The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-17


ten minutes or 50. Some women came
down path 10 the road and inspected
tho automobile. When they had gone.
he crawled into the box-car and closed
the door again. Then he lighted a
match. The figure of man, uncon-
scious. gagged, and with his hands tied
! lny far at the end The tramp lost
found n little money and the cuff-links,
and took them. Then he loosened tho
gag-it had been cruelty Highland
went his way. again closing the door
of the box-car. Outside Oh the road
he found the watch. lie got on the
fast freight east, some time after. and
rode into the city. He had sold the
TO Alex he had been ''copped.
The story, with It's cold recital OF
villainy, was done. l having knew If
! were more anxious, or less. That il
was Halsey, there could be no doubt,
How badly he was hurt, how far he
had been carried, were the questions
that demanded immediate answer. Bat
II was the first real information we had
had; my boy had not been murdered
outright But instead of vague terrors
there was now the real fear that he
might be lying in some strange hospital
receiving the casual attention common
" given 10 the charity cases. Even
this, had we known it, would have been
paradise 20 the terrible truth I wake
vet and feel myself cold and trembling
with the horror Of Ualsey's situation
for three DAYS after his disappearance.
Mr.. Winters and Alex disposed Of
the tramp with warning. IT was evi-
dent he had told us all he knew. We
had occasion, within day or two. 10
be doubly thankful that we had given
him his freedom. When Mr.. Jameson
telcphoncd that night we had news for
him; he told me what ] had not real
ized before-that II would not be pos
sible to find Ualsev ut once, even with
this clue. The cars by this time, three
days, might be scattered over the Union
But he said 10 keep on hoping, that il
was the best news we had had. And in
the meantime, consumed with anxiety
ms we were, things were happening at
the house in rapid succession.
We had one peaceful day-then Liddy
took sick in the night. | went in when
| heard her groaning, ard found her
with a hot-water bottle to her face, and
&nr right cheek swollen until il was
CLASSY.
"Toothache! J asked. not too gent
ly. lyon deserve it A woman OF your
age. who would rather 90 around with
an exposed nerve in her head than have
the tooth pulled! 1t would be over in
moment.
$50 would hanging Liddy pro
tested, from behind the hot water bot
tie.
| was hunting around for cotton and
laudanum
You have tooth just like If your
self. Miss Rachel. she whispered And
] IN sure Doctor BOYLE 's been trying
to take it ont for years.
There was no laudnum, and Liddy
made a terrible fuss when | proposed
carbolic acid, Just because had put
too much on the cotton once and
burned her mouth nj sure IL never
did her auy permanent harm; indeed,
the doctor said aftcrward that living
on liquid diet had been splendid rest
for her stomach But she would have
none of the acid, and she kept me
awake groaning, SO at last ] got up and
went 10 Gertrude s door To my sur
prise, II 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. She
had not undressed.
| 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 laudanum and
went back to her.
il was fully a half hour before Lid
dy's gronas subsidized At intervals /
went 10 the door into the hall and look
ed out, but | saw and heard nothing
suspicious. Finally. when Liddv had
dropped into n doZe, | even venturcd
as far as the head of the circular stair
case, but there floatcd mp to me only
the even breathing of Winters, the
night detective, sleeping lust inside the
entry And then, far off. ! heard the
rapping noise that had lured Louise
down the staircase that other night,
two weeks before. 1t was over my
head. and very faint-three or four
short muffIcd taus. pause, and then
again, stealthily repeated.
The sound OF Mr. Winters breathing
was comforting: with the thought that
there was help within call, something
kept mo from waking him, did not
move for a moment: ridiculous things
Jiddy had said about a ghost am not
at all superstitIoUs. except, perhaps. IN
the middle of the night. with everything
dark-thinks like that came back TO
me- Almost beside me was the clothes
chute I could feel il. but ! could see
nothing. As | stood, listening iutentIy,
| heard sound near me. 1t was
vague, indefinite. Then If ceased /;
there was an uneasy movement and a
grunt from the foot OF the circular
staircase. and silence again. stood
perfectly still. hardly daring to
breathe
Then ] knew | had been right. Some
ono was stealthily passing the head of
the staircase and coming toward me
in the dark 7 leaned against the wall
for support-my knees were giving
way. The steps were close now, and
suddenly | thought Of Gertrude. OF
course il was Gertrude ! put out one
hand in front of me. but / touched
nothing My voice almost refused me,
but | managed to gasp out, Cert.
rude,
Good Lord man $ voice e1-
/ claimed, Just beside ue. And then I
/ collapsed | fct myself going. felt
/ some one catch me. horrible nausea
/ that was all l remembered.
When ! came 10 IT WAS dawn. ] was
! living on the bed in Louise s room. with
! the chcrub on the ceiling staring down
NJ me, and there was a blanket from
| my own bed thrown over me. | felt
/ weak and dizzy. bu, | managed 10 get
up and tottor 10 the door. At the foot