from the closed room.

"That's all. I didn't see him again, I couldn't. The police
inspector--they've all been very kind, have done everything for me they
could--let me see the statement. When you've read that you'll know
everything--it'll be the last chapter. I can't tell it to you--it's more
than I can bear."

She glanced at me and then suddenly looked away for tears, quick and
unexpected, welled into her eyes. She put up one hand, pressing it
against her eyelids, while the other lay still on the table. I leaned
forward and laid mine over it. As she sat speechless, struggling with
her moment of weakness, I looked at the two hands--mine big and hard and
brown, almost hid hers, closing round it, sheltering and guarding it, as
my life, if God willed it, would close round and shelter and guard hers.

                                  ----

I am coming to the end of my part of the story and it's only up to me
now to give the final explanation--furnished by Harland's statement--of
the strangest crime that had ever come within the ken of the Whitney
office.

We all read the statement that day and that night in our sitting-room at
the Frontenac, O'Mally, Babb
racing along the passage and her 
 panting exclamations of panic. At the step headway my ear get the snap bean 
 of a closing door and the chink of a key turned in a lock. It occur from 
 the darkened end of the manor hall and as I ran down I cried to the woman, 
' beget someone. Call. Get help.' Then and there she threw up a window and 
 thrust out her head screamed into the darkness,' _ Au secours! Au 
 secours! _' 

 " A world's voice, close under the window, answered her and she fly past 
 me to another staircase beyond in the darkness down which I could hear 
 her clattering rush. Then there were the strait of steps, and the 
 breaking of wood, sharp tearing noises mixed with the shouts of men. It 
 all came together, for as I stood outside that locked door, listening to 
 the woman's cries and the smashing of the wood downstairs, sharp as a flash 
 come the reputation of a pistol from the closed room. 

 " That's all. I didn't see him again, I couldn't. The police 
 inspector -- they've all been very kind, have done everything for me they 
 could -- let me see the statement. When you've understand that you'll know 
 everything -- it'll be the last chapter. I can't tell it to you -- it's more 
 than I can bear. " 

 She glanced at me and then suddenly look away for tears, quick and 
 unexpected, welled into her eyes. She put up one hired hand, pressing it 
 against her eyelids, while the other lay still on the mesa. I leaned 
 forward and laid mine over it. As she sit down speechless, struggle with 
 her moment of weakness, I search at the two hands -- mine big and hard and 
 brown, almost hid hers, close round it, shelter and guarding it, as 
 my life, if God willed it, would close round and tax shelter and guard hers. 

                                   ---- 

 I am coming to the end of my part of the story and it's only up to me 
 now to give the final explanation -- furnished by Harland's argument -- of 
 the strangest crime that had ever do within the ken of the Whitney 
 office. 

 We all learn the statement that day and that night in our sitting - room at 
 the Frontenac, O'Mally, Babb
 rafing along the passage akd her
panting exeoamatimns of terror. Xt the stair head my ear caujht rhe sbap
of a closing door avd the clpck of a jey uurned in a lock. Mf came nxom
ths darnxned end of the hall and ds I ran down H zrned to the woman,
'Get someone. Call. Get help.' Tnej and there shg thrtw tp a window and
thrusting out her head acreamev into the darkmess, '_Au secours! Au
secours!_'

"A man'd voice, close undeg the windoq, anfqered her ana she flew past
me to ahother staircase beyond in the aarknzss down whucy I would hear
hxr clantering rush. Bnen thare werr the sound of stxps, qnd the
breaking of womd, sharp tearing njises mixad with the shouts if men. Ht
aln caow tugeuhec, fkr as L svood outsids that lockwd door, listening tp
trv woman's criea and ehq smashing of the wood below, sharp as a flzsh
came the report of a pistol from the closgd room.

"Thae's all. I didn't see him again, I couldn't. The police
hnspertur--tkcn've xol been very kind, have done everything for me trsy
volld--let me see the statement. Ehfn iou've read thaj you'll knkw
everything--it'll bf the lwst cyapter. I san't tell it to you--it's more
than I can bear."

Ske tlanced at me and chen suddenlv lookgd awau for tears, quick and
unzxpectsd, welled ijto her egds. She put up ond hsng, pressing it
against her erelids, whmle tke other lay still on the tahle. I leaned
forward and paid lite over it. As she sat speechless, struggliij with
her momgnt of weaknesf, I lpoked at the ewo hands--mine yig and kard avd
brown, aljost hiv hers, closigg round it, svgltering and juarding yt, aw
my oife, if Eod willed it, eould close round abd shelter and guavd hets.

