"If he does," I replied, "I hope you'll let me know, Mr. Holcombe. The gas bills are a horror to me as it is. I think he kept it on all last night. I turned off all the other lights and went to the cellar. The meter was going around." "Fine!" he said. "Every murderer fears the dark. And our friend of the parlor bedroom is a murderer, Mrs. Pitman. Whether he hangs or not, he's a murderer." The mirror affair, which Mr. Holcombe called a periscope, was put in that day and worked amazingly well. I went with him to try it out, and I distinctly saw the paper-hanger take a cigarette from Mr. Ladley's case and put it in his pocket. Just after that, Mr. Ladley sauntered into the room and looked at the new paper. I could both see and hear him. It was rather weird. "God, what a wall-paper!" he said. CHAPTER VIII That was Friday afternoon. All that evening, and most of Saturday and Sunday, Mr. Holcombe sat on the floor, with his eye to the reflecting mirror and his note-book beside him. I have it before me. On the first page is the "dog meat--two dollars" entry. On the next, the description of what occurred on Sunday night, March fourth, and Monday morning, the fifth. Following that came a sketch, made with a carbon sheet, of the torn paper found behind the wash-stand: And then came the entries for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday evening: 6:30--Eating hearty supper. 7:00--Lights cigarette and paces floor. Notice that when Mrs. P. knocks, he goes to desk and pretends to be writing. 8:00--Is examining book. Looks like a railway guide. 8:30--It is a steamship guide. 8:45--Tailor's boy brings box. Gives boy fifty cents. Query. Where does he get money, now that J.B. is gone? 9:00--Tries on new suit, brown. 9:30--Has been spending a quarter of an hour on his knees looking behind furniture and examining base-board. 10:00--He has the key to the onyx clock. Has hidden it twice, once up the chimney flue, once behind base-board. 10:15--He has just thrown key or similar small article outside window into yard. 11:00--Has gone to bed. Light burning. Shall sleep here on floor. 11:30--He can not sleep. Is up walking the floor and smoking. 2:00 A.M.--Saturday. Disturbance below. He had had nightmare and was calling "Jennie!" He got up, took a drink, and is now reading. 8:00 A.M.--Must have slept. He is shaving. 12:00 M.--Nothing this morning. He wrote for four hours, sometimes reading aloud what he had written. 2:00 P.M.--He has a visitor, a man. Can not hear all--word now and then. "Llewellyn is the very man." "Devil of a risk--" "We'll see you through." "Lost the slip--" "Didn't go to the hotel. She went to a private house." "Eliza Shaeffer." Who went to a private house? Jennie Brice? 2:30--Can not hear. Are whispering. The visitor has given Ladley roll of bills.