"When I came in on Tuesday morning I found the door to the attic
stairway standing partly open...
"Did you now, miss?" The two regarded each other warily. "And
what hour may that have been?"
The butler cocked his ear for her answer - 'he was sometimes a
little hard of hearing; but he waited in vain, Barbara had
disappeared inside the library.
Colonel McIntyre had not gone at once to see his daughter Helen,
as Barbara had supposed from his remark, instead he went down the
staircase and into the reception room on the ground floor. It
was generally used as a smoking room and lounge, but when
entertaining was done, cloaks and wraps were left there. McIntyre
looked over the prettily upholstered furniture, then strolled to
the window and carefully inspected the lock; it appeared in perfect
order as he tested it. Pushing the catch back as far as it would
go, he raised the window - the sash moved upward without a sound,
and he leaned out and looked up and down the path which ran the
depth of the house to the kitchen door and servants' entrance.
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