Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-20
CHAPTER XXI. !,
between rwo ElrepIaces.

CHAPTER XXI. :,
Between Two FirepIaces.
What with the excitement Of the dis
very, the walk home under the stars
wet shoes and draggled skirts. and
ltting upstairs and undressed without
using Liddy, I was completely used
What to do with my boots was
greatest puzzle of all, there being
place in the house safe from Lid
!. until decided to slip upstairs the
,xt morning and drop them into the
lie the ghost" had made in the
unkroom wall.
I went asleep as soon as reached
10 decision, and in my dreams
red over again the events of the
ght. Again / saw the group around
o silent figure on the grass, and
ain. as had happened at the grave,
heard Alexis voice, tense and tri-
nphant:
''Then we've got them" he said.
My. in my dreams, he said it over
III 0VSK uASAk A0 BSSAOU W 6AI1Sh ~
my ears.
I wakened early, in spite of my IA
que, and lay there thinking. Who
as Alex? I no longer believed that
} was gardener. Who was the
an whose body we had resurrected?
nd where was Paul Armstrong? Prob
ly living safely in some extradition-
ss country on the fortune he had
Glen. Did Louise and her mother
low OF the shameful and wicked de-
ption? What had Thomas known,
i'd Mrs. Watson? Who was Nina
: arlington?
This last question, it seemed to me,
as answered. In some way the
oman had learned of the substitu-
On, and had tried to use her knowl-
lge for blackmail. Nina Carringtons
IN story died with her, but, however
happened, 1t was clear that she had
trried her knowledge to Halsey the
,ternoon Gertrude and I were look
lg for clews to the man had shot
4 the east veranda. Halsey had been
alf crazed by what he heard; it was
7ident that Louise was marrying DR..
1alker to keep the shameful secret,
" her mothers sake. Halsey, al
avs reckless, had gone at once to
r. Walker and denounced him. There
ad been scene, and he left on his
az to the station to meet and notify
If. Jameson Of what he had learned.
he doctor was active mentally and
hysically. Accompanied perhaps by
Eggs. who had shown himself not
verserupulous until he Quarreled
18th his employer, he had gone across
, the railroad embankment, and, by
lmping In front of the car, had
aused Halsey to swerva The rest
I the story we knew.
That was my reconstructed theory
[ that afternoon and evening: it was
lmost correct-not quite.
There was a telegram that morning
rom Gertrude.
HAlsey conscious and improving. Prob
bly, home In day or so.
GERTRUDE.
With Halsey found and improving
4 health, and with at last something
> work on, began that day, Thurs
az, with fresh courage. AS Mr..
amieson had said, the lines were
losing up. That was to be caught
nd almost finished in the closing was
apply unknown to US ALL
It was late when got up. I lay in
~ he'd, looking around the four walls
{ the room, and trying to imagine be.
ind what one Of them secret cham
er might lie. Certainly, in daylight,
alnnyside deserved its name; never
ras , house more CHEEKY and open,
ass sinister in general appearance.
here was not corner apparently
aat was not open and above-board,
nd yet, somewhere behind its hand
omely papered walls I believed firmly
lat there lay a hidden room, with
II the possibilities it would involve.
made a mental note to have the
ouse measured during the day to dis
over any discrepancy between the
utter and inner walls, and 1 tried to
ecall again the exact wording Of the
aper Jameson had found.
The slip had said Chimney" It
'as the only clue, and a house as
urge as Sunnyside was full of them.
here was an open fireplace in my
ressing room, but none in the bed
Dom, and as I lay there, looking
round, thought of something that
Jade me sit up suddenly. The trunk.
pom. just over nay heed, had an open
replace and brick chimney, and
ct there was nothing of the kind in
" room. l got out Of bed and ex-
mined the opposite wall closely.
here was apparently no flue, and I
new there was none in the hall Just
eneathe The house was heated by
cam. as !, have said before. In the
wing room was 9 huge oman flrenlece.
vt 1t was on the other side.
Why did the trunkroom have both
radiator and an open fireplace?
rchitects were not usually erratic.
was not Is minutes before was up.
airs, armed with q tape-measure In
eu OF q feot-rule. eager to Justify Mr..
smieson's opinion Of my intelligence.
I'd firmly resolved not to tell him of
suspicion until had more than
cory to go on. The hole in the
unkroom wall still yawned there. be-
Eeen the chimney and the outer wall
examined it again. with no new re.
Ut. The space between the brick
sl and the plaster and Hath one.
twever. had a new significance. The
,le showed only one side of the chin.