Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-11-29
Continued from Yesterday.>
CHAPTER xxi.
A Ladder out of place

Souple OF days. Dat HGlsey was GER
tain there would be nothing more.
and felt that he and Alex could man.
age the situation. The defective went
back TO town early In the evening. and
by nine o'clock Halsey, who had been
playing golf-as a man does anything
to take his mind away from trouble
was sleeping soundly on the big leath.
er davenport in the living room.
sat and knitted, pretending not to
notice when Gertrude got up aud wan
dered out into the starlight Az soon
as l was satisfied that she had gone,
however, went out cautiously. / had
no intention of eaves-dropping. but |
wanted to be certain that IL was Jack
Bailey she was meeting. Too many
things had occurred in which Ger
trTde was, or appeared to be, involved,
to allow anything to be left in ques.
ton.
went slowly across the lawn Skin
ed the hedge to a break not far from
the lodge, and found myself on the
open road. Perhaps 100 feet TO the
left the path led across the valley to
the Country club, and only a little
way on was the foot-bridge over Cas-.
anova creek. But Just as was about
to turn down the path heard steps
coming toward me, and shrank into
the bushes. IL was Gertrude. going
back quickly toward the house.
] was surprised. waited until she
had had time TO get almost TO the
mouse before ! started And then
stepped back again into the shadows.
The reason why Gertrude had not
kept her tryst was evident Leaning
on the parapet OF the bridge in the
moonlight and smoking pipe. was
Alex the gardener. could have
throttled Liddy for her careiessness
In reading the torn note where he
could hear. And I could cheerfully
have choked Alex to death for his
audacity.
But there was no help for II: I
turned and followed Gertrude slowly
back to the house.
The frequent invasions of the house
had effectually prevented any .relaxa
ton after dusk We hadVredoubied our
vigilance as TO bolts and window
locks, but, as Mr.. Jameson had sug
gested, we allowed the door at the
east entry to remain as before. locked
by the Yale lock only. To provide only
one possible entrance for the invader.
and to keep constant guard in the
dark at the foot OF the circular stair.
case. seemed 10 be the only method
In the absence of the detective.
Alex and Halsey arranged to change
on. Halsey to be on duty from ten TO
two, and Alex from two until six.
Each man was armed. and. as an ad.
ditional precaution, the one of duty
slept in room near the head of the
circular staircase and kept his door
open, to be ready for emergency.
These arrangements were carefully
Kept from the servants. who were only
commencing to sleep at night. and
VINO reired, one and all, with barred
doors and lamps that burned full until
morning.
The house was quiet again Wednes.
day night. II was almost week since
Louise had encountered some one on
the stairs. and IL was four DAYS since
the discovery OF the hole in the trunk.
room wall Arnold Armstrong and
his ffther rested side by side i'm the
Casanova ehurchyard, and at the Zion
African church. on the hill. new
mound marked the last resting.place
Of poor Thomas.
Louise was With her mother IN
town. and beyond a polite note Of
thanks to me, we had heard nothing
from her DR.. Walker had taken M.
his practice again and we saw him
now and then flying along the road.
always at bop speed The murder Of
Arnold AItbstrong was still unavenRed
and / reuiiined firm in The position ]
had taketEtO stay at Sunnyside until
the thing was at least partly cleared
And yet, for all its quiet, It was on
Wednesday night that perhaps the
boldest attempt was made to enter
the house On Thursday afternoon
the laundrcss sent word she would
like to speak TO me, and saw her in
my private sitting room. a small room
beyond the dressing room
Mary Anne was cwJdrTa n Sht
had rolled down her sleeves and tried
a white apron around her waist and
she stood making folds in it with fin.
gers that we're red and shiny from her
soap.suds
w Hilf Wal - rdlN fNfONI IUElN t
what's the matter? Don't dare 10
tell mo the soap is out"
No, ma'am. Miss lines" She had
a nervous habit Of looking FIRST at my
one eye and then at the other. her
own optics shifting ceaselcssly, right
eye. left eve. right eye, until 7 found
myself doing the same thing. no
ms'am. 7 WAS askin did you want the
ladder left up the clothes chute?"
The wbst?' I screeched and was
sorry the next minute Seeing her
suspicious were verified Mary Anne
had gone white. and stood with her
eyes shifting more wildly than ever.
There's ladder ND tho clothes
chute Miss lines" she said IT'S