Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-11-03
TIL CIRCULAR STAIRCASE

coming toward me, and | shrank into
the bushes. 1t was Gertrude, going
back quickly toward the house.
| was surprised | waited until she
had had time to get almost to the
house before l started. And then l
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 pipe, was
Alex. the gardener. l could have
throttled Liddy for her carelessness
in reading the torn note where he
could hear. And I could cheerfully
have choked Alex to death for his
audacity.
But there was no help for it;
turned and followed Gertrude slowly
back to the house.
The frequent invasions of the house
had effectually prevented any relaxa-
tion 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 a 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-
ditional precaution, the one off duty
slept in a room near the head of the
circular staircase and kept his door
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, 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
hfC nr1pfinn 1p1in W. him,
now and then flying along the road.
always at top speed. The murder of
Arnold Armstrong was still unavenged,
and / 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 I saw her in
my private sitting room, small room
beyond the dressing room.
Mary Anne was embarrassed. She
had rolled down her sleeves and tried
white apron around her waist, and
ohC SlCOu IldhlllS lOluS III IL Will nn-
gers that were red and shiny from her
soap-suds.
We'll, Mary" I said encouragingly,
what's the matter? Don't dare to
tell me the soap is out"
mo, ma'am, Miss Innes." She had
a 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 | found
myself doing the same thing. mo,
ma'am. | was askin' did you want the
ladder left up the clothes chute?"
THE what?" 1 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.