"I don't say as I have, and I don't say as I ain't. Truth is, I'm all afloat. I don't know which way to turn. Every thing's so awful unbelievable,--as you might say. Now, there's them two Thorpes. Good, steady-going New England people, they are, and yet, if I had any reason to suspect 'em, I can see myself doing so. But, land, there ain't a shred of evidence that way. Why, they wasn't even in the room when the two of 'em died!" "Wait a minute, Doctor Crawford. Nobody was in the room at the time of those two deaths, but our own party. You don't suspect one of us, do you?" "No, Mr. Landon, I don't. You ain't a gay crowd, nor yet a fast or a common crowd. You're all high-toned, quiet, law-abiding citizens,--as I size you up. To be sure, decent citizens have committed murder, but I can't connect up any one of you with crime in this case. I know Mr. Braye will inherit the money that old Mr. Bruce left, and I know that you're related there, too, but I haven't seen one iota of reason to suspect any one of your crowd. If I do, I'll let you know mighty quick! Nor can I hang it on the Thorpes; nor yet on those girls they have in to help. And that's what the inquest's for. To bring out, if possible, some evidence against somebody, so's we can get a start." "I fear you can't get that evidence, Doctor, for if there were any we would have found it ourselves. You have my good wishes, for if it is a case of murder, committed by a living, human villain, we most assuredly want him apprehended." "He will be, Mr. Landon, take it from me, he will be!" CHAPTER XI The Heir Speaks Out The days that followed were like an awful nightmare to the people most interested. But at last the inquest was over, the body of Gifford Bruce had been sent to Chicago for burial, and a strange quiet had settled down upon the household at Black Aspens. No new facts had transpired at the inquest. Though the police tried hard to fasten the crime on some individual, there was no definite evidence against any one. All those who had been present at the mysterious death hour, told their stories straightforwardly and unshakably. All agreed as to the circumstances, all remembered and related the story of the Ouija board, which foretold the death of two of the party at four o'clock. "Who was pushing that board?" the coroner asked. "Miss Reid and myself," Tracy spoke up. "We had been playing with it for some time, and having had only uninteresting and trifling results we were about to lay the thing aside, when the message came that two of us would die the next day at four o'clock. Miss Reid seemed frightened, but I thought at the time she had spelled out the message, herself, to get up a little excitement. However, I took the board away from her at once, feeling that she was carrying a jest too far. I think now, that she was innocent in the matter----"