There was something bothadmirable and
confidence-inspiring in his unruffled demeanor. These are the inferable facts from
the evidencethus far adduced.
Since you deprived me of my breakfast, he decided,
Ill permityou to buy me some eggs Bénédictine. I remember because it caught in
thechiffon of the old dress I put away.
I say, Markham,could you get an indictment against
an ectoplasmic emanation?
Of course,that may not be exactly what she said,
but it was something veryclose to it. You are doomed not to hear the first turn of
those wheels,retorted Markham. And Im inclinedto think it was someone she
knew.
Markhams question was uttered withhurried
impatience. Markham rose and began pacing meditatively. And he got into herapartment
and was there when she returned at eleven. Ten minutes latersomeone telephones her,
and a man answers from her apartment. But when, at last, theywere told they could
go, no new information had been brought tolight. That line ofinvestigation I leave
to you with your metaphysical theories andesoteric hypotheses. But whats bothering
me is how hegot in here. Patently,Miss Odell had gone out at seven and returned at
eleven with thesame man.
Hes certainly disconcerted, said Markham. I thought
she was avery beautiful lady, he answered resolutely.
Spively swallowed hard and nodded his head. And in
just what recondite way does that obvious fact help to rollthe clouds away? And Im
inclinedto think it was someone she knew.
First, then, let us consider the side door. I made
a noise,and then they stopped arguing; and pretty soon he went out. Odell herself
mayhave let him in and hidden him when the other man came to take herto dinner. The
fella came in andstarted walking down the hall and I said to him, Miss Odell isntin.