Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-11-10
CHAPTER xxxiIl.
At the Foot Of the Stairs,

AS uTOpS Tdpluiy ny W ZIG houoS
from Casanova station in the hack,
saw the detective Burns lettering
across the street from the Walker
place. So Jameson was putting the
screws on--lightly now, but ready to
give them twist or two, felt GER
.ain, very soon
The house was quiet. Two steps Of
the circular staircase had been pried
off without result, and beyond a sec
ond message from Gertrude that Hal.
sey insisted on coming home and they
would arrive that night there was
nothing new. Mr.. Jameson, having
failed to locate the secret room, had
gone to the village. ] learned after
wards that he called at DR.. Walkers,
under pretense of an attack of acute
indigestion, aDs before he left had in
CURED about tie evening trains to the
city. He sad he had wasted a lot
of time on the case, and a good bit of
the mystery was in my imagination!
The doctor was under the impression
that the house was guarded day and
night WE'LL give a place reputation
like that. and you don't need a guard
at all-thus Jameson. And sure
enough, late in the afternoon. the two
private detectives, accompanied by
Mr.. Jameson. walked down the main
street of Casanova and took a city
bound train.
That they got of at the next station
and walked back again to Sunnyside
at dusk was not known at the time
Personally. Il knew nothing Of either
move; had other things to absorb
me at that time.
Liddy brought me some tea while
rested after my trip, and on the tray
was a small book from the Casanova
library. 1t was called THE Unseen
World" and had a cheerful cover, on
which half-dozen sheeted figures
linked hands around a headstone.
At this point in my story, Halsey
always says: Trust woman to add
two and two together, and make six"
To which retort that II two and two
plus X makes six, then to discover the
unknown quantity Is the simplest
thing in the world. That a houseful
Of detectives missed 1t entirely was
because they were busy trying to
prove that two and two make four.
The depression due to my visit to
the hospital left me at the prospect of
seeing Halsey again that night. It
was about FIVE o'clock when Liddy
left me for nap before dinner, hav-
Ing put me into gray silk dressing
gown and pair of slippers. I listened
to her retreating footsteps, and as
soon as she was safely below stairs
went up to the trunkroom. The
place had not been disturbed, and
proceeded at once to try to discover
the entrance to the hidden room. The
openings on either side, as ! have
said. showed nothing but perhaps
three feet Of brick wall There was
TO sign of an entrance-no levers, no
hinges. to give hint Either the
nantel or the roof, | decided, and aft
er half-hour at the mantel, produc-
tive Of absolutely no result, decided
to try the roof.
] am not fond OF a height. The few
occasions on which have climbed a
step-ladder have always left me dizzy
and weak In the knees. The top of
the Washington monument is as i'm.
nossible to me as the elevation to the
presidential chair. And yeti
climbed out on the Sunnyside root
without seconds hesitation Like
dog on a scent, like my bear-skin
progenitor. with his spear and his
wild boar. to me now there was the
lust of the chase, the frenzy of pur.
suit, the dust of battle. I got quite a
little of the latter on me as ] climbed
from the unfinished ballroom out
through a window to tire roof of the
EAST wing of the building, which was
rnly two stories in height.
Once out there, access to the top of
he main building was rendered easy
lat least II looked easy-by a small
vertical iron ladder. fastened to the
vail outside of the ballroom, and per.
haps IL feet high. The IL feet locke
short from below. but they were diff
acult to climb. gathered my silk
gown around me. and succeeded final.
yNin making the top of the ladder
Once there. however, ! was complete
out of breath. l. sat down, my feet
IN the top rung, and put my hair-pins
n more securely. while the wind bel.
owed my dressing-gown out like a
all ] had tern great strip of the
ilk loose. hnd now | ruthlessly fin-
he'd the destruction of my gown by !
erking Il free and tying it around my |
sAS '