The newspaper., 1909-10-22

eleven-thirty, forty-five, twelve. And
then the lights went out to stay. The
Casanova Electric Company shuts up
shop and goes home to bed at mid
night: when one has a party, l be-
lieye it is customary to fee the com
pany, which will drink hot coffee and
keep awake a couple of hours longer.
But the lights were gone for good
that night. Liddy had gone to sleep,
as knew she would She was a very
unreliable person: always awake and
ready to talk when she wasn't wanted
and doing off to sleep when she was
| called her once or twice, the only re-
suit being an explosive snore that
threatened her very indpipe-then |
got UP and lighted a bedroom candle.
| My bedroom and dressing room
weres above the big living room ON
the first floor On the second floor a
long corridor ran the length of the
house, with rooms opening from both
sides. In the wings were. small cor
ridors crossing the main one-the
plan was simplicity itself And Just
as | got back into bed, | heard a
sound from the east wing, apparently.
that made me stop, frozen. with one
bedroom slipper half off, and listen. 1t
was a rafting metallic sound, and it
reverberated along the empty halls
like the crash of doom. 1t was for all
the world as IL something heavy. per
haps piece of steel, had rolled clat-
tering and jangling down the hard
wood stairs leading to the card-room.
In the silence that followed Liddy
stirred and snored again / was ex-
aspersted: first she kept me awake
by silly alarms, then when she was
needed she slept like Joe jefferson. or
Rip-they are always the same to me
l went in and aroused her. and | give
her credit for being wide awake the
minute spoke.
Get up" said. IF you don't want
10 be murdered in your bed"
Where? How7" she yelled vocmer-
ously. and jumped up.
There's somebody in the house" /
said. Get up Wen have to go to
the telephone
Not out in the hall" she gasped
-Oh. Miss Rachel. not out in the
hall," trying to hold me back. But 1
am a large woman and Liddy is small
We got TO the door. somehow. and
Liddy held a brass andiron, which il
was all she could do TO lift. let alone
brain anybody with / listened. and.
hearing nothing. opened the door a
little and peered into the hall II was
a black void full OF terrible sugges-
tion. and my candle only emphasized
the gloom. Iiddy squealed and drew
me back again. and as the door
slammed. the mirror had put on the
transom came down and hit her on
the head That completed our de
moralization. II was some time before
] could persuade her she had not been
attacked from behind by a burglar
and when she found the mirror
smashed on the floor she wasn't much
better
There's going to be a DEATH she
walled oh. Miss Rachel. there's go
ing 10 be a death"
There will be-" I said & iimly. III
you don't keep quiet. Liddy Allen"
And so We sat there until morning
wondering II the candle would Last
until dawn. and arranging what trains
We could take back TO town. II we had
only stuck to that decision and gone
back before IL was too late,
The sun came finally. and from my
window watched the trees along the
drive take shadowy form. gradually
lose their ghostlike appearance. be
come gray and then green. The
Greenwood club showed itself dab
Of white against the hill across the
valley. and an early robin or two
hnpped around in the dew Not un-
Ill the milk-boy and the sun came.
about the same time. did ! dare TO
open the door into the hall and look
around Everything was as We had
left II. Trunks were heaped here and
there. ready FOR the trunk-room. and
through an end window of stained
glass came streak OF red and yell
low daylight that was eminently
cheerful The milk-boy was pound
ing somewhere below. and the day
had begun.
Thomas johnson came ambling up
the drive about half past six. and we
could hear him Gathering around on
the lower floor. opening shutters.
had TO take Liddy to her room up
stairs. however-she was quite sure
she would find something uncanny. In
fact when she did not. having now
the courage OF daylight. she was actu-
a1iy diSannointsd