"I'm not going. You can make up your mind to that. I'm going to
find out what's wrong with this place if it takes all summer. I
came out to the country for a rest and I'm going to get it."
"You'll get your heavenly rest!" mourned Lizzie, giving it up. She
looked pitifully at her mistress's face for a sign that the latter
might be weakening--but no such sign came. Instead, Miss Cornelia
seemed to grow more determined.
"Besides," she said, suddenly deciding to share the secret she had
hugged to herself all day, "I might as well tell you, Lizzie. I'm
having a detective sent down tonight from police headquarters in
the city."
"A detective?" Lizzie's face was horrified. "Miss Neily, you're
keeping something from me! You know something I don't know."
"I hope so. I daresay he will be stupid enough. Most of them are.
But at least we can have one proper night's sleep."
"Not I. I trust no man," said Lizzie. But Miss Cornelia had
picked up the paper again.
"'The Bat's last crime was a particularly atrocious one,'" she
read. "'The body of the murdered man...'"
But Lizzie could bear no more.
"Why don't you read the funny page once in a while?" she wailed and
hurried to close the windows in the billiard room. The door leading
into the billiard room shut behind her.
Miss Cornelia remained reading for a moment. Then--was that a
sound from the alcove? She dropped the paper, went into the alcove
and stood for a moment at the foot of the stairs, listening.
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