Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-10

el2i31AfAakasa
ing, Gin the last three days, have you
seen AMY suspicious figures around
the grounds? Any--Woman?"
mo" / replied. 81 have houseful
of maids that will bear watching, one
and all. But there has been no strange
women near the house or Liddy would
have seen her, you may be sure. She
has a telescope eye
Mr. Jameson looked thoughtful.
ut may not amount to anything" he
said slowly. 1T is difficult to get any
perspective OH things around here. be-
cause everyone down in the village is
sure he saw the murderer, either be-
fore or since the crime And half Of
them will stretch a point or two as to
the facts. to be obliging. But the man
who drives the hack down there tells
a story that may possibly prove to be
important"
Il have heard it, think. Was it the
one the parlor maid brought up yes
terday, about a ghost wringing it's
hands on the roof? Or perhaps it's the
one the milk-boy heard. tramp wash
ing dirty shirt presumably bloody,
in the creek below the bridge?"
could see the CLEAN of Mr. jamie
sons teeth as he smiled.
Neither" he said. But Matthew
Geist, which is our friends name,
claims that on Saturday night. at nine
thirty. a yelled lady"
81 knew it would be yelled lady,"
broke in.
"a yelled lady," he persisted, who
was apparently young and beautiful,
engaged his hack. and asked to be
driven to Sunnyside, Near the gate,
however, she made him stop, and in
spite Of his remonstrances, saying she
preferred to walk to the house. Now,
/ Miss lines. you have had no such Wis
itor, believer"
None I said decidedly.
"Geist thought 1t might be maid,
as you had got supply that day. But
he said her getting out near the gate
puzzled him. Anyhow, we have now
one yelled lady. who, with the ghost
ly intruder of Friday night, makes two
assets that | harly know what to do
| with"
"It is mystifying,' I admitted. "al-
though l can think Of one possible ex-
PLANTATION The path from Greenwood
| 'oteNt
near the lodge gate. A woman who
! wished to reach the Country Club, un'
perceived. might choose such a meth
cd. There are plenty of women there
! / think this gave him something tt
ponder, for in a short time he SAID
good night and left But myself was
far from satisfied. I was determined
however. on one thing. If my suspic
ions-for | had suspicions-were true
7 would make my own Investigations
land Mr.. Jameson should learn only
what was good for him to know.
We went back to the house, and
/ Gertrude. who was more like herself
since her talk with Halsey, sat dow
at the mahogany desk in the living
room to write letter. Halsey prowl
ed up and down the entire east wing
now in the card-room, now in the bill
/, liard-room, and now and then blowint
his clouds of tobacco smoke among
the pink and gold hangings of thu
drawing room. After a little l joinet
him In the billiard-room, and togethe
we went over the details Of the dis
covery of the body.
The card-room was quite DARK
; Where we sat, in the billiard-roon
only one of the side brackets va
lighted, and we spoke in suhdue
tones, as the hour and the subjec
seemed to demand. When l spoke {
the figure Liddy and I had seen o
the porch through the card-room viii
dow Friday night, Halsey sauntere
, into the darkened room, and togethe
we stood there. much as Liddy an
; I had done that night.
The window was the same grayis
+ rectangle in the blackness as hefor
e A few feet away in the hall was tn
: spot where the body of Arnold Arr
:. strong had been found. was bit ne
vous, and l put my hand on Halsey
( sleeve. Suddenly, from the top of tt
y stircase above Us came the sound I
cautious footstep. At first I was NJ
Z sure, but Halsey's attitude told n
J. he had heard and was listening. TT
K step, slow, measured, infinitely ca
g tious, was nearer now. Halsey tried
C loosen my fingers, but l was in pa
T. alysis of fright.
q The swish of a body against Il
. curving rail. as If for guidance, w
" plain enough, and now whoever it w
a. had reached the foot of the stairca
and had caught glimpse Of our rig
d. silhouettes against the billiard-roo
T. doorway. Halsey threw me off tn
rs and strobe forward.
1t "Who it is?" he called imperious
e. and took. half-dozen rapid strid
n toward the foot Of the staircase. TIL
G. l heard him mutter something; the
was the crash of falling body, t
lg slam of the outer door. and, for an
r. slant, quiet. screamed, think. Th
ly l remember turning on the lights a
ed finding Halsey, white with fury, t
'r- ing to untangle himself from sor
"a thing warm and deecy. He had
o. his forehead a little on the lowest 81
TX of the stairs, and he was rather
OF CHASTITY sight. He flung the white
ject at me, and, perl1ing open
Id, outer door raced into the darkness
he Gertrude rad come on hearing
I'M noise, and now we stood, staring
ks each other over-of all things on ca
so "a white silk and wool blanket,
Il; uuisitely fine. 1t was the most unghc
it ly thing in the world, with Its lavent
border and it's faint scent. Gertrl