The Mansion of Mystery | Page 3

you wish."
"It is not necessary, since I have a good memory."
"The Langmores lived just on the outskirts of the town, on the road leading to Sidham, which is several miles distance."
"I have a general idea of the location."
"The house is a fine, old-fashioned stone mansion, setting well back from the road, and surrounded by a well-kept lawn and numerous trees and bushes. At the rear of the garden is a small stream, which flows into the river a mile and a half below."
"Is the place surrounded by a fence?"
"On two sides only. In the front there is a hedge and in the rear the little stream forms the boundary of the property."
"I understand."
"At the time of the tragedy there were four persons in the house, so far as known--Mr. and Mrs. Langmore, Mr. Langmore's daughter, Margaret, and a servant, Mary Billings."
"Wait a moment. You said Mr. Langmore's daughter. Was she not Mrs. Langmore's daughter also?"
"No. You see Mr. Langmore was a widower when he married the present Mrs. Langmore, who was a widow. There are two sets of children."
"I understand. When did the tragedy occur?"
"At some time between eleven and twelve in the morning. During that time Margaret Langmore was in her room writing several letters, and was practicing on the piano in the parlor. The house is a large one, with sixteen rooms and several hallways and stairs."
"Where was the servant?"
"In the kitchen and out to the barn. There are two other girls, but one is in the hospital sick and the other was to town on an errand."
"Where were Mr. and Mrs. Langmore?"
"The daughter thought her stepmother had gone out to visit a neighbor, as she had said something about doing so earlier in the morning. Mr. Langmore had gone to the bank in town at nine o'clock and Margaret saw him come home about half-past ten or eleven."
"What was she doing at the time?"
"Practicing on the piano. She heard her father go directly to his library, which is situated across the hallway from the parlor. She heard the door shut, and then went on with her practicing."
"Did she hear anything in the library?"
"She thinks she heard something, but is not sure. She was practicing a very difficult piece by Wagner--"
"And it was loud enough to drown out every other sound."
"That's it. When the clock struck twelve she stopped practicing to learn if lunch was ready. She also wanted to speak to her father, and so crossed the hallway and opened the library door." The young man's voice began to tremble a little. "She found her father stretched lifeless in an armchair."
"How had he been killed?"
"That is a part of the mystery. He was either choked or smothered to death, or else he was poisoned. The doctors don't seem to be able to get at the bottom of it."
For the first time since Raymond Case had begun his recital Adam Adams began to show an interest.
"If the man was strangled his throat should show the marks," he observed.
"There are no marks, and the doctors have found no trace of poison."
"Humph!" The detective rubbed his chin reflectively. "What next?"
"Margaret Langmore was so horrified she ran from the room screaming wildly. Her shrieks brought the servant to the spot, and a minute later two of the neighbors, Mrs. Bardon and her son Alfred, came over from next door."
"Where was Mrs. Langmore at this time?"
"Nobody knew. Alfred Bardon is a physician, and, thinking there might still be a spark of life in Mr. Langmore, did all he possibly could to resuscitate the gentleman. The servant girl ran upstairs to find some drugs for him and in the upper hallway stumbled over the dead body of Mrs. Langmore."
"And how had she died?"
"In the same manner as her husband. This news of a double tragedy was too much for Margaret, and she fainted. The others notified more of the neighbors and the police, and of course, the news spread like wildfire. I was stopping at the Beechwood Hotel at the time and as soon as I heard of the tragedy, I jumped into an automobile that was handy and rode over."
"Then you arrived at the house about as soon as the police?"
"A little before."
"What did you see?"
"Just what I have told you. The doctor had been trying to bring Mr. Langmore around but had suddenly been taken sick and could do nothing."
"Humph, sick, eh? Did he say what made him sick?"
"He did not know. He thought it might be from leaning over the dead man, or from working in that position. I think the sudden sickness frightened him a little."
"When the police arrived what did they find of importance?"
"Nothing."
"Had anything been stolen?"
"Nothing, so far as they could learn."
"Of course, you must have known these folks pretty well to take such an interest."
"I knew