The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-23

L grew more and more anxious. Hal
sey was aimlessly knocking the bill
lard balls around in the billiard room,
and l called to him.
"Halsey," l said when he sauntered
in, lis there policeman in Casa
! nova?"
Constable" he said laconically.
veteran of the war, one arm; in Of
flee to conciliate the G. A. r. element
Why?"
Because l am uneasy tonight"
And | told him what Liddy had said.
rs there any one you can think of
who could be relied on to watch the
outside of the house tonight"
I'VE might get Sam Bohannon from
the club he said thoughtfully. 1T
wouldn't be a bad scheme. He's a
smart darby, and with his mouth shut
and his shirt-front covered, you could
MT see him yard off in the dark"
Halsey conferred with Alex, and
the result, in an hour, was Sam. His
instructions were simple. There had
been numerous attempts to break into
the house; 1t was the intention, not
I W 'ii'N ihti u~Eio away, but W CAP
ture them. If Sam saw anything sus-
picious outside, he was to tap at the
east entry, where Alex and Halsey
were to alternate in keeping watch
through the night.
AS before, Halsey watched the east
entry from ten until two. He had an
eye to comfort and he kept vigil in a
hnovxy hot
We went upstairs rather early, and
through the open door Gertrude and l
kept up running fire of conversation.
Liddy was brushing my hair, and Ger.
| trude was doing her own, with long
free sweep of her strong, round arms
"Did you know Mrs. Armstrong and
Louise are in the village?" she called
mo" l replied, startled. How did
you hear it?"
| Il met the Oldest Stewart girl to
,, day, the doctors daughter, and she
I told me they had not gone back tc
town after the funeral. They went di
rectly to that little yellow house next
, to DR.. Walkers, and are apparently
e settled there. They took the house
furnished for the summer"
: why, it's bandbox," I said. I"
" can't imagine Fanny Armstrong IL
such a place"
d TITS true, nevertheless. Ella Stew
$ art says Mrs. Armstrong has aged ter
e ribly, and looks as if she is hardl,
able to walk"
It l lay and thought over some o
a these things until midnight. The cleo
t, trio lights went out them fading slow
:, ly until there was only a red-hot loo
to be seen in the bulbs, and then eve
l. that died away and we were embarke
n on the darkness of another night.
Apparently only few minute
:" elapsed, during which my eyes wer
10 becoming accustomed to the darkness
Then I noticed that the windows wer
rejecting faint pinkish light; Lidd
Is noticed it at the same time, and
10 heard her jump up. At that momen
Sans deep voice doomed from som,
!. where just below
In "Fire!" he yelled. "The stables o
= fire."
could see him in the glare dancin
~ up and down on the drive, and m,
NJ ment later Halsey joined him. Ale
was awake and running down til
n stairs and in five minutes from th
st time the fire was discovered three
:" the maids were sitting on their trunk
in the drive, although, excepting a fe
sparks, there was no fire nearer tina
100 yards.
Gertrude seldom loses her presenC
" of mind, and she ran to the telephon
o. But by the time the Casanova volu
a. teer fire department came toiling ,
in the hill the stable was a furnace, Wi
r. the Dragon Fly safe but blistere
# in the road Some gasoline explode
w just as the volunteer department G
to work, which shook their nerves
III we'll as the burning building. II
"a stable, being on hill, was torch
=. attract the population from every
rection.
, The stable was off the west wing.
-, hardly know how I came to think
ar the circular staircase and the U
ss guarded door at it's foot Liddy W
ve putting my clothes into sheets, pl
ri paratory to tossing them out the W
dow, when l found her, and l cou
INF hardly persuade her to stop.
he 81 want you to come with n
n Liddy." said. Bring candle and
couple of blankets"
She Jagged behind consideral
MIR when she saw me making for the e;
an wing. and at the top of the staircs
she baked
NV 81 am not going down there S
ov said firmly.
ow "Tbere is no one guarding the d.
,dy down there" explained. "W
our knows?-this may be a scheme
draw everybody away from this
my of the house, and let some one
)la- here"
put The instant had said 1t was {
ing WINGED l had hit on the explapat
and that perhaps it was already
aid late. 1t seemed to me as l liste
uld that heard stealthy footsteps on
9TH east porch, but there was SO m
,od. shouting outside that 1t was i'm