The newspaper., 1910-02-18
CHATTER XXX.
Between TWO Firepiaces.

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, l 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 decided to slip upstairs the
next morning and drop them into the
hole the ghost" had made in the
trunkroom wall.
went asleep as soon as | reached
! this decision, and in my dreams l
lived over again the events of the
night. Again 7 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 it
in my ears.
wakened early, in spite of my IA
tigue, and lay there thinking. Who
was Alex? l 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 s
own story died with her. but. however
it happened, it was clear that she had
carried her knowledge to Halsey the
afternoon Gertrude and l were look
ing for clews to the man / had shot
on the east yeranda. Halsey had been
half crazed by what he heard: 1t 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 to
DR.. Walker and denounced him. There
had been q 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 and
physically. Accompanied perhaps by
Riggs. who had shown himself not
sverscrupulous 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 NkAt .ft 10
almost correct-not quite.
There was a telegram that morning
from Gertrude
Halsey conscious and improving Prob
ably home in day or so.
GERTRUDE
With Halsey found and 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 was TO be caught
and almost finished in the closing was
happily unknown to us all.
II was late when l got up. lay in
my bed. looking around the four walls
Of ths room. and trying to imagine be-
hind what one of them a secret cham
ber might lie. Certainly, in daylight.
Sunnyside deserved its name: never
was . house more CHEEKY and open.
less sinister in general appearance.
There was not a corner apparently
that was not open and above-board.
and yet. somewhere behind its hand
somely papered walls I believed firmly
that there lay a hidden room. with
all the possibilities It would involve.
I made a mental note to have the
house measured during the day to dis
cover any discrepancy between the
outer and inner walls. and I tried to
recall again the exact wording of the
paper Jameson had found
The slip had said chimney 1t
was the only clue. and . house as
large as Sunnyside was full of them.
There was an open fireplace in my
dressing room. but none in the bed.
room. and as I lay there. looking
around. I thought OF something that
made me sit up suddenly. The trunk.
room. Just over my head. had an open
fireplace and . brick chimney. and
yet there was nothing of the kind in
my room. got out OF bed and ex.
amined the opposite wall closely
There was apparently no fue, and !
knew there was none in the hall Just
beneath. The house was heated by
steam. as 1 have said before. In the