The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-07-02

itself. And just as I got back into bed
I 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 reveroerated along the empty
halls like the crash of doom. 1t was
for all the world as if something
heavy, perhaps a piece Of steel. had
rolled gathering and jangling down the
hardwood stairs leading to the card
room.
In the silence that followed Liddy
stirred and snored again. I was ex-
asperated; first she kept me awake
by silly alarms, then when she was
needed she slept like Joe Jefferson, OF
Rip-they are always the same TO me.
I went in and aroused her, and 1 give
her credit for being wide awake the
minute I spoke.
Get up" I said, 'if you don't want
to be murdered in your bed"
where How?' she yelled v~ocifer-
ously, and jumped up.
There's somebody in the house, !
said. Get UP. Wen have to get to
the telephone
Not out in the halli' she gasped;
"Oh. Miss Rachel. not out in the hall.'
trying to hold me back. But I am q
large woman and Liddy is SMALL We
got TO the door, somehow, and Liddy
held a brass andiron. which it was ali
she could do to lift, let alone brain
anybody with. l listened and hearing
nothing. opened the door a little and
peered into the hall. 1t was a black
void, full of terrible suggestion. and my
candle only emphasized the gloom.
Liddy squealed and drew me back
again, and, as the door slammed. the
mirror I had put on the transom came
down and hit her on the head. That
completed our Decentralization. 1t was
some time before I 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 going
to- he a DEATH"
There will be-" I said grimly. "if You
don't keep quiet. Liddy Allen"
And SO we sat there until morning,
wondering if the candle would last I'M
til dawn, and arranging what trains We
could take back to town. If We had
only stuck to hal decision and gone
back before it was too latei
The sun came finally, and from my
window I watched the trees along the
drive take shadowy form, gradually
lose their ghostlike appearance, become
gray and then green. The Greenwood
Club showed itself a dab of white
against the hill across the valley, and
an early robin or two hoped around
in the dew. Not until the milk-boy and
the sun came, about the same time, did
l dare to open the door into the hall
and look around. Everything was as
we had left it. Trunks were heaped
here and there, ready for the trunk
room. and through an end window Of
stained glass came a streak of red and
yellow daylight that was eminently
cheerful. The milk boy was pounding
somewhere below, and the day had be-
gun,
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 upstairs, however
she was quite sure she would find some
thing uncanny. In fact when she did
not, having now the courage of day.
light, she was actually disappointed.
Well, we did not go back to town that
dax.
The discovery of a small picture
fallen from the wall of the drawing
room was quite sufficient to satisfy