Yet--next this--is an engraving of an old mansion which remains
untouched. The next four again were portraits of the General, and all
have been demolished."
Pendleton nodded.
"That's true," said he. "Whoever did this was after the Revolutionary
hero alone. But why?"
Ashton-Kirk smiled.
"We'll look into matters a little further," said he. "Perhaps there
are facts to be gathered that will shed some light upon the things
that we have already seen."
They repassed through the other rooms; with his hand upon the frame of
the door leading to the show room, Ashton-Kirk paused.
"Better brace yourself for rather a shocking sight," said he to his
friend.
"Go on," said Pendleton, quietly.
CHAPTER IV
STILLMAN'S THEORY
There were four good-sized windows in the show room, all overlooking
the street. It was a large, square place, and, as Miss Vale had said,
literally stuffed with odd carvings, pottery of a most freakish sort,
and weird bric-a-brac. Two large modern safes stood at one side,
behind a long show case spread with ancient coins. At the end of this
case was a carpeted space, railed in and furnished with a great
flat-topped desk. Upon the floor at the foot of the desk, and with
three separate streams of blood creeping away from it, lay the
huddled, ghastly figure of a man.
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