The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-09-07
~ 4. CONAN DOYLE

INTO the room. AS he did SO he had to
push the blind aside. Then the two
spectators saw where the light came
from. Mrs. Westmacott was standing,
as rigid as statue, in the center of
the room, with a lighted taper in her
right hand. For an instant they caught
glimpse of her stern face and her
white collar. Then the blind fell back
into position, and the two figures disap-
peared from their view.
ooh, that dreadful woman!" cried
Monica. ''That dreadful, dreadful wom-
an! She was waiting for him. You saw
it with your own eyes, sister Bertha!'
Hush, dear, hush and listenr' said
her more charitable companion They
pushed their own window up once more,
and watched from behind the curtains.
For long time all was silent within
the house. The light still stood motion
less as though Mrs. Westmacott re-
NAMED rigidly in the one position, while
from time to time a shadow passed in
front of it to show that her midnight
visitor was pacing up and down in
front Of her. Once they saw his outline
clearly, with his hands outstretched as
IT in appeal or entreaty. Then suddenly
there was e dull sound, a cry, the noise
of fall, the taper was extinguished,
and dark figure fled in the moonlight,
rushed across the garden, and vanished
amid the shrubs at the farther side.
Then only did the two old ladies un-
derstand that they had looked on whilst
tragedy had been enacted. "Helpw
they cried, and "Help!" in their high,
thin voices, timidly at first, but gather
ing volume as they went on, until the
Wilderness rang with their shrie<s.
Lights shone in all the windows oppo-
site, chains ratified, bars were unshot,
doors opened, and out rushed friends to
the rescue. Harold, with a stick; the
Admiral, with his sword his grey head
and bare feet protruding from either
end of long brown ulster; finally, Doc
tor Walker, with a poker, all ran to the
help of the Westmacotts. Their door
had been already opened, and they
crowded unanimously into the front
room.
Charles Westmacott, white to his lips,
was kneeling on the floor, supporting
his aunts head upon his knee. She lay
outstretched, dressed in her ordinary
clothes, the extinguished taper still
grasped in her hand no mark or wound
upon her-pale, placid and senseless.
THANK God you are come, Doctor"
said Charles, looking up. do tell me
how she is, and what I should do
Doctor Walker kneeled beside her. and
passed his left hand over her head,
while he grasped her pulse with the
right.
"She has had a terrible blow" said
he. ct must have been with some blunt
weapon. Here is the place behind the
ear. But she is a woman of extraor-
binary physical powers. Her pulse is
full and slow There is no stertor. 1t is
my belief that she is merely stunned,
and that she is in no danger at ALL
Thank God for THAR
"We must get her to bed. We shall
carry her upstairs, and then shall send
my girls in to her. But who has done
this?"
"Some robber," said Charles "You
see that the window is open. She must
have heard him and come down, for she
was always perfectly fearless. wish
to goodness she had called me-
but she was dressed
Sometimes she sits up very late"
81 did sit up very late,'' said a voice.
She had opened her eyes, and was blink
ing at them in the lamplight. "a villain
came in through the window and struck
me with a life preserver You can tell
the police so when they come. Also that
it was a little fat man. Now, Charles,
give me your arm and I shall go up
stairs"
But her spirit was greater than her
strength, for, as she staggered to her
feet, her head swami round, and she
would have fallen again had her nephew
not thrown his arms around her. They
carried her upstairs among them and
laid her upon the bed where the Doctor
watched beside her, while Charles went
off to the police-station, and the Den
vers mounted guard over the frightened
maids.