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thought the whole bookshop had turned into a vast spinning top。 The floor
rocked and sagged； shelves of books were hurled in every direction。
Carrying Titania； he had just reached the steps leading to the domestic
quarters when they were flung sideways into the corner behind Roger's
desk。 The air was full of flying books。 A row of encyclopedias crashed
down upon his shoulders； narrowly missing Titania's head。 The front
windows were shivered into flying streamers of broken glass。 The table
near the door was hurled into the opposite gallery。 With a splintering
crash the corner of the gallery above the History alcove collapsed； and
hundreds of volumes cascaded heavily on to the floor。 The lights went out；
and for an instant all was silence。
〃Are you all right？〃 said Aubrey hastily。 He and Titania had fallen
sprawling against the bookseller's desk。
〃I think so；〃 she said faintly。 〃Where's Mr。 Mifflin？〃
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Aubrey put out his hand to help her； and touched something wet on the
floor。 〃Good heavens；〃 he thought。 〃She's dying！〃 He struggled to his
feet in the darkness。 〃Hullo； Mr。 Mifflin；〃 he called； 〃where are you？〃
There was no answer。
A beam of light gushed out from the passageway behind the shop； and
picking his way over fallen litter he found Mrs。 Mifflin standing dazed by
the dining…room door。 In the back of the house the lights were still
burning。
〃For heaven's sake； have you a candle？〃 he said。
〃Where's Roger？〃 she cried piteously； and stumbled into the kitchen。
With a candle Aubrey found Titania sitting on the floor； very faint； but
unhurt。 What he had thought was blood proved to be a pool of ink from
a quart bottle that had stood over Roger's desk。 He picked her up like a
child and carried her into the kitchen。 〃Stay here and don't stir；〃 he said。
By this time a crowd was already gathering on the pavement。 Someone
came in with a lantern。 Three policemen appeared at the door。
〃For God's sake；〃 cried Aubrey； 〃get a light in here so we can see
what's happened。 Mifflin's buried in this mess somewhere。 Someone ring
for an ambulance。〃
The whole front of the Haunted Bookshop was a wreck。 In the pale
glimmer of the lantern it was a disastrous sight。 Helen groped her way
down the shattered aisle。
〃Where was he？〃 she cried wildly。
〃Thanks to that set of Trollope；〃 said a voice in the remains of the
Fiction alcove； 〃I think I'm all right。 Books make good shock…absorbers。
Is any one hurt？〃
It was Roger； half stunned； but undamaged。 He crawled out from
under a case of shelves that had crumpled down upon him。
〃Bring that lantern over here；〃 said Aubrey； pointing to a dark heap
lying on the floor under the broken fragments of Roger's bulletin board。
It was the chef。 He was dead。 And clinging to his leg was all that
was left of Bock。
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Chapter XV
Mr。 Chapman Waves His Wand
Gissing Street will not soon forget the explosion at the Haunted
Bookshop。 When it was learned that the cellar of Weintraub's pharmacy
contained just the information for which the Department of Justice had
been looking for four years； and that the inoffensive German…American
druggist had been the artisan of hundreds of incendiary bombs that had
been placed on American and Allied shipping and in ammunition plants
and that this same Weintraub had committed suicide when arrested on
Bromfield Street in Boston the next dayGissing Street hummed with
excitement。 The Milwaukee Lunch did a roaring business among the
sensation seekers who came to view the ruins of the bookshop。 When it
became known that fragments of a cabin plan of the George Washington
had been found in Metzger's pocket； and the confession of an accomplice
on the kitchen staff of the Octagon Hotel showed that the bomb； disguised
as a copy of one of Woodrow Wilson's favourite books； was to have been
placed in the Presidential suite of the steamship； indignation knew no
bounds。 Mrs。 J。 F。 Smith left Mrs。 Schiller's lodgings； declaring that she
would stay no longer in a pro…German colony； and Aubrey was able at last
to get a much…needed bath。
For the next three days he was too busy with agents of the Department
of Justice to be able to carry on an investigation of his own that greatly
occupied his mind。 But late on Friday afternoon he called at the
bookshop to talk things over。
The debris had all been neatly cleared away； and the shattered front of
the building boarded up。 Inside； Aubrey found Roger seated on the floor；
looking over piles of volumes that were heaped pell…mell around him。
Through Mr。 Chapman's influence with a well…known firm of builders； the
bookseller had been able to get men to work at once in making repairs； but
even so it would be at least ten days； he said； before he could reopen for
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business。 〃I hate to lose the value of all this advertising；〃 he lamented。 〃It
isn't often that a second…hand bookstore gets onto the front pages of the
newspapers。〃
〃I thought you didn't believe in advertising；〃 said Aubrey。
〃The kind of advertising I believe in；〃 said Roger； 〃is the kind that
doesn't cost you anything。〃
Aubrey smiled as he looked round at the dismantled shop。 〃It seems to
me that this'll cost you a tidy bit when the bill comes in。〃
〃My dear fellow；〃 said Roger； 〃This is just what I needed。 I was
getting into a rut。 The explosion has blown out a whole lot of books I
had forgotten about and didn't even know I had。 Look； here's an old copy
of How to Be Happy Though Married； which I see the publisher lists as
‘Fiction。' Here's Urn Burial； and The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac； and
Mistletoe's Book of Deplorable Facts。 I'm going to have a thorough house…
cleaning。 I'm thinking