Jackson Gregory

“ Steele said, “that there is no reason why Marvella should not go before long. She had best remain, however, until the sheriff comes. She may be called as a witness,”
Marvella shrank back.
“I saw nothing!” she cried.
Again Carrington was mystified.
“You saw what I saw,” he reminded her. “You called me. You saw Reagan coming out of my window with my jewel cases. You saw——”
“I saw nothing,” she repeated sullenly.
“Let her go,” said Colonel Harwood uneasily. It was the first time he had spoken. “She is right; this is no place of rest for a nervous, high-strung woman. Let her go.” ”

“ Harwood, who had come down by now, listened intently. Steele made no mention of them, simply telling Reagan's part and saying that Waldron, now dead, was Reagan's right-hand man. But he looked at both Marvella and Colonel Harwood meaningly. And they understood even while marveling that he had not in any way implicated them.
They were to understand soon, however. While the sheriff and his deputy, guarding Reagan, were conferring in one room, Steele summoned the others to another.
“Harwood,” he said sternly, “you know best if you could be drawn into a rather ugly mess. ”

“ But Steele understood; he knew that Reagan had drawn out from the body of his henchman the knife that had killed him, and then, with that same knife, had avenged him on Kwang-kung.
Marvella went toward Alice.
“Miss Blake,” she said imperatively, “you will understand that your house has become no pleasant place to sleep in. Would it be asking too much to suggest that you let your car take me to the railroad?”
Alice looked questioningly toward Steele. And Carrington, his perplexity half dazing him, demanded:
“For Heaven's sake, what is the meaning of all this? ”