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Rh I gave it to Doctor Adams myself, and then he sent me back for some of the embroidery silk and I got that too."

"Jane, when Mr. Chalmers died last week, who told you of it?"

"Peters, sir. It was too early for me to do the rooms upstairs and I'd cleaned all the parlor floor and was down in the kitchen when he came as white as a sheet and told us. I was like to faint, sir, and I haven't got the black fear off me yet! I'd be giving notice but for Miss Meade; she's so kind of helpless that I couldn't bear to leave her in the lurch, but I'm more scared than ever now."

"Why?"

Well, that picture falling always means death, sure; and the way accidents have been happening in the family looks like there was a curse on it, sir. There's a dog that comes and howls under the windows every night and fair gives me the creeps."

"That's all nonsense, Jane. Did you hear anything last night; not only when the picture fell but afterward, late in the night?"

"I did not, sir, thanks be!" She crossed herself devoutly; then her round, vacuous blue eyes opened wide upon the detective. "I heard nothing from the time I laid my head on the pillow at nine o'clock until the alarm clock went off. I was dusting the parlor here when Mr. Lorne came tumbling down the stairs."

"Why didn't you go out to help him?"

"Because I was too scared to move," Jane responded frankly. "After they'd got him in the library I crept out and down to the kitchen."

"You were scared, eh? Just because Mr. Lorne fell