Five Fatal Words by Edwin Balmer & Philip Wylie Page A

time it was to hold her until she told him.

    "It was a telegram from New York which was phoned over to him. It had no meaning to him, he said. He thought it could not be for him but it was addressed to him, care of his sister."

    "What were the five words of the message?"

    "'Don't ever alter these horoscopes,'" repeated Melicent slowly. She could hear him whispering the initial letters after her and his fingers clamped on her wrist mercilessly.

    "Miss Waring!" commanded Miss Cornwall from the car. "Come! Miss Waring!"

    "Go with her!" bade Donald, and dropped her hand.

    "It seems sure your uncle was murdered."

    "Of course he was, so stay with her. Don't you see how she's twice as much more in danger? Leave everything else to me."

    "Come, come! Miss Waring!"

    Melicent climbed into the car. She had one last glimpse of the old mansion. The iron railing that ran around the top had been broken in two and part of it sagged into the flames. It was red hot--almost the same color as the autumn sun which was rising behind it. Granger drove smoothly and swiftly but when the limousine reached the post road Donald Cornwall's yellow roadster passed them and they found, upon reaching the Williamsborough inn, that Donald had awakened the proprietor and already had arranged accommodations for them. What other business he had in town Melicent did not learn, for he had not awaited them.

    She went with Miss Cornwall to the room reserved, where Hannah locked herself in. At eight o'clock a girl from one of the local stores was sent to Melicent's room, talked with her briefly and less than an hour later returned with some clothing which, while not what Melicent herself would have selected, was far better than a costume of a long, dark skirt, an ill-fitting sweater and bedroom slippers.

    She wondered as she dressed, when she was left again alone, whether she would continue to hold her job. Miss Cornwall had said nothing about it, but certainly it would not be strange if Hannah Cornwall, accustomed to change all her employees periodically, made another shift after what had happened. As she thought of this possibility, Melicent learned how much she wanted to remain in the strange old lady's employ and close to the amazing secrets of this family. She was in a situation utterly incomparable with anything in her life before, and she could not relinquish it. She tried to think what Miss Cornwall had last said to her, but she could not remember that the old lady had said a word from the time they left Blackcroft until the time she locked herself in her hotel room.

    Donald Cornwall, Melicent was sure, had ordered that she be supplied with the clothes, though they were to be charged to Miss Cornwall.

    It was a bright, warm forenoon, with cars passing, people walking by, voices and bells. The business of the day was begun, and Melicent Waring's business (she was very sure) was to see that the authorities understood that murder had been done somehow in that bathroom at Blackcroft where Everitt Cornwall had died with the little copper spider clutched in his hand.

She listened at Miss Cornwall's door and hearing nothing Melicent went downstairs, her mind full of determination, her nerves aching from the intensity of the last twenty-four hours. In complete contrast to herself, she found Donald Cornwall sitting alone at a table in the dining room calmly drinking coffee. He had on fresh clothing, and with the grime of last night weariness also seemed to have gone from him. He rose as he saw her. "How do you feel?"

    "I'm all right. Thanks for sending the girl from the store."

    "She did very well by you. How's my aunt?"

    "Sleeping, I think."

    "I might make sure of that. But first, will you have some coffee?"

    "I'd love some."

    He beckoned to the waitress hovering near. "Coffee and fruit--and whatever else Miss Waring wants, here," he ordered, and he pulled back a chair for Melicent, and himself departed.

    Before the coffee came, however, he was back