Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-12-02
Continued from Yesterday

Continued from Yesterday
so would hanging" L.ddy pro
tested. from behind the hot.water bot
tie
was hunting around for cotton and
laudanum.
You have tooth just like il your.
self. Miss Rachel" she whimpered
And I'm sure DIR. Boyle's been trying
TO take 1t out for years" hr
There was no laudanum. and Liddy
made terrible fuss when proposed
carbolic acid, just because had put
100 much on the cotton once and
burned her mouth. I'm sure II never
did her any permanent harm: indeed
the doctor said afterward that living
on liquid diet had been a splendid rest
Tor her stomach. But she would have
none OF the acid. and she kept me
awake grooming, so at last | got up
and went TO Gertrude's door. To my
surprise 1t was locked
| went around by the hall and into
her bedroom that way. The bed was
turned down, and her dressing gown
and night-dress lay. ready in the little
room next, but Gertrude was not there.
Sho hdo HOt unuTeSSed.
don't know what terrible thoughts
came 10 me in the minute stood
there. Through the door ] could hear
Liddy grumbling, with a squeal now
and then when the pain stabbed
harder. Then, automatically, got the
Iaudanum and went back TO her.
IL was fully half-hour before Lid.
dys groans subsidized At intervals
went TO the door into the hall and
looked out, but saw and heard moth
Ing suspicious. Finally, when Liddy
had dropped into doze, ! even ven
tured as far as the head OF the circular
staircase but there foated up to me
only the even breathing OF Winters
the night detective, sleeping just in
side the entry And then. far off.
heard the rapping noise that had lured
Louise down the staircase that other
night, two weeks before II was over
my head, and very faint-three or four
short mufned taps. pause. and then
again, stealthily repeated
The sound of Mr.. Winters breath
Ing was comforting. with the thought
that there was help within call some.
thlng Kept me from waking him. | did
not move for moment; ridiculous
things Liddy had said about n ghost
am not at all superstitious, except
perhaps. In the middle OF the night.
with everything dark-things like that
came back 70, me. Almost beside me
was thdeclothes chute. ! could feel It.
but l could see nothing AS | stood
listening intently, heard a sound
near me. It3qWas vague, indefinite.
Then itsceased; there was an uneasy
movement and grunt from the foot
of the circular staircase, and silence
again. | stood perfectly still, hardly
daring to breathe
Then knew / had been right Some
oac was stealthily passing the head of
the staircase and coming toward me
In the dark. ] leaned against the wall
Tor support-my knees were giving
way. The steps were close now. and
suddenly ! thought Of Gertrude or
course 1t was Gertrude. put out one
hand in front OF me. but I touched
nothing. My voice almost refused me.
but ! managed to gasp out, Ger
trude,"
claimed just beside me. And then
collapsed ! felt myself going. felt
some one catch me. horrible nausea
that was all I remembered.
When came TO It was dawn ! was
lying on the bed in Louse's room.
with the cherub on the ceiling staring
down at me, and there was blanket
from my own bed thrown over me.
felt weak and dizzy, but managed To
got sip and tOtter to the door At the
foot OF the circular staircase Mr.. Win.
tiers was still asleep Hardly able to
stand, crept back 10 my room The
door into Gertrude's room was no Ion.
ger locked she was sleeping Ike
tired child. And in my dressing room
bddy Rugged cold hot-wateT bott1e
and mumbled in her sleep
There's some things you can't hold
with handouts" she was muttering
thckly.