The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-12
CHAPTER XVI.
In the Early Morninu,


I stood looking at the empty bed
The coverings had been thrown back
and Louise's pink silk dressing-gown
was gone from the foot, where IL mad
lain The night lamp burned dimly
revealing the emptiness of the place
| picked it up, but my hand shook so
that put 1t down again and got
somehow to the door
There were voices IN the hall and
Gertrude came running toward me.
What is it?" she cried. What was
that sound? Where is Louise?"
"She is not in her room" said
stupidity. Il think--it was she-who
screamed"
Liddy had Joined us now, carrying
light We stood huddled together at
the head Of the circular staircase,
looking down into Its shadows. There
was nothing to be seen, and it was
absolutely quiet down there. Then
we heard Halsey running up the main
staircase. He came quickly down the
hall to where we were standing,
There's no one trying to get in.
thought heard some one shrek
Who was it?'
Our stricken faces told him the
truth.
"Some one screamed down there"
I said "And-and Louise is not in
her room"
With a jerk Halsey took the light
from Liddy and ran down the circular
staircase. followed lin, more slow
ly. My nerves seemed to be in state
of paralysis; | could scarcely step. At
the foot Of the stairs Halsey gave an
exclamation and put down the light
Aunt Ray" he called sharply
At the foot of the staircase hud-
died in a heap her head on the lower
STAIR was Louise Armstrong She lay
limp and white, her dressinggown
dragging loose from one sleeve of her
night-dress. and the heavy braid of
her dark hair stretching its length a
couple of steps above her head, as II
she had slipped down.
She was not dead; Halsey put her
down on the floor and began to rub
her cold hands while Gertrude and
Liddy ran for stimulants. As for~me,
! sat there at the foot of that ghostly
staircase-sat, because my knees
wouldn't hold me-and wondered
where il would all end. Louise was
still unconscious, but she was breath
ing better and | suggested that we
get her back to bed before she came
to. There was something grisly and
| horrible to me. seeing her there in
almost the same attitude and In the
same place where we had found heI
brothers body. And to add to the
I similarity. just then the hall clock
far off, struck family three o'clock
II was four before Louise was able
to talk, and the first rays of dawn
were coming through her windows
which faced the cast, before she could
tell us coherently what had occurred
| give 1t as she told 1t. She laJ
propped in bed, and Halsey sat beside
her. unrebuffed, and held her hant
while she talked
II was not sleeping well,' she be
gan, partly think, because hat
slept during the afternoon. Lidd,
brought me some hot milk at tel
o'clock and | slept until II. Then
wakened and-l got to thinking about
things, and worrying, so could mo-
go to sleep.
Il was wondering why had moi
heard from Arnold since the-since
saw him that night at the lodge
was afraid he was Ill, be
cause--he was TO have done
| something for me. and he had no
come back It must have been three
when heard some one rapping
sat up and listened, to be quite sure
and the rapping kept up. | was eau
tions, and was about to cnll I.iddy
! Then suddenly thought knew wha