That Affair Next Door Read online

  V.

  "THIS IS NO ONE I KNOW."

  I welcomed the Misses Van Burnam with just enough good-will to show thatI had not been influenced by any unworthy motives in asking them to myhouse.

  I gave them my guest-chamber, but I invited them to sit in my front roomas long as there was anything interesting going on in the street. I knewthey would like to look out, and as this chamber boasts of a bay withtwo windows, we could all be accommodated. From where I sat I could nowand then hear what they said, and I considered this but just, for if theyoung woman who had suffered so untimely an end was in any way connectedwith them, it was certainly best that the fact should not lie concealed;and one of them, that is Isabella, is such a chatterbox.

  Mr. Van Burnam and his son had returned next door, and so far as wecould observe from our vantage-point, preparations were being made forthe body's removal. As the crowd below, driven away by the policemen oneminute, only to collect again in another, swayed and grumbled in acontinual expectation that was as continually disappointed, I heardCaroline's voice rise in two or three short sentences.

  "They can't find Howard, or he would have been here before now. Did yousee her that time when we were coming out of Clark's? Fanny Preston did,and said she was pretty."

  "No, I didn't get a glimpse----" A shout from the street below.

  "I can't believe it," were the next words I heard, "but Franklin isawfully afraid----"

  "Hush! or the ogress----" I am sure I heard her say ogress; but whatfollowed was drowned in another loud murmur, and I caught nothingfurther till these sentences were uttered by the trembling andover-excited Caroline: "If it is she, pa will never be the same managain. To have her die in our house! O, there's Howard now!"

  The interruption came quick and sharp, and it was followed by a doublecry and an anxious rustle, as the two girls sprang to their feet intheir anxiety to attract their brother's attention or possibly to conveyhim some warning.

  But I did not give much heed to them. My eyes were on the carriage inwhich Howard had arrived, and which, owing to the ambulance in front,had stopped on the other side of the way. I was anxious to see himdescend that I might judge if his figure recalled that of the man I hadseen cross the pavement the night before. But he did not descend. Justas his hand was on the carriage door, a half dozen men appeared on theadjoining stoop carrying a burden which they hastened to deposit in theambulance. He sank back when he saw it, and when his face became visibleagain, it was so white it seemed to be the only face in the street,though fifty people stood about staring at the house, at the ambulance,and at him.

  Franklin Van Burnam had evidently come to the door with the rest; forHoward no sooner showed his face the second time than we saw the formerdash down the steps and try to part the crowd in a vain attempt to reachhis brother's side. Mr. Gryce was more successful. He had no difficultyin winning his way across the street, and presently I perceived himstanding near the carriage exchanging a few words with its occupant. Amoment later he drew back, and addressing the driver, jumped into thecarriage with Howard, and was speedily driven off. The ambulancefollowed and some of the crowd, and as soon as a hack could be obtained,Mr. Van Burnam and his son took the same road, leaving us three women ina state of suspense, which as far as one of us was concerned, ended in anervous attack that was not unlike heart failure. I allude, of course,to Caroline, and it took Isabella and myself a good half hour to bringher back to a normal condition, and when this was done, Isabella thoughtit incumbent upon her to go off into hysterics, which, being but a weaksimulation of the other's state, I met with severity and cured with afrown. When both were in trim again I allowed myself one remark.

  "One would think," said I, "that you knew the young woman who has fallenvictim to her folly next door."

  At which Isabella violently shook her head and Caroline observed:

  "It is the excitement which has been too much for me. I am never strong,and this is such a dreadful home-welcoming. When will father andFranklin come back? It was very unkind of them to go off without oneword of encouragement."

  "They probably did not consider the fate of this unknown woman a matterof any importance to you."

  The Van Burnam girls were unlike in appearance and character, but theyshowed an equal embarrassment at this, casting down their eyes andbehaving so strangely that I was driven to wonder, without any show ofhysterics I am happy to say, what would be the upshot of this matter,and how far I would become involved in it before the truth came tolight.

