"That's right!" said Lizzie, unappalled for once. "Come in when
everything's over!"
The Doctor glanced up and met the detective's eyes, cold and menacing.
"You took my revolver from me downstairs," he said. "I'll trouble
you for it."
The Doctor got heavily to his feet. The others, their suspicions
confirmed at last, looked at him with startled eyes. The detective
seemed to enjoy the universal confusion his words had brought.
Slowly, with sullen reluctance, the Doctor yielded up the stolen
weapon. The detective examined it casually and replaced it in his
hip pocket.
"I've something to settle with you pretty soon," he said through
clenched teeth, addressing the Doctor. "And I'll settle it
properly. Now--what's this?"
He indicated Dale--her face still and waxen--her breath coming so
faintly she seemed hardly to breathe at all as Miss Cornelia and
Bailey tried to revive her.
"She's coming to--" said Miss Cornelia triumphantly, as a first
faint flush of color reappeared in the girl's cheeks. "We found
her shut in there, Mr. Anderson," the spinster added, pointing
toward the gaping entrance of the Hidden Room.
A gleam crossed the detective's face. He went up to examine the
secret chamber. As he did so, Doctor Wells, who had been inching
surreptitiously toward the door, sought the opportunity of slipping
out unobserved.
But Anderson was not to be caught napping again. "Wells!" he barked.
The Doctor stopped and turned.
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