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Rh quarters; for the steps did not halt outside Gene's door but kept on, and on an impulse Odell followed.

Up yet another flight and past the servants' rooms the tread continued softly but steadily to the last staircase, which led to the very top of the house; and all at once there returned to the detective's mind the story which Peters had told at Headquarters of the figure which had passed his door at the hour of Mrs. Lorne's death and the voice which had sounded from somewhere in the darkness about him.

With the utter soundlessness of an Indian upon the trail Odell crept on until he too reached the top floor. He had caught no glimpse of the figure which had ascended before him; but a sharp, scraping noise, as of some heavy object being pulled over bare boards, sounded from the front room on the right, and he recalled that Gene had spoken of an "attic" or trunkroom.

Slowly feeling his way, that no creaking board would betray his presence, the detective approached the door and peered cautiously within. He saw a spacious apartment piled high with trunks and disused articles of furniture, and lighted dimly by two windows, which were heavily barred.

Surely this must be the room in which the aged lunatic, Joshua Meade, had been confined! Not a cheerful place even in daylight; and where was the person who had preceded him?

Odell's gaze wandered about the shadowy corners of the room and then halted as if transfixed, and his eyes widened; while for all his trained self-possession the blood ebbed slowly from his face.

The next moment he had turned and slipped as silently as a shadow down the stairs.