Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-19
The
/ Circular Staircase
By MARY ROBERTS RINEHART
c4onrteht:

-
roughly finished, the intention having
been to convert it into ballroom at
some future time. The maids rooms,
trunl, room, and various store-rooms,
including a large airy linen-room,
opened from a long corridor, like that
on the second floor. And in the trunk
room, as Liddy had said, was fresh
break in the plaster.
Not only in the plaster, but through
the lathing, the aperture extended. |
reached into the opening, and three
feet away, perhaps, could touch the
bricks of the partition wall. For some
reason the architect, in building the
house, had left space there that
struck me- even in the surprise of the
discovery, as an excellent place for a
conflagration to gain Roadway.
"You are sure the hole was not here
Yesterday" I asked Liddy, whose ex-
preston was mixture of satisfaction
and alarm In answer she pointed to
! the new cooks trunk-that necessary
adjunct of the migratory domestic.
The top was covered with fine white
plaster, as was the floor. But there
were no large pieces Of mortar lying
around-no bits of lathing. When
mentioned this to Liddy she merely
raised her eyebrows. Being quite con-
fident that the gap was Of unholy orr
gin, she did not concern herself with
such trifles as a bit of mortar and
lath. No doubt they were even then
heaped neatly on a gravestone in the
Casanova churchyard!
l brought Mr.. Jameson up to see
the hole in the wall, directly after
breakfast. His expression was very
odd when he looked at it, and the
first thing he did was to try to dis
cover what object, If any, such a hole
could have. He got piece Of candle,
and by enlarging the aperture little
was able to examine what lay beyond.
The result was nil The trunk-room,
although heated by steam heat, like
the rest of the house, boosted OF a fire
place and mantel as well. The opening
had been made between the f1ue and
the outer wall of the house. There
was revealed, however, on inspection,
only the brick of the chimney on one
side and the outer wall of the house
on the other; in depth the space eX-
tended only to the flooring. The
breach had been made about four feet
from the floor, and inside were all the
missing bits of plaster. 1t had been
a methodical ghost.
! 1t was very much Of disappoint-
ment I had expected a secret room at
the very least, and I think even Mr..
Jameson had fancied he might at
least have clue to the mystery.
There was evidently nothing more to
be discovered; Liddy reported that ev-
erything was serene among the SER
wants, and that none Of them had been
disturbed by the noise. The madden
ing thing, however, was that the
nightly visitor had evidently more
than one way of gaining access to the
house, and we made arrangements to
redouble our vigilance as to windows
and doors that night.
Halsey was inclined to pooh-pooh
the whole affair. He said a. break in
the plaster might have occurred
months ago and gone unnoticed, and
that the dust had probably been stir
red up the day before. After all, we
had to let it go at that, but we put in
an uncomfortable Sunday Gertrude
|
/ long walk in the morning Louise was
able to sit up, and she allowed Halsey
and Liddy to assist her down stairs
late in the afternoon. The east We.
randa was shady, green with vines
and palms, cheerful with cushions and
lounging chairs. We put Louise in a
steamer chair, and she sat there pas.
sively enough, with her hands clasped
in her lap.
We We're very silent. Halsey sat on
the. rail with a pipe, openly watching
Louise as she looked broodingly
across the valley to the hills There
was something battling in the girls
eyes; and gradually Halsey's boyish
features lost their glow at seeing he1
about again, and settled into grim
lines. He was like his father just
then.
We sat until late afternoon, Halsey
growing more and more moody. Short
ly before six he got up and went into
the house, and in a few minutes he
came out and called me to the tele
phone. It was Anna Whitcomb, il
town, and she kept me for twenty min
: utes, telling me the children had hat
the measles, and how Madame Swee
ney had botched her new gown.
When l finished, Liddy was behind
, me. her mouth thin line.
II wish you would try to look cheer
: full, Liddy," I groaned, "your face
!, would sour milk" But Liddy seldom
} repylied to my gibes. She folded he,
| lips little tighter.
He called her up" she said oracu
I larly, "he called her up and asked he
/ to keep you at the telephone so h,
could talk to Miss Louise. A thanlles
! child is sharper than a serpent
: TOOTH
3 "Nonsense!" I said bruskly
might have known enough to leav
: them. It's a long time since you and
were in love, Liddy, and-we forget.
Liddy shifted.
e mo man ever made fool Of me,
t she replied virtuously.
. well, something did" I retorted
s CHAPTER XIX.
: "Mrs Jameson" said. when W
S found ourselves alone after Dime
e that night, the inquest yesterda
: seemed to me the merest recapituls
I tiOrS of thipoc tbat wara alraad