The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-22
back quickly toward the house.

had had time to get almost to the
house before I started. And then /
stepped back again into the shadows.
The reason why Gertrude had not
kept her tryst was evident. Leaning
on the parapet of the bridge in the
moonlight, and smoking a pipe, was
Alex, the gardener. could have
throttled Liddy for her carelessness
in reading the torn note where he
could hear. And l could cheerfully
have choked Alex to death for his
audacity.
But there was no help for IT: I
turned and followed Gertrude slowly
back to the house
The frequent invasions of the house
had effectually prevented any relaxa-
ton after dusk. We had redoubled our
vigilance as to bolts and window.
locks, but, as Mr. Jameson had sug-
gested, we allowed the door at the
east entry to remain as before. locked
by the Yale lock only. To provide only
one possible entrance for the invader
and to keep constant guard in the
dark at the foot of the circular stair.
case, seemed to be the only method.
In the absence of the detective,
Alex and Halsey arranged to change
off, Halsey to be on duty from ten to
two, and Alex from two until six.
Each man was armed, and as an ad-
dltional precaution, the one off duty
slept in a room near the head of the
circular staircase and kept his dooy
open, to be ready for emergency.
These arrangements were carefully
kept from the servants, who were only
commencing to sleep at night. and
who retired, one and all, with barred
doors and lamps that burned full until
morning.
The house was quiet again Wednes.
day night. 1t was almost a week since
Louise had encountered some one on
the stairs, and it was four days since
the discovery of the hole in the trunk
room wall Arnold Armstrong and
his father rested side by side in the
Casanova churchyard, and at the Zion
African church, on the hill, a new
mound marked the last resting.place
of poor Thomas.
Louise was with her mother in
town, and, beyond a polite note OF
thanks to me, we had heard nothing
from her. DR.. Walker had taken up
his practice again, and we saw him
now and then flying along the road,
always at top speed. The murder of
Arnold Armstrong was still unavenged,
and l remained firm in the position |
had taken-to stay at Sunnyside until
the thing was at least partly cleared.
And yet, for all its quiet, it was on
Wednesday night that perhaps the
boldest attempt was made to enter
the house. On Thursday afternoon
the laundress sent word she would
like to speak to me, and l saw her in
my private sitting room, a small room
beyond the dressing room.
Mary Anne was embarrassed. She
had rolled down her sleeves and tried
white apron around her waist, and
she stood making folds In it with fin
gers that we're red and shiny from her
soap-suds.
We'll, Mary" l said encouragingly
whats the matter? Don't dare to
tell me the soap is out"
mo, ma'am, Miss Innes." She had
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 I found
myself doing the same thing. mo,
ma'am. was askin' did you want the
ladder left up the clothes chute?"
1.-THE what?" I screeched, and was
sorry the next minute. Seeing her
suspicious were verified, Mary Anne
had gone white, and stood with her
eyes shifting more wildly than ever.
There's a ladder up the clothes
chute, Miss Innes," she said. ITS
up that tight l can't move it, and I
didn't like to ask for help until | spoke
to you"
1t was useless to dissemble; Mary
Anne knew now as we'll as ! did that
the ladder had no business to be
there. | did the best I could. how.
ever. I put her on the defensive at
once.
Then you didn't lock the laundry
last night?"
Il locked it tight. and put the key
in the kitchen on it's nail"
Very well, then you forgot a win
dow"
Mary Anne hesitated.
"Yes'm." she said at last 81 thought
I locked them all, but there was one
open this morning"
/ went out of the room and down
the hall, followed by Mary Anne. The
door into the clothes chute was Sc
curely bolted, and when I opened it
l saw the evidence of the woman's
story. A pruning ladder had been
brought from where 1t had lain
against the stable and now stood I'D