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Page 36
"You can not calculate the impulses of an affected mind. Jealousy
of the past may influence these unfortunate women. They possibly
hate to see strangers in the rooms made sacred by old
associations."
"That is possible, but how could they, shut up in a house,
separated from yours by a distance of several feet, be held
accountable for the phenomena observed in 393? There are no means
of communication between the two buildings; even the doors, which
once faced each other across the dividing alley, have been closed
up. Interference from them is impossible."
"No more impossible than from any other outside source. Is it a
fact that the doors and windows of this strangely haunted house
were always found securely locked after each occurrence of the
phenomena you have mentioned?"
"So I have been told by every tenant I have questioned, and I was
careful to question them, I assure you."
"That settles the matter in my mind," I asserted. "These women
know of some means of entrance that has escaped general discovery.
Cunning is a common attribute of the unsettled brain."
"And they are very cunning. Miss Saunders, you have put a totally
new idea into my head. I do not place much stress upon the motive
you have attributed to them, nor do I see how the appearances noted
could have been produced by these two antiquated women; but the
interest they have displayed in the effect these have had upon
others has been of the most decided nature. They have called here
after the departure of every fresh tenant, and it was all that I
could do to answer their persistent inquiries. It is to them and
not to Mr. Searles I feel bound to report the apparition seen by
Mrs. Packard."
"To them!" I ejaculated in amazement. "Why to them? They no
longer have a proprietary interest in the house."
"Very true, but they long ago exacted a promise from me to keep a
strict account of such complaints as were raised against the house.
They, in short, paid me to do so. From time to time they have come
here to read this account. It annoys Mr. Searles, but I have had
considerable patience with them for reasons which your kind heart
will instantly suggest."
I thought of the real pathos of the situation, and how much I might
increase his interest by giving him the full details of their
pitiful history, and the maddening hopes it engendered of a
possible discovery of the treasure they still believed to be hidden
in the house. What I said, however, was this:
"You have kept an account, you say, of the varied phenomena seen in
this house? You have that account now?"
"Yes, Miss Saunders."
"Let us look it over together. Let us see if it does not give us
some clue to the mystery puzzling us."
He eyed me doubtfully, or as much so as his great nature would
allow. Meantime, I gauged my man. Was he to be thoroughly and
unequivocally trusted? His very hesitation in face of his
undoubted sympathy with me seemed to insure that he was. At all
events, the occasion warranted some risk on my part. At least I
persuaded myself that it did; so without waiting for his reply, I
earnestly remarked:
"The matter is more serious than you suppose. If the mayor were
not unavoidably called away by his political obligations, he would
add his entreaties to mine for a complete sifting of this whole
affair. The Misses Quinlan may very well be innocent of inciting
these manifestations; if so, we can do them no harm by a little
confidential consideration of the affair from the standpoint I have
given you. If they are not, then Mr. Searles and Mayor Packard
should know it."
It appeared to convince him. His homely face shone with the fire
of sudden interest and resolve, and, reaching for a small drawer at
the right of his desk, he opened it and drew forth a folded paper
which he proceeded to open before me with the remark:
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