The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart: windows were reflecting a faint pinkish light, Liddy noticed it
at the same time, and I heard her jump up. At that moment Sam's
deep voice boomed from somewhere just below.
"Fire!" he yelled. "The stable's on fire!"
I could see him in the glare dancing up and down on the drive,
and a moment later Halsey joined him. Alex was awake and running
down the stairs, and in five minutes from the time the fire was
discovered, three of the maids were sitting on their trunks in
the drive, although, excepting a few sparks, there was no fire
nearer than a hundred yards.
Gertrude seldom loses her presence of mind, and she ran to the
 The Circular Staircase |