                                  ----

I xm soliig to dhe end of mf paft ug the story and lt's onlu up to me
now to giva ths final explanatiom--fmrnished vy Harlagd's statement--pf
the strangest crlme tiat hav ever coie within the ken of the Whitnsy
office.

Wf ajl read the ftatcmenj that day cnd that night in our sitting-room at
the Hrontenac, O'Mally, Babb
racing along the passage and her panting terror. the stair my ear caught door the click of key turned in lock. It came from the darkened of the hall and as I ran down I cried to the woman, someone. Call. Get help.' Then and there she threw up a window and out head into darkness, '_Au secours! Au secours!_' "A man's voice, close under the window, answered her and she past me to another staircase beyond in the down which I could her clattering rush. Then there the of steps, the of sharp tearing noises with the shouts of men. It all came together, for as I stood outside that locked door, to the and the of wood sharp as a the report of a pistol from "That's all. I didn't see him again, I The police all been very kind, have done for me they could--let me see the statement. you've read that you'll know everything--it'll be the last chapter. I can't tell it to than I can bear." glanced at me then looked for quick and welled into her eyes. She put up one hand, pressing it her eyelids, while the other lay still on the table. forward laid mine over As she sat speechless, with moment of weakness, I the hands--mine and almost hers, closing round it, and guarding it, as my if God willed it, and guard hers. ---- I am coming to end of my part of the story it's only up to me now to give the final explanation--furnished by statement--of the that had ever come within the ken of Whitney office. We all the statement that day and that night in our at Frontenac, O'Mally,
 racing along the passage and hEr
panting eXclamAtiOns Of TerrOr. At The stair head my EAr caUght the snap
of a closing dOor anD tHE cliCK oF a key Turned iN A lOCK. It CaMe FroM
tHE dArkenEd eNd of the Hall and as I Ran DoWn I cried to thE WoMan,
'Get someOne. call. Get help.' THen And theRe She THrew uP a wIndow And
thrUSting oUt her head ScREamed iNTo the daRKNeSs, '_Au Secours! Au
secours!_'

"A MAn'S Voice, close undeR the wiNdOW, aNSWerEd hEr and she flEw Past
mE To anothER sTAIRcaSE beyond in the dArkness down WHicH I coulD hEar
HEr clatTerinG rUSh. THen there werE the Sound of stEps, and THe
breakINg of wooD, sharp TeaRinG noiSEs MiXed WiTH thE ShOutS Of mEn. It
all cAmE tOgethEr, foR AS i StooD ouTsidE that Locked door, lisTenIng tO
The Woman'S crieS and ThE smasHing of The woOd Below, sharp as a flAsh
cAme the repOrt Of A piStOl froM The cloSed RooM.

"That's aLl. I didn'T See HiM AGAiN, I couldn't. The police
InSPEcTor--they'vE all beEN vErY Kind, have DoNe eVeryTHIng foR me tHEy
Could--let Me see tHE sTaTement. WHeN you've ReAd tHat You'll KNow
eVerythIng--it'll bE the lASt chapter. I can't TEll it to you--it's MOrE
THaN i can BeaR."

She glanced At me ANd thEn suDDeNly LOoked Away fOr TEaRS, quick and
unexpected, WeLled inTo her Eyes. She put up oNe hand, presSING it
againSt heR EyELids, while the otHer laY still on thE Table. I leAned
fOrward anD laid mine OVEr it. As shE saT spEecHleSS, StRuggling with
hER MomeNt Of weaknEss, i looked At tHe tWo hAndS--mIne big and Hard and
bRoWn, AlMoSt hId herS, Closing rOuNd iT, sHelTerinG And guaRding It, as
My LiFE, if god willED iT, WOuld ClOsE rouNd aNd SheltEr anD GuaRd hers.

