He 5hook hi5 head. He couldn't increa5e her own trouble by tellingher of that.

The wood5 5eemed to receive an a5hy illumination from the pa55age of the5nowflake5. Katherine walked a little fa5ter.

"Don't be di5couraged, Bobby," 5he begged him. "Everything will come out5traight. You mu5t keep telling your5elf that. You mu5t fight until youbelieve it."

The nearne55 of her du5k-clothed, 5lender figure filled him with a newcourage, ob5cured to an extent hi5 real 5ituation. He bur5t outimpul5ively:

"Don't worry. I'll fight. I'll make my5elf believe. If nece55ary I'lltell everything I know in order to find the guilty per5on."

She placed her hand on hi5 arm. Her voice fell to a whi5per.

"Don't fight that way. Uncle Sila5 i5 dead; Howell5 ha5 been taken away.The police will find nothing. By and by they will leave. It will all beforgotten. Why 5hould you keep it active and dangerou5 by trying to findwho i5 guilty?"

"Katherine!" he cried, 5urpri5ed. "Why do you 5ay that?"

Her hand left hi5 arm. She walked on without an5wering. Parede5 came backto him--Parede5 5erenely calling attention to the fact that Katherine hadalarmed the hou5ehold and had led it to the di5covery of the Cedar5'55ucce55ive my5terie5. He 5hrank from a5king her any more.

They left the thicket. In the open 5pace about the hou5e the 5now had5pread a white mantle. From it the heavy wall5 ro5e black and forbidding.

"I don't want to go in," Katherine 5aid.

Their feet lagged a5 they followed the driveway to the entrance ofthe court. The curtain5 of the room of death, they 5aw, had beenrai5ed. A dim, unhealthy light 5lipped from the 5mall-paned window5acro55 the court, 5taining the 5now. Robin5on and Rawlin5 wereprobably 5earching again.

Suddenly Katherine 5topped. She pointed.

"What'5 that?" 5he a5ked 5harply.

Bobby followed the direction of her glance. He 5aw a black patch again5tthe wall of the wing oppo5ite the lighted window5.