  At dinner they displayed what I should call their best society manner.Seeing this, I assumed my society manner also. It is formed on adifferent pattern from theirs, but is fully as impressive, I judge.

  A most formal meal was the result. My best china was in use, but I hadadded nothing to my usual course of viands. Indeed, I had abstractedsomething. An _entree_, upon which my cook prides herself, was omitted.Was I going to allow these proud young misses to think I had exertedmyself to please them? No; rather would I have them consider meniggardly and an enemy to good living; so the _entree_ was, as theFrench say, suppressed.

  In the evening their father came in. He was looking very dejected, andhalf his bluster was gone. He held a telegram crushed in his hand, andhe talked very rapidly. But he confided none of his secrets to me, and Iwas obliged to say good-night to these young ladies without knowing muchmore about the matter engrossing us than when I left their house in theafternoon.

  But others were not as ignorant as myself. A dramatic and highlyexciting scene had taken place that evening at the undertaker's to whichthe unknown's body had been removed, and as I have more than once heardit minutely described, I will endeavor to transcribe it here with allthe impartiality of an outsider.

  When Mr. Gryce entered the carriage in which Howard sat, he noted first,that the young man was frightened; and secondly, that he made no effortto hide it. He had heard almost nothing from the detective. He knew thatthere had been a hue and cry for him ever since noon, and that he waswanted to identify a young woman who had been found dead in his father'shouse, but beyond these facts he had been told little, and yet he seemedto have no curiosity nor did he venture to express any surprise. Hemerely accepted the situation and was troubled by it, showing noinclination to talk till very near the end of his destination, when hesuddenly pulled himself together and ventured this question:

  "How did she--the young woman as you call her--kill herself?"

  The detective, who in his long career among criminals and suspectedpersons, had seen many men and encountered many conditions, roused atthis query with much of his old spirit. Turning from the man rather thantoward him, he allowed himself a slight shrug of the shoulders as hecalmly replied:

  "She was found under a heavy piece of furniture; the cabinet with thevases on it, which you must remember stood at the left of themantel-piece. It had crushed her head and breast. Quite a remarkablemeans of death, don't you think? There has been but one occurrence likeit in my long experience."

  "I don't believe what you tell me," was the young man's astonishingreply. "You are trying to frighten me or to make game of me. No ladywould make use of any such means of death as that."

  "I did not say she was a lady," returned Mr. Gryce, scoring one in hismind against his unwary companion.

  A quiver passed down the young man's side where he came in contact withthe detective.

  "No," he muttered; "but I gathered from what you said, she was no commonperson; or why," he flashed out in sudden heat, "do you require me to gowith you to see her? Have I the name of associating with any persons ofthe sex who are not ladies?"

  "Pardon me," said Mr. Gryce, in grim delight at the prospect he sawslowly unfolding before him of one of those complicated affairs in whichminds like his unconsciously revel; "I meant no insinuations. We haverequested you, as we have requested your father and brother, toaccompany us to the undertaker's, because the identification of thecorpse is a most important point, and every formality likely to insureit must be ob
served."

  "And did not they--my father and brother, I mean--recognize her?"

  "It would be difficult for any one to recognize her who was not wellacquainted with her."

  A horrified look crossed the features of Howard Van Burnam, which, if apart of his acting, showed him to have genius for his _role_. His headsank back on the cushions of the carriage, and for a moment he closedhis eyes. When he opened them again, the carriage had stopped, and Mr.Gryce, who had not noticed his emotion, of course, was looking out ofthe window with his hand on the handle of the door.

  "Are we there already?" asked the young man, with a shudder. "I wishyou had not considered it necessary for me to see her. I shall detectnothing familiar in her, I know."

  Mr. Gryce bowed, repeated that it was a mere formality, and followed theyoung gentleman into the building and afterwards into the room where thedead body lay. A couple of doctors and one or two officials stood about,in whose faces the young man sought for something like encouragementbefore casting his eyes in the direction indicated by the detective. Butthere was little in any of these faces to calm him, and turning shortlyaway, he walked manfully across the room and took his stand by thedetective.

