A Strange Disappearance | Page 5

died a year ago."
"Since when you have remained with Mr. Blake himself?"
"Yes sir."
"And this Emily, when did she come here?"
"Oh it must be eleven months or so ago."
"An Irish girl?"
"O no, American. She is not a common person, sir,"
"What do you mean by that? That she was educated, lady-like, pretty,
or what?"
"I don't know what to say. She was educated, yes, but not as you would
call a lady educated. Yet she knew a great many things the rest of us
did'nt. She liked to read, you see, and--O sir, ask the girls about her, I
never know what to say when I am questioned."
I scanned the gray-haired woman still more intently than I had yet done.
Was she the weak common-place creature she seemed, or had she
really some cause other than appeared for these her numerous breaks
and hesitations.
"Where did you get this girl?" I inquired. "Where did she live before

coming here?"
"I cannot say, I never asked her to talk about herself. She came to me
for work and I liked her and took her without recommendation."
"And she has served you well?"
"Excellently."
"Been out much? Had any visitors?"
She shook her head. "Never went out and never had any visitors."
I own I was nonplussed, "Well," said I, "no more of this at present. I
must first find out if she left this house alone or in company with
others." And without further parley I stepped out upon the roof of the
extension.
As I did so I debated with myself whether the case warranted me or not
in sending for Mr. Gryce. As yet there was nothing to show that the girl
had come to any harm. A mere elopement with or without a lover to
help her, was not such a serious matter that the whole police force need
be stirred up on the subject; and if the woman had money, as she said,
ready to give the man who should discover the whereabouts of this girl,
why need that money be divided up any more than was necessary. Yet
Gryce was not one to be dallied with. He had said, send for him if the
affair seemed to call for his judgment, and somehow the affair did
promise to be a trifle complicated. I was yet undetermined when I
reached the edge of the roof.
It was a dizzy descent, but once made, escape from the yard beneath
would be easy. A man could take that road without difficulty; but a
woman! Baffled at the idea I turned thoughtfully back, when I beheld
something on the roof before me that caused me to pause and ask
myself if this was going to turn out to be a tragedy after all. It was a
drop of congealed blood. Further on towards the window was another,
and yes, further still, another and another. I even found one upon the
very window ledge itself. Bounding into the room, I searched the carpet

for further traces. It was the worst one in the world to find anything
upon of the nature of which I was seeking, being a confused pattern of
mingled drab and red, and in my difficulty I had to stoop very low.
"What are you looking for?" cried Mrs. Daniels.
I pointed to the drop on the window sill. "Do you see that?" I asked.
She uttered an exclamation and bent nearer. "Blood!" cried she, and
stood staring, with rapidly paling cheeks and trembling form. "They
have killed her and he will never--"
As she did not finish I looked up.
"Do you think it was her blood?" she whispered in a horrified tone.
"There is every reason to believe so," rejoined I, pointing to a spot
where I had at last discovered not only one crimson drop but many,
scattered over the scarcely redder roses under my feet.
"Ah, it is worse than I thought," murmured she. "What are you going to
do? What can we do?
"I am going to send for another detective," returned I; and stepping to
the window I telegraphed at once to the man Harris to go for Mr.
Gryce.
"The one we saw at the Station?"
I bowed assent.
Her face lost something of its drawn expression. "O I am glad; He will
do something."
Subduing my indignation at this back thrust, I employed my time in
taking note of such details as had escaped my previous attention. They
were not many. The open writing-desk--in which, however I found no
letters or written documents of any kind, only a few sheets of paper,
with pen, ink, etc.; the brush and hairpins scattered on the bureau as

though the girl had been interrupted while arranging her hair (if she