The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-09-15


House.
lizard balls around in the billiard room,
and / called to him.
"Halsey," l said when he sauntered
in, lis there a policeman in Casa
nova?"
Constable he said laconically.
veteran of the war, one ARM; in Of
fee to conciliate the G. A. r. element.
Why?"
Because l am uneasy tonight"
And told him what Liddy had said.
rs there any one you can think of
who could be relied on to watch the
outside of the house tonight"
1--WE might get Sam Bohannon from
the club" he said thoughtfully. ut
wouldn't be a bad scheme. He's a
smart darby, and with his mouth shut
and his shirt-front covered, you could
mt see him a yard off in the dark"
Halsey conferred with Alex, and
the result, in an hour, was Sam. His
instructions were simple. There had
been numerous attempts to break into
the house; it "a the intention, not
to drive intruders away, but to cap
ture them. If Sam saw anything sus-
picious outside, he was to tap ct the
east entry, where Alex and Halsey
were to alternate in keeping watch
through the night.
AS before, Halsey watched the east
entry from ten until two. He had an
eye to comfort, and he kept vigil in a
heavy oak chair, very large and deep.
We went upstairs rather early, and
through the open door Gertrude and
kept up a running fire of conversation
Liddy was brushing my hair, and Ger
trude was doing her own, with a long
free sweep of her strong, round arms
Did you know Mrs. Armstrong and
Louise are in the v%illage?" she called
NO" l replied, startled. How die
you hear it?"
Il met the oldest Stewart girl to
day. the doctors daughter, and she
told me they had not gone back t.
town after the funeral. They went di
rectly to that little yellow house mex
to DR.. Walkers. and are APPARENT.
settled there. They took the house
furnished for the summer"
why, it's a bandbox," l said. ="
can't imagine Fanny Armstrong II
such a place"
ITS true, nevertheless. Ella Stew
art says Mrs. Armstrong has aged tel
ribly, and looks as if she is hardl.
able to walk"
I lay and thought over some O
these things until midnight. The cleo
. trio lights went out then, fading slow
ly until there was only a red-hOt loo
to be seen in the bulbs, and then eve
that died away and we were embarke
on the darkness of another night.
: Apparently only a few minute
= elapsed, during which my eyes wer
becoming accustomed to the darkness.
Then | noticed that the windows wer
rejecting a faint pinkish light; Lidd
noticed it at the same time, and
heard her jump up. At that momer
>, Sans deep voice doomed from som
i where just below.
"Fire!" he yelled. The stables o
s fire."
q could see him in the glare dancin
up and down on the drive, and a M
ment later Halsey Joined him. Ale
was awake and running down til
q stairs, and in five minutes from Ii
n time the fire was discovered three
the maids were sitting on their trunk
in the drive, although, excepting a fe
r. sparks. there was no fire nearer tina
100 yards.
Gertrude seldom loses her present
v of mind, and she ran to the %telephon
Y, But by the time the Casanova volu
teer fire department came toiling I
the hill the stable was a furnace, wi
If the Dragon Fly safe but blistere
in the road. Some gasoline explode
" lust as the volunteer department 6
a. 10 work, which shook their nerves
nj we'll as the burning building. T.
70 stable. being on a hill, was a torch
attract the population from every
i'd rection.
Id The stable was of the west wing.
h hardly know how ! came to think
ID. the circular staircase and the
vs guarded door at its foot. Liddy W
ed putting my clothes into sheets. p
paratory 10 tossing them out the W
To dow when I found her, and ! COZ
nd hardly persuade her to stop.
al II van you to come with n
III. Liddy." | said. Bring a candle ant