The Circular Staircase - Page 37/154

I have never been a nervous woman, as I said before. Moreover, a

minute or two in the darkness enabled me to see things fairly well.

Beulah gave me rather a start by rubbing unexpectedly against my feet;

then we two, side by side, went down the drive.

There were no fragments of china, but where the grove began I picked up

a silver spoon. So far Rosie's story was borne out: I began to wonder

if it were not indiscreet, to say the least, this midnight prowling in

a neighborhood with such a deservedly bad reputation. Then I saw

something gleaming, which proved to be the handle of a cup, and a step

or two farther on I found a V-shaped bit of a plate. But the most

surprising thing of all was to find the basket sitting comfortably

beside the road, with the rest of the broken crockery piled neatly

within, and a handful of small silver, spoon, forks, and the like, on

top! I could only stand and stare. Then Rosie's story was true. But

where had Rosie carried her basket? And why had the thief, if he were

a thief, picked up the broken china out of the road and left it, with

his booty?

It was with my nearest approach to a nervous collapse that I heard the

familiar throbbing of an automobile engine. As it came closer I

recognized the outline of the Dragon Fly, and knew that Halsey had come

back.

Strange enough it must have seemed to Halsey, too, to come across me in

the middle of the night, with the skirt of my gray silk gown over my

shoulders to keep off the dew, holding a red and green basket under one

arm and a black cat under the other. What with relief and joy, I began

to cry, right there, and very nearly wiped my eyes on Beulah in the

excitement.