A great sack upon which clothing and odds and ends of all
descriptions were hanging stood at the south end of the apartment,
while a long row of boxes and packing trunks occupied the floor at
the north end. The rug, which had been thrown down on the floor near
the hole bored through a plank, was still there where the servants
had seen it. The listener had, at least, a good notion of personal
comfort!

"Where was this rug taken from?" asked Ned.

"It was on the rack the last time I saw it," Jack answered.

"Was it clean at that time?" Ned continued, examining the rug with a
glass.

"What do you mean by clean? It was dusty, of course, like everything
else here."

"Were there any stains on it--stains like blood?" Ned went on,
dragging the rug under the electric lights which had been switched
on.

"Why, of course not. It was originally in the little den off the
library, but father became tired of it and told Terance to bring it
here."

"How long ago was that?"

"Oh, a month or two. I can't be exact as to the date, you know."