The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-08-11

ana 10
versational path led to it, and we all
felt that Jameson was tightening
the threads of evidence around John
Bailey. The detectives absence was
hardly re~assuring; he must have had
something to work on in town or he
would have returned.
The papers reported that the cash
Ter of the Traders bank was i'll in his
apartments at the Knickerbocker--a
condition not surprising, considering
everything. The guilt Of the defunct
president vas no longer in doubt; the
missing bonds had been advertised
and some Of them discovered. In
every instance they had been used as
collateral for large loans, and the
belief was current that not less than
a million and a half dollars had been
realized. Every one connected with
the bank had been placed under ar
rest, and released on heavy bond.
Was he alone in his guilt, or was
the cashier his accomplish? Where
was the money? The estate Of the
dead man was comparatively small
a city house on a fashionable street,
Sunnyside, a large estate largely
mortgaged, an insurance of $50, 900,
and some personal p~roperty-this was
all. The rest lost in speculation prob
ably, the papers said. There was one
thing which looked uncomfortable for
Jack Bailey: He and Paul Armstrong
together had promoted a railroad COM
pany in New Mexico, and it was ru-
mored that together they had sunk
large sums of money there. The bust.
ness alliance between the two men
added to the belief that Bailey knew
something Of the looting. His unex-
planned absence from the bank on
Monday lent color to the suspicion
against him. The strange thing
seemed to be his surrendering himself
on the point of departure. To me, 1t
seemed the shrewd calculation Of a
clever rascal. I was not actively an
~tagonistic to Gertrude's lover, but I
meant to be convinced, one way or the
other. l took no one on faith.
That night the Sunnyside ghost be-
gan to walk again. Liddy had been
sleeping in Louise's dressing room on
a couch, and the approach Of dusk
was a signal for her to barricade the
entire suite. Situated as 1t was, be-
yond the circular staircase, nothing
but an extremity Of excitement would
have made her pass 1t after dark. I
confess myself that the place seemed
to me to have a sinister appearance, but
we kept that wing we'll lighted, and
until the lights went out ut midnight
1t was really cheerful, II one did not
know its history.
On Friday night, then, ! had gone
TO bed, resolved to go at once to sleep.
Thoughts that insisted on %obtruding
themselves I pushed re~solutely to the
back Of my mind, and I systematically
relaxed every muscle. I fell asleep
soon, and was dreaming that DR..
Walker was building his new house
Immediately in front of my windows;
I could hear the thump-thump Of the
hammers. and then I walked to a
knowledge hat somebody was pound.
ing on my door.
! was up at once, and with the
sound of my footstep on the floor the
low knocking ceased, to be followed
Immediately by sibilant whispering
through the keyhole.
Miss Rachel! Miss Racfel!" some
body was saying. W and over.
rs that you, Liddy?" / asked, my
hand ON the knob.
For the love of mercy, let me I'M"
she said in q low tone.
She was leaning against the door,
for when l opened 1t, she fell in. She
~ greenish-white. and she had a
red and black barred flannel petticoat
over her shoulders.