Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-08
CHAPTER !.
I Take a Country House.

agencies happy and prosperous. For
20 years had been perfectly COM
Portable: for 20 years ] had had the
window-boxes filed in the spring, the
carpets lifted. the awnings put up and
the furniture covered with brown
linen; for as many summers I had said
good-by to my friends, and. after
watching their perspiring hegira, had
settled down to a delicious quiet in
town, where the mail comes three
times day, and the water supply
roof.
And then-the madness seized me.
When I look back over the months l
spent in Sunnyside. wonder that l
survived at all. AS it is, I show the
wear and tear of my narrowing ex-
periences. I have turned very gray
Liddy reminded me Of it only yester-
day by saying that little bluing in
the rinse water would make my hair
silvery instead Of yellow white. I
hate to be reminded of unpleasant
things and snapped her OF.
NO." said sharply. I'm not going
to use bluing at my time of life, or
starch, either"
Liddys nerves are gone, she says,
since that awful summer, but she has
enough left, goodness knows! And
when she begins to go around with a
lump in her throat, all have to do
is to threaten to return to Sunnyside,
.,a cho q. priohtopcd into a cop,hlonco
Of cheerfulness-from which you may
Judge that the summer there was any
thing but success.
The newspaper accounts have been
so garbled and incomplete-oAe of
them mentioned me but once. and
then only as the tenant at the time
the thing happened-that1 feel it my
due to tell what know. Mr.. jamie
son, the detective, said himself he
could never have done without me,
although he gave me little enough
credit. in print.
1 shall have to go back several
years-13. to be exact-to start my
story. At that time my brother died
leaving me his two children. Halsey
was II then and Gertrude was seven
When Halsey had finished his cleo
trical course and Gertrude her board
ing school both came home to stay
The winter Gertrude came out was
nothing but succession Of sitting VI
late at night to bring her home from
things, taking her to the dressmakers
between maps the next day, and dis
couraging ineligible youths with either
more money than brains or more
brains than money. By spring was
quite tractable. So when Halsey sug
gested camping in the Adirondack:
and Gertrude wanted Bar Harbor, We
compromised on good country house
with links near, within motor dis
lance of town and telephone distance
of the doctor. That was how we wen
to Sunnyside.
We went out to inspect the property
Its cheerful appearance gave no indi
cation whatever of anything out o
the ordinary. Only one thing SCENE,
unusual to me: The housekeeper, VIII,
had been left in charge, had move,
from the house to the gardeners lodg'
few days before. As the lodge Wa
far enough away from the house,
seemed to me that either fire o
thieves could complete their work O
destruction undisturbed. The proper
ty was an extensive one; the house o.
the top Of hill, which sloped away il
great stretches Of green lawn an
clipped hedges, to the road, and acros
the valley. perhaps couple Of mile
away, was the Greenwood Club house
Gertrude and Halsey were infatuated
The property was owned by Pau
Armstrong, the president Of tn
Traders bank, who at the time w
took the house was in the west wit
his wife and daughter, and a d.
Walker, the Armstrong family phi.
sician. Halsey knew Louise Arm
stronghold been rather attentive t
aer the winter before, but as +Halse
was always attentive to somebody,
aad not thought of 1t seriously. q
though she was charming girl.
knew of Mr.. Armstrong only throug
his connection with the bank, whel
The children's money was largely Il
rested, and through an ugly stol
/ bout the son, Arnold Armstrong, WI
Il vas reported to have forged his +
|! hers name for a considerable amour
/ o some bank paper. However, I'll
/ .ory had had no interest for me.
! cleared Halsey and Gertrut
| way to q. house party, and moved o,
sunnyside the first Of May.
| The arst night passed quiet
,nough. have always been gratef
I or that one nights peace; II show
| that the country might be under 4
j !orable circumstances. Never aft
lat night did l put my head on n
1 ,illow with any assurance how lol
i It would be there; or on my shoulder
for that matter.
On the following morning Liddy al
Mrs. Ralston. my own housekeepl
had a difference Of opinion, and MI
y Ralston left on the II train. Just aft
luncheon, Burke, the butler, was tax,
!. unexpectedly with q pain In his rig
side. much worse when I was with
, hearing distance, and by afternoon
was started cityward. That night Il
cooks sister had baby-the COO
4 seeing INDIGESTION in my face, made
I twins on second thought-and to !
short BY noon the next day the houa