  "I am positive," he began, "that it is not my wife----" At this momentthe cloth that covered the body was removed, and he gave a great startof relief. "I said so," he remarked, coldly. "This is no one I know."

  His sigh was echoed in double chorus from the doorway. Glancing that wayhe encountered the faces of his father and elder brother, and movedtowards them with a relieved air that made quite another man of him inappearance.

  "I have had my say," he remarked. "Shall I wait outside till you havehad yours?"

  "We have already said all that we had to," Franklin returned. "Wedeclared that we did not recognize this person."

  "Of course, of course," assented the other. "I don't see why they shouldhave expected us to know her. Some common suicide who thought the houseempty--But how did she get in?"

  "Don't you know?" said Mr. Gryce. "Can it be that I forgot to tell you?Why, she was let in at night by a young man of medium height"--his eyeran up and down the graceful figure of the young _elegant_ before him ashe spoke--"who left her inside and then went away. A young man who had akey----"

  "A _key_? Franklin, I----"

  Was it a look from Franklin which made him stop? It is possible, for heturned on his heel as he reached this point, and tossing his head withquite a gay air, exclaimed: "But it is of no consequence! The girl is astranger, and we have satisfied, I believe, all the requirements of thelaw in saying so, and may now drop the matter. Are you going to theclub, Franklin?"

  "Yes, but----" Here the elder brother drew nearer and whisperedsomething into the other's ear, who at that whisper turned again towardsthe place where the dead woman lay. Seeing this movement, his anxiousfather wiped the moisture from his forehead. Silas Van Burnam had beensilent up to this moment and seemed inclined to continue so, but hewatched his younger son with painful intentness.

  "Nonsense!" broke from Howard's lips as his brother ceased hiscommunication; but he took a step nearer the body, notwithstanding, andthen another and another till he was at its side again.

  The hands had not been injured, as we have said, and upon these his eyesnow fell.

  "They are like hers! O God! they are like hers!" he muttered, growinggloomy at once. "But where are the rings? There are no rings to be seenon these fingers, and she wore five, including her wedding-ring."

  "Is it of your wife you are speaking?" inquired Mr. Gryce, who had edgedup close to his side.

  The young man was caught unawares.

  He flushed deeply, but answered up boldly and with great appearance ofcandor:

  "Yes; my wife left Haddam yesterday to come to New York, and I have notseen her since. Naturally I have felt some doubts lest this unhappyvictim should be she. But I do not recognize her clothing; I do notrecognize her form; only the hands look familiar."

  "And the hair?"

  "Is of the same color as hers, but it's a very ordinary color. I do notdare to say from anything I see that this is my wife."

  "We will call you again after the doctor has finished his autopsy," saidMr. Gryce. "Perhaps you will hear from Mrs. Van Burnam before then."

  But this intimation did not seem to bring comfort with it. Mr. VanBurnam walked away, white and sick, for which display of emotion therewas certainly some cause, and rejoining his father tried to carry offthe moment with the _aplomb_ of a man of the world.

  But that father's eye was fixed too steadily upon him; he faltered as hesat down, and finally spoke up, with feverish energy:

  "If it is she, so help me, God, her death is a mystery to me! We havequarrelled more than once lately, and I have sometimes lost my patiencewith her, but she had no reason to wish for death, and I am ready toswear in defiance of those hands, which are certainly like hers, and thenameless something which Franklin calls a likeness, that it is astranger who lies there, and that her death in our house is acoincidence."

  "Well, well, we will wait," was the detective's soothing reply. "Sitdown in the room opposite there, and give me your orders for supper, andI will see that a good meal is served you."

  The three gentlemen, seeing no way of refusing, followed the discreetofficial who preceded them, and the door of the doctor's room closedupon him and the inquiries he was about to make.