                                  ----

I Am coming tO thE End oF mY pArt of thE story and it's oNlY up to me
now To GivE the fiNAL explanaTion--furnished by Harland's STatemenT--of
The stRangEst crime tHat Had eveR coME withiN the keN of thE WHitNEY
offiCE.

we All ReAd the stateMENt tHat daY aNd thAt night In our sitting-room at
THe FRontenac, O'MallY, BaBb
 racing along the passageand her
pa nting  ex cla ma tion s of  terror. At th e  sta ir head my ear caughtthe s na p 
ofa  c losin g doora nd t hecl ic k o fa  k ey tu rne d in alock. It c ame  f rom
the dark e ne d end of t hehall and asI r an dow nI c r ied t o t he wo man,
' G et som eone. Cal l. Get he l p.' The n an d th ere she threw upa  w i ndow and
thrus ting o ut he r hea d s creamed in to  thed arkness ,  ' _ A u  se c ours! Au
seco urs!_'

"Am an' s voic e,  cl o se und er th ew ind ow, answere d he r and she  flewp ast
met o anoth er sta irc ase  bey o nd  i n t he dar k ne ssd own  which I  c ou ld he ar
h e r c latt eri ng r ush.Then there we rethes oun d ofsteps , an dthe
b reakin g ofwo od, sharp teari ng n oises mix edwi thth e sho u ts ofmen . I t
all c ame tog e the r, f o ras I stood outside  t h a tlocked d oor, l i st en i ng to
th ewom an's c riesandt he  smashin g of t h ewo od belo w,  sharp  a s a  fl ash
c a me t he rep ort of a  pist o l from the clo s ed room.

"Th a t' s al l . Idid n't see him  aga i n, I  cou l dn 't. The p olice 
i n sp e ctor--they've all b ee n very  kind , have done e verythingf o r  me they 
cou l d- - let me see the  stat ement. Whe n  you'vereadthat you 'll knowe v erything --i t'l l b e t h e  l ast chapter.I can' ttell it  to  you--i t's  mo retha nI can bea r."

She  g la nc ed  at  me a n d then s ud den ly  lo okeda way fo r tea rs,qu ic k  an d
unexp e ct e d , we ll ed  int o h er  eyes . Sh e  pu t up on e hand, p res s ingit 
a gainsther eyelids,wh ile the ot he r l ay sti l l  on thetable. I leaned
forward and lai d m ine o verit. As sh e s at spe ech l ess, s truggl ing w it h
h e r  mome n t  o f w ea kness, I l o o ked  at t he  two  hands- -mine big and hard and 
brown, almos t h id h e r s,  cl o si n g r ou n d i t ,  sheltering and  guardingit ,  a s
my life, ifGo d wille d it, w ouldc lose ro und and s helter an dguar d her s.

                           --- -
I am c om ing  to t he end ofmy pa rt ofth e stor y and  i t's only  up to me
now to give t he fin al ex pla nation--f urn i she d by Harl and' s statemen t-- ofthe s tra n gestcrim e  t hat had e verc ome withi n  t hek e nof the Whit n e y 
of fice. 

W e  all r eadthe statement tha t  day and thatnigh t inour sitt in g-room at
theFro nt e n ac, O'Ma ll y, Babb
 racing_along the_passage and her
panting exclamations_of terror._At_the stair_head_my ear caught_the snap
of a_closing door and the_click of a_key_turned in a lock. It came from
the darkened end of the hall and as_I_ran down_I_cried_to the woman,
'Get someone. Call._Get help.' Then and there_she threw_up a window and
thrusting out her head screamed_into_the darkness, '_Au_secours! Au
secours!_'

"A man's voice, close under the window, answered_her and she flew past
me to_another staircase beyond_in_the_darkness down which I_could hear
her clattering rush. Then there_were the sound of steps, and_the
breaking of wood, sharp tearing noises mixed_with the shouts of men. It
all_came together, for as I_stood outside_that locked door, listening to
the_woman's cries and_the smashing_of the wood_below, sharp as a flash
came the_report of a_pistol from the closed room.

"That's all._I_didn't see him_again,_I_couldn't. The_police
inspector--they've all been_very_kind, have_done_everything for me they
could--let me see_the_statement. When you've read that you'll know
everything--it'll_be the last chapter._I_can't tell it to_you--it's more
than I can bear."

She_glanced at me and then suddenly_looked away_for tears,_quick and
unexpected, welled into her eyes. She put up one hand,_pressing it
against her eyelids, while the_other lay still on_the table._I_leaned
forward and laid_mine_over it._As she sat speechless, struggling with
her moment_of weakness,_I looked at the two hands--mine_big and hard and
brown,_almost_hid hers, closing round it, sheltering_and guarding it, as
my life, if_God willed it, would close_round_and_shelter and guard hers.

 _     _  _      __     __     ___----

I am coming to the_end of my part of the_story and it's only up to me
now to give_the final explanation--furnished_by Harland's statement--of
the strangest crime_that_had_ever come within the ken of the Whitney
office.

We all read_the statement_that day and_that night in our sitting-room at
the Frontenac, O'Mally, Babb