The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-12-02


CHAPTER XXX. I. &
Between Two. Flrspiacss.
What with the excitement Of the dis.
covery, the walk home under the stars
in wet shoes and draggled skirts, and
getting upstairs and undressed without
rousing Liddy, I was completely used
up. What to do with my. boots was
the greatest puzzle of all, there being
no place in the house safe from Lid.
dy, until I decided to slip upstairs the
next morning and drop them into the
hole the "ghost" had made in the
trunkroom wall.
I went asleep as soon as I reached
this decision, and in my dreams
lived over again the events Of the
night. Again saw the group around
the silent figure on the grass, and
again, as had happened at the grave.
heard Alexis voice, tense and tri.
umphant:
"Then we've got them" he said
Only, in my dreams, he said it over
and over until he seemed to shrek 1t
in my ears.
wakened early, in spite Of my ia.
tigue, and lay there thinking. Who
was Alex? no longer believed that
he was gardener. Who was the
man whose body we had resurrected!
And where was Paul Armstrong? Prob
ably living safely in some extradition
less country on the fortune he had
stolen. Did Louise and her mother
know of the shameful and wicked de.
ception? What had Thomas known
and Mrs. Watson? Who was Nina
Darlington?
This last question, it seemed to me-
was answered. In some way the
woman had learned of the substitu
tion, and had tried to use her knowl
edge for blackmail. Nina Carrington's
own story died with her, but, however
1t happened, It was clear that she had
carried her knowledge to Halsey the
afternoon Gertrude and I were look
ing for clews to the man had shot
on the east veranda. Halsey had been
half crazed by what he heard; it was
evident that Louise was marrying DR.
Walker to keep the shameful secret
for her mothers sake. Halsey, al
ways reckless, had gone at once tt
DR.. Walker and denounced him. There
had been scene, and he left on his
way to the station to meet and notify
Mr.. Jameson of what he had learned
The doctor was active mentally anG
physically. Accompanied perhaps by
Riggs. who had shown himself moi
everscrupulous until he quarreled
with his employer, he had gone across
to the railroad embankment, and, by
jumping in front of the car, had
caused Halsey to swerve. The rest
of the story we knew.
That was my reconstructed theory
of that afternoon and evening; it was
almost correct-not quite.
There was telegram that morning
from Gertrude.
Halsey conscious and improving. Prob.
ably home in day or SO.
l Will 14dlSSy 1OUuU anu Improving
in health, and with at last something
to work on, began that day, Thurs
day, with fresh courage. AS Mr.
Jameson had said, the lines were
closing up. That I was to be caught
and almost finished in the closing wal
happily unknown to us all.
It was late when I got up. lay II
my bed, looking around the four walls
of the room, and trying to imagine be
hind what one of them a secret cham
Der might lie. Certainly, in daylight
Sunnyside deserved its name; never
was house more CHEEKY and open
less sinister in general appearance
There was not corner APPARENT.
that was not open and above-board
and yet, somewhere behind its hand
somely papered walls I believed firml!
that there lay a hidden room, Will
all the possibilities it would involve.
| / made mental note to have til,
house measured during the day to dis
cover any discrepancy between tn,
outer and inner walls, and I tried t,
recall again the exact wording of tn
paper Jameson had found.
(To BE CONTINUED.)