The newspaper., 1909-11-26

knew. Fever-hushed, ill as she was,
/ recognized Louise Armstrong.
will you tell me what you mean,
Thomas Johnson, by not telling me
this before?" | demanded Indignantly.
Thomas quailed.
Mis- Louise wouldn't let me-" he
said earnestly. Il wanted to. She
ought to "a had a doctor the night she
came, but she wouldn hear to it. Is
she very bad. Mis- Innes?"
Bad enough said coldly. Send
Mr.. Innes up"
Halsey came up the stairs slowly,
looking rather interested and inclined
to be amused For a moment he could
not see anything distinctly in the
darkened room; he stopped, glanced
at Rosie and at me, and then his eyes
fell on the restless head on the pill
low. ! think he felt who 1t was before
he really saw her: he crossed the
room in a couple of strides and bent
over the bed.
"Louise." he said softly; but she
did not reply, and her eyes showed no
illness was new to him. He straight
tutu ululstn slOhlys Sllll
her. and caught my arm.
She's dying, Aunt RAY" he said
huskily. Dying, Why. she doesn't
know mel"
"Fudge," I snapped, being apt to
grow irritable when my sympathies
are aroused. She's doing nothing of
the sort-and don't pinch my arm. If
you want something to do, go and
choke Thomas"
But at that moment Louise reused
from her stupor to cough. and at the
end of the paroxysm, as Rosie laid her
back. exhausted, she knew US. That
was all Halsey wanted; to him con-
sciousness was recovery. He dropped
on his knees beside the bed, and tried
TO tell her she was all right, and we
would bring her around in a hurry.
and how beautiful she looked-only to
break down utterly and have to
stop. And at that l came to my
senses, and put him out.
This instant" ordered, as he hes
itated. And send Rosie here"
When the doctor from Englewood-
the Casanova doctor. DR.. Walker. be-
ing away-had started for Sunnyside,
and I had got Thomas to stop trying
to explain what he did not understand
himself. had a long talk with the
old man. and this is what / learned.
On Saturday evening before. about
ten O'Clock, he had been reading in
the sitting room downstairs, when
some one raped at the door. The old
man was alone. Warner not having
arrived. and at first he was uncertain
about opening the door He did so
finally. and was amazed at being con-
fronted by Louise Armstrong. Thomas
was an old family servant. having
been with the present Mrs. Armstrong
since she was a child, and he was
overwhelmed at seeing Louise. He
saw that she was excited and tired.
and he drew her into the sitting room
and made her sit down. After while
he went to the house and brought
Mrs Watson. and they talked until
late The old man said Louise was in
trouble. and seemed frightened. Mrs.
Watson made some tea and took ii to
the lodge. but Louise made them both
promise to keep her presence a secret
She had not known that Sunnyside
was rented. and whatever her trouble
was. this complicated things. She
seemed puzzled. Her stepfather and
her mother were still in California
that was all she would say about
them. Why she had run away no one
could imagine. Mr.. Arnold Armstrong
was at the Greenwood club. and at last
Thomas. not knowing what else to do.
went over there along the path. 1t
was almost midnight. Part way over
he met Armstrong himself and
brought him to the lodge. Mrs. Wat
son had gone to the house for some
bed linen. It having been arranged
that under the circumstances Louise
would be better at the lodge until
morning. Arnold Armstrong and
Louise had a long conference, during
which he was heard to storm and be-
come very violent When he left 1t
was after two. lie had gone up to
the house-Thomas did not know why
and at three o'clock he was shot at
the foot of the circular staircase.
The following morning Louise had
been ill., She had asked for Arnold.
and was told he had left town.
Thomas had not the moral courage to
tell her Of the crime. She refused a
doctor. and shrank morbidly from hav-
ing her presence known Mrs Wat,
son and Thomas had had fh9fr hands