The newspaper., 1910-01-14

until the pain subslded to a dull ache.
And then-I knew i was right. Some
one had put a key into the lock, and
was turning 1t. For some reason it
refused to work, and the key was
withdrawn. There was a muttering OF
voices outside; ! had only a second.
Another trial, and the door would
open. The candle above made a faint
CLEAN down the well-like staircase.
and at that moment, with a second.
no more. to spare. thought OF a plan.
The heavy oak chair almost filed
the space between the newell post and
the door. with crash l nad rurneu'
It on its side. wedging it against
the door, its legs against the stairs.
could hear a faint scream from Liddyi
at the crash and then she came down
the stairs on run, with the revolver.
held straight out in front of her.
Thank God" she said. in a shaking
voice. Il thought it was you"
/ pointed TO the door, and she un-
derstood
Call out OF the windows at the
other end of the house." / whispered
Run. Tell them not to wait for any
thing"
She went up the stairs at that, two.
at time. Evidently she collided
with the candle. for II went out. and
] was left in darkness.
was really astonishingly cool I
remember stepping over the chair and.
gluing my ear to the door. and l shall
never forget feeling 1t give an inch or
two there in the darkness. under a
steady pressure from without. But
the chair held. although l could hear
an ominous cracking of one of the
legs. And then. without the slightest,
warning. the cardroom window broke
with a crash. had my finger on the
trigger OF the revolver. and as I
jumped Il went of. right through the
door. Some one outside swore round
ly. and for the first time | could hear
what was said.
only a scratch Men are at
the other end of the house. q.
Have the whole rats nest on us"
And a lot OF profanity which ! won't
write down. The voices we're at the
broken window now. and although I
was trembling violently. was de-
terminod that ! would hold them until
help came. ! moved up the stairs un-
III ! could see into the cardroom. or
rather through II. to the window. