Temperature, weather, ordinary shock have absolutely no
effect on it; in fire it simply chars and doesn't explode. Yet when it
is exploded by the proper method, lyddite, dynamite, and all the other
ites, are as a gentle zephyr in comparison. Now tell me about last
night; where were you?"
"After you left," she explained, "I wrote some letters, and then went
into the corridor to drop them in the chute beside the elevator shaft;
as I approached, the car came down with Mrs. Spencer in it. Something
impelled me to follow her; and running back I grabbed a cloak, and
dashed for the elevator, catching it on the fly. She wasn't in the main
corridor; on a chance, I hurried to the F Street entrance; I got there
just as she stepped into a taxi and shot away. Instantly I called
another taxi and told the driver to follow the car that had just
departed. He did for a little way; but in a sudden halt of traffic at
Vermont Avenue and H Street, where, you may remember, the street is torn
up, we lost the other taxi; and though we drove around the north-west
section for more than an hour on the chance that we'd come up with
it--my driver knew the other driver--we never did come up with it. But
as we rolled up to the Chateau, Mrs. Spencer was alighting from a
limousine with a tall, fine-looking, fair-haired chap who had the walk
of a military man.
Pages:
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262