out his hand to the one young woman clerk, who drew back in horrified
fright as she saw the silent figure on the floor.

"Oh--Oh!" she gasped, and then she went into hysterics, adding to the
excitement and giving Mulligan a bad five minutes while he fought to
keep the crowd from surging in.

But when Miss Brill had been carried to a rear room and quieted, and
when the shades had been drawn to keep the curious ones from peering
in, the questioning of Darcy was resumed.

"Did you come directly down to the store from your room?" asked Thong.

"Yes. As soon as I awakened."

"Where is your room?"

"In the rear, on the second floor--the one next above. Mrs. Darcy has
her rooms in front. Then come those of her maid, Jane Metson. Sallie
Page sleeps on the top floor where the janitor's family lives, and he,
of course, sleeps up there also."

"I see," murmured Carroll. "Then you came downstairs and found Mrs.
Darcy lying here--dead?"

"I wasn't sure she was dead--"

"Oh, she was _dead_ all right," broke in Thong. "No question about
that. Did you hear anything?"