Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-08-24
The
Circular Staircase
BY MARY ROBERTS R1NEHARr
Copyright:
"Is Kings q children,s outfittin,

placer" he asked.
mot especially. 1t is general de-
partment store"
He was silent after that, but he
went to the telephone as soon as we
got home, and called up King and
Company, in the city.
After time he got the general
manager, and they talked for some
time. When Mr.. Jameson hung up the
receiver he turned to me.
THE plot thickens," he said with
his ready smile. There are four wonl-
en- named Wallace at Kings. none of
them married. and none over twenty.
/ think shall go up to the city to-
night. I want to go to the Children's
Hospital. But before | go. Miss Innes,
wish you would be more frank with
me than you have been yet, want you
TO show me the revolver you picked
up in the tulip bed"
So he had known all along.
"It was revolver, Mr.. Jameson, :"
admitted, cornered at last, "but
car net show it to you. It is not in my
possession"
CHAPTER XXI.
AT dinner Mr.. Jameson suggested
'SeSUQA9 a llhu Oul III LIS plnCS lOE q
couple of DAYS. but Halsey was eer-
tair there would be nothing more, and
felt that he and Alex could manaee
the situation. The detective went back
to town early in the evening. and by
nine O'Clock Halsey. who had been
PLAYING eo'f--as a man does ANYTHING
/ to take his mind away from trouble
was sleeping soundIv on the big leath-
er davenport in the living room.
| I sat and knitted, pretending not to
notice when Gertrude got IN and wan
! dered out into the starlisht. AS soon
as was satisfied that she had zone,
however, | went out cautiously. l
| had no intention of eavesdronping,
but I wanted to be certain that it was
I Jack Bailey she was meeting. Too
many things had occurred in which
/ Gertrude was, or appeared to be. in
volyed. to allow anything to be left in
question.
went slowly across the lawn,
skirted the hedge to break not far
from the lodge and found myself on
the open road. Perhaps a hundred
feet to the left the path led across
the valley to the Country Club, and
onlv little way off was the foot
bridge over Casanova Creek. But Just
as was about to turn down the path
I heard steps coming towards me and
I shrank into the bushes. It was Ger
tr,lde. going back quickly toward the
house.
was surprised. waited until she
had had time to get almost to the
house before I 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 a pipe, was
Alex, the gardener I could have throt
tied Liddy for her carelessness 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 it; turn
ed and followed Gertrude slowly bach
to the house.
The frequent invasions Of the house
had effectually prevented any relaxa
ton after dusk. We had redoublee
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 onl!
one possible. entrance for the invader
and to keep constant guard in thu
dark at the foot of the circular stair
case, seemed to be the only method.
In the absence of the detective
) Alex and Halsey arranged to chang
off. Halsey to be on duty from ten t.
two, and Alex from two until six. Eacl
man was armed, and, as an additiona
precaution, the one off duty slept il
a room near the head of the circula
staircase and kept his door open, t
be ready for emergency.
These arrangements were CAREFUL,
kept from the servants, who were onl
3 commencing to sleep at night, AM
who retired, one and all, with barre
' doors and lamps that burned full ur
I til morning.
The house was quiet again Wednes
3 day night. 1t was almost a week sine
Louise had encountered some one O
. the stairs, and it was four days sine
y the discovery of the hole in the trunl
Q room wall. Arnold Armstrong and hi
p father rested side by side in the Cass
n nova churchyard, and at the Zio
u African CuuFCu, Oh tHE lii, nc
d mound marked the last resting plac
Y of poor Thomas.
Louise was with her mother in tow
4 and, beyond polite note of thank
e to me, we had heard nothing from he
S Doctor Walker had taken UP his pra
tice again. and we saw him now an
F" then, flying past along the road, a
ways at top speed. The murder of A
S mold Armstrong was still unavenget
and remained firm in the position
5. had taken-to stay at Sunnyside unit
s the thing was at least partly cleared
e And yet, for ell its quiet, it was 0
G Wednesday night that perhaps, til
1, boldest attempt was made to enter II
u house. On Thursday afternoon II
e laundress sent word she would like
sneak to me, and saw her in my pl
ID vate sitting room, small room beyoI
s. the DRESSING room.
ct Mary Anne was embarrassed. 81
Is had rolled down her sleeves and tit
white apron around her waist, al
IN she stood making folds in it with fl