Gilmore took up one of the lamps as he spoke and opened a door that led into what had evidently once been a dining-room, but it was now only partly furnished; back of this was a kitchen, and beyond the kitchen a woodshed.

Returning to the front of the house, they mounted to the floor above.

Here had been the old merchant's bedroom; adjoining it were two smaller rooms, one of which had been used as a place of storage for trunks and boxes and broken bits of furniture; the other room was empty.
"We may as well go back down-stairs," said the gambler, halting, lamp in hand, in the center of the empty room.
Harbison nodded, and leading the way to the floor below, they rejoined the colonel in the sitting-room, where they made themselves as comfortable as possible.
The colonel and his nephew talked in subdued tones, principally of the murdered man; they had no desire to exclude their companion from the conversation, but Gilmore displayed no interest in what was said.

He sat at the colonel's elbow, preoccupied and thoughtful, smoking cigar after cigar.

Presently the colonel and his nephew lapsed into silence.