Barbour County index., 1910-10-26
CHAPTER XXXII.
Anne Watson's Story.

|
Liddy discovered the fresh break
IN the trunkroom wall while we were
at luncheon, and ran shrieking down
the stairs. She maintained that. as
she entered, unseen hands had been
dlgglng at the plaster; that they had
stopped when she went in, and she
mad felt gust of cold damp air. In
support of her story she carried in
my wet and muddy boots, that I had
unluckily forgotten to hide, and held
them out to the detective and myself.
What did 1 tell your" she said
dramatically. Look at 'em. They're
yours, Miss Rachel-and covered with
mud and soaked to the tops. I tell
you, you can scoff all you like; some
thing has been wearing your shoes.
AS sure as you sit there, there's the
smell OF the graveyard on them. How
DO we know they weren't tramping
through the Casanova churchyard last
night and sitting on the graves!"
Mr.. Jameson almost choked to
death. Il wouldn't be at all surprised
If they were doing that very thing.
Liddy," he said, when he got his
breath. They certainly look like it."
l think the detective had a plan
on which he was working, but which
was meant to be a coup. But things
went so fast there was no time to
carry 1t into effect. The first thing
that occurred was a message from
the charity hospital that Mrs. Wat
son was dying and had asked for me-
did not care much about going
Ihere is sort of melancholy plea
sure to be had out Of a funeral. with
lts pomp and ceremony, but l shrank
from death-bed. However. I,iddv
got out the black things and the creme
veil l keep for such occasions. and 7
went. L left Mr.. Jameson and the
day detective going over every inch
or the circular staircase, pounding
probing and measuring. was inward.
ly elated to think of the surprise was
going 10 give them that night; as it
turned out, I did surprise them-al.
most into spasms.
l drove from the train to the Chari.
ty hospital, and was at once taken
TO ward. There, in a gray-walled
room In high iron bed, lay Mrs. Wat.
son. She was very weak. and she
only opened her eyes and looked al
me when 1 sat down beside her
was conscience-stricken. We had hean
so engrossed that 1 had left this poo,
creature to die without even a worr
of sympathy.
The nurse gave her a stimulant
and in little while she was able tr
talk. So broken and half-coberent
: however, was her story that I shall
? tell 1t in my own way. In an hon,
from the time l entered the Chart,
: hospital l had heard a sad and pitifn
narrative, and had seen a woman ali,
D into the unconsciousness that is onl,
] a step from death.
4 Briefly, then, the housekeener,.
D story was this:
She was almost 40 years old. an,
/ had been the sister-mother of a 1arp.
family of children. One by one the,
q had died, and been buried beside tbei
I parents in little town in the middl,
e west. There was only one sister left
e the baby, Lucy. On her the older gir
e had lavished all the love of an impul
|. sive and emotional nature. Whe,
!, Anne, the elder. was SO and Lucy 1s
e young man had come to the town
l He was going east, after spending tn
t summer at celebrated ranch in wy
oming-one of those places wher,
? wealthy men send worthless and dis
Z? sipated sons for season of temper