Page:The Rejuvenation Of Miss Semaphore.pdf/201

 Prudence Semaphore, and alone, crossing the road hastily near Tate Street. That would have been shortly after dinner on Tuesday evening. It seems absolutely plain, therefore, that Miss Semaphore did not leave the house at all."

"But we saw her empty room that night," said Mrs. Whitley. "We saw her empty bed. She must have gone some time before we went upstairs to visit her."

"My theory is," said the medical woman, "that she was then concealed in that very room."

"But where? Not in the wardrobe, for we opened that, nor under the bed, for we looked there, and there really was no place else."

"Oh, yes, there was. You remember that the very next day, I think, Prudence sent away two boxes, ostensibly full of her sister's belongings. Now my theory is, and time will prove whether I am not right, that in one of those boxes, the big grey one, bound with iron, was the body of Miss Semaphore!"

By this time the medical woman's hearers were trembling in every limb.

"How awful!" quaked Mrs. Whitley.