The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-23
Mary Anne Had Gone White.

foot of the stairs | stubbed my toe
against Halseys big chair, and had to
stand on one foot in a soundless agony
until the pain subsidized to dull ache.
And them knew l was right. Some
one had put key into the lock, and
was turning it. For some reason 1t
refused to work, and the key was
withdrawn. There was a muttering OF
voices outside; l had only second.
Another trial, and the door would
open. The candle above made faint
CLEAN down the well-lke staircase,
and at that moment, with second,
no more, to spare, thought Of plan.
The heavy oak chair almost filled
the space between the newell post and
the door. With a crash | had turned
it on it's side, wedging it against
the door, its legs against the stairs. l
could hear faint scream from Liddy
at the crash and then she came down
| the stairs on a run, with the revolver
held straight out in front of her. :,
THANK God,' she said, in a shaking
voice. II thought it was you"
l pointed to the door, and she I'M
| derstood.
"Call out of the windows at the
other end of the house." | whispered.
Run. Tell them not to wait for any
thing"
| She went up the stairs at that, two
at a time. Evidently she collided
with the candle, for 1t went out, and
was left in darkness.
was really astonishingly COOL l
remember stepping over the chair and
gluing my ear to the door, and l shall
never forget feeling it give an inch or
two there in the darkness, under a
steady pressure from without. But
the chair held, although l could hear
an ominous cracking of one of the
legs. And then. wiz out the slightest
warning, the cardroom window broke
with crash. l had my finger on the
trigger of the revolver, and as
jumped it went off, right through the
door, Some one outside swore round
ly, and for the first time could heal
what was said.
"Only scratch. Men are a.
the other end of the house.
Have the whole rats nest on us.
And a lot of profanity which l won
write down. The voices were at the
broken window now, and although
was trembling violently, I was de
termined that would hold them unit
help came. l moved up the stairs un
til I could see into the cardroom, o
rather through it, to the window. A
I looked small man put his leg owe
the sill and stepped into the room
The curtain confused him for rnc
ment; then he turned, not toward me
but toward the billiard room door.
fired again, and something that wa
, glass or china crashed to the GROUND
, Then | ran up the stairs and along tn
= corridor to the main staircase. Gel
, trude was standing there, trying
locate the shots, and | must hav
, been a peculiar figure, with my hal
in crimps, my dressing-gown flying, n
, slippers, and a revolver clutched
my hand. l had no time to tall
There was the sound of footsteps
;, the lower hall, and some one bounde
I up the stairs.
l had gone Berserk, l think.
4 leaned over the stair-rail and fire
= again. Halsey, below, yelled at me.
G What are you doing up there?"
q yelled. you missed me by an inch
- And then I collapsed and fainte
When I came around Liddy was ru
bling my temples with eau de quinn
and the search was in full blast.
- Well, the man was gone. The stab
- burned to the ground, while the CROW
90 cheered at every falling ratfer, al
q, the volunteer fire department spray,
= 1t with a garden hose. And in t
\ house Alex and Halsey searched eve
corner of the lower floor, finding
one.
- The truth of my story was shoy
by the broken window and the ov,
l., turned chair. That the unknown h
- got upstairs was almost impossib
~ He had not used the main stairca'
there was no way to the upper flo
a. in the east wing, and Liddy had be
at the window, in the west VIII
49, where the servants stair went up. f
ho we ulu Hol ~ W pou a. "ii'
- harmon and Warner helped in
M search, and not a closet escap
a. scrutiny. Even the cellars were CIV
thorough overhauling, without
m suit. The door in the east entry b
Nv hole through it where my bullet b
too gone. The hole slanted downwa
"a and the bullet was embedded in
+be porch. Some reddish stains showed
,ch had done execution.
os- Somebody will walk lame" Hal
int said, when he had marked the cou
OF the bullet. Its too low to have
70 anything but leg or foot"
,y's From that time on ! watched ev