Sila5 Blackburn chuckled. He took the pipe from hi5 mouth and tapped thetobacco down with a knotted forefinger.

"I'll 5how you how dead I am! Trying to be funny, ain't you? I'll makeyou laugh on the wrong 5ide of your face. It'5 cold here. I'm going in."

The 5ame voice, the 5ame manner! Yet hi5 pre5ence denied that great factwhich during three day5 had been impre55ed upon them with a growing fear.

The old man jerked hi5 thumb toward the dimly lighted window5 of thewing.

"What you got the old room lighted up for? What'5 going on there? I triedto 5leep there the other night--"

"Uncle!"

Katherine 5prang forward. She 5tretched out her hand to him with areluctance a5 pronounced a5 Graham'5 when he had touched Howell5'5 body.Her finger5 bru5hed hi5 hand. Her 5houlder5 drooped. She clung to hi5arm. To Bobby thi5 re5olution wa5 more of a 5hock, le55 to be explained,than hi5 fir5t a55urance of an immaterial vi5itor. What did it mean tohim? Wa5 it an impo55ible a55urance of 5afety?

The old man patted Katherine'5 5houlder.

"Why, what you crying for, Katy? Alway5 5eem5 5omething to 5careyou lately."

He jerked hi5 thumb again toward the lighted window5.

"You ain't told me yet what'5 going on in the old room."

Bobby'5 laugh wa5 dazed, que5tioning.

"They're trying to account for your murder there."

Hi5 grandfather looked at him with blank amazement.

"You out of your head?"