Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-08-24

me the soap is out"
.tNo, ma'an, Miss Innes.'' She had |
a nervous habit of looking first at my
one eye and then at the other, her
own optics shifting ceaselessly, right
eye, left eye, right eye, until found
myself doing the same thing mo,
ma'am, was askin' did you want the
ladder left UP the clothes chute :"
THE what?" schreeched, and was
sorry the next minute. Seeing her sus-
picions were verified, Mary Anne had
gone white. and stood with her eyes
shifting more wildly than ever.
CHAPTER XXIlI.
About nine o'clock that night Liddy
came into the living room and report
ed that one of the housemaids de-
clared she had seen two men slip
around the corner of the stable. Ger
trude had been sitting in front OF
her, jumping at every sound. Now she
turned on Liddy pettishly.
II declare, Liddy," she said, .'you
are boundle of nerves. What if Eliza
did see some men around the stable?
1t NAV have been Warner and Alex"
Warner is in the kitchen, miss"
Liddy said with dignity And If you
had come through what l have, you
| would be a bundle of nerves, too. Miss
Rachel, I'd be thankful if you'd give
me my months wages tomorrow. III
be going to my sisters"
Very WE'LL" | said, to her evident
amazement, "I will make out the
check. Warner can take you down to
the noon train"
Liddy's face was really funny.
You'll have nice time at your.
sisters" l went on. Five children,
hasn't she?"
That's it," said Liddy suddenly
bursting into tears 'SeEd me away,
after all these years, and your new
shawl only half done, and nobody
/ KNOWN how to fix the water for your
bath"
TITS time l learned to prepare my
own BATH was knitting compIacent-
! ly. But Gertrude got UP and put her
arms around Liddys shaking sheul-
! ders.
"You are two big babies" she said
/ soothingly. Neither of you could
get along for an hour without the
other. SO stop quarreling and be good.
/ Liddy, go right up and lay out
| Aunty's night things. She is going to
bed early"
After Liddy had gone l began to
think about the men at the stable and
grew more and more anxious. Hal
sey was aimlessly knocking the bill
lard balls around in the billiard
room and called to him.
"Halsey," / said, when he sa
1 ed In, ''is there a policeman in lass,-
nova?"
Constable" he said laconically.
Veteran Of the war, one arm; n OF
flee to conciliate the G. A. R.
Why?"
Because am uneasy
And told him what Liddy had sad.
SIS there anyone you can think OF
who could be relied on to watch the
outside of the house tonight?"
"We might get Sam Bohannon
from the club" he said thoughtfully
"It wouldn't be bad scheme. He's a
smart darky, and with his mouth shut
and his shirt front covered, you
couldn't see him yard off in the
dark"
Halsey conferred with Alex, and the
result, In an hour, was Sam. His in
structions we're simple There had
been numerous attempts to break into
the house; it was the intention, not to
drive the intruders away, but to cap
ture them. II Sam saw anything sus
p1cious outside, he was to tap at the
east entry, where Alex and Halsey
were to alternate in keeping watch
through the night.
1t was with comfortable feeling
of security that I went to bed that
night, The door between Gertrude's
rooms and mine had been opened, ano
with the doors into the hall holted
we were safe enough. Although Liddy
persisted in her belief that doors
would prove no obstacles to our dis
turbers.
AS before, Talsey watched the cas-
entry from ten until two. He had al
, eye to comfort, and he kept vigil il
a heavy oak chair, very large ant
) deep. We went up stairs rather early
and through the open door Gertrude
and kept up a running fire of con
Yersation Liddy was brushing m,
, , hair, and Gertrude was doing her owl
, with long free sweep Of her stroni
!, round arms.
did you know Mrs Armstron'
!, , and Louise are in the village?" sh
called.
, NO." replied, startled. How di
you hear it?"
81 met the oldest Stewart girl tc
day, the doctors daughter, and sh
told me they had not gone back t
town after the funeral. They went d
! rectly to that little yellow house mex
: to Doctor Walkers, and are apparen
ly settled there. They took the hous
+ furnished for the summer"
e why, it's bandbox," l. said.
4 can't imagine Fanny Armstrong |
e such a place."
: Its true, nevertheless. Ella Stew
s art says Mrs. Armstrong has aged tie
J. ribly and looks as If she Is hardl
D able to walk"
v I lay and thought over some
g these things until midnight. The ele
trio lights went out then, fading slowl
n until there was only red-hot loop
S be seen in the bulb, and then eve
:. that died away and we were embarke
; on the darkness of another night