Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-16

with this clew The cars by this time,
three days, might be scattered over the
union But he said to keep on hoping,
that 1t was the best news we had had
And in the meantime, consumed with
anxiety as we were, things were hap.
pening at the house IN rapid success
sion.
We had one peaceful day-then Lid
dy took sick in the night. went in
when heard her groaning, and found
her with a hot-water bottle to her
face, and her right cheek swollen un-
til it was CLASSY.
"Toothache?" I asked. not too gent.
". You deserve it. A woman of
your age, who would rather go around
with an exposed nerve in her head
than have the tooth pulled! It would
be over in moment
$50 would hanging Lddy pro-
tested, from behind the hot-water bot
tie.
was hunting around for cotton and
laudanum
You have tooth Just like 1T your
self, Miss Rachel" she whimpered
And I'm sure Dr. Boyles been trying
to take it out for years."
There was no laudanum, and Liddy
made terrible fuss when l proposed
carbolic acid, just because / had put
too much on the cotton once and
burned her mouth. I'm sure it never
did her any permanent harm; indeed,
the doctor said afterward that living
on liquid diet had been splendid rest
for her stomach. But she would have
none of the acid, and she kept me
awake groaning, so at last got up
and went to Gertrude's door. To my
surprise it was locked
] went around by the hall and into
her bedroom that way. The bed was
turned down, and her dressing gown
and night-dress lay ready in the little
room next, but Gertrude was not there.
She had not undressed.
don't know what terrible thoughts
came to me in the minute / stood
there. Through the door l could hear
Liddy grumbling. with squeal now
and then when the pain stabbed
harder. Then, automatically, got the
laudanum and went back to her.
1t was fully half-hour before Lid
dy's groans subsidized. At intervals l
went to the door into the hall and
looked out, but saw and heard moth.
ing suspicious. Finally, when Liddy
had dropped into doze, even ven
tured as far as the head of the circular
staircase, but there foated up to me
only the even breathing of Winters,
the night detective, sleeping just in.
side the entry. And then, far OF. ]
heard the rapping noise that had lured
Louise down the staircase that other
night, two weeks before. Z: was eve.
my head. and very faint-three or four
short mufaed taps. pause, and then
again. stealthfly repeated.
The sound Of Mr.. Winters' breath.
Ing was comforting; with the thought
that there was help within call, some
thing kept me from waking him. did
not move for moment; ridiculous
things Liddy had said about ghost
] am not at all superstitious, except
perhaps. in the middle Of the night
with everything dark-things like that
came back to me. Almost beside me
was the clothes chute. could feel 1t
but could see nothing. As I stood
listening intently. l heard sound
near me. It was vague, indefinite
Then It ceased; there. was an uneasy
movement and q grunt from the foot
Of the circular staircase, and silence
again. I stood perfectly still. hardly
daring to breathe.
Then ! knew had been right Some
ono Was stealthily passing the head oi
the staircase and coming toward me
in the dark. ! leaned against the wal
J Tor supp0rt-my knees were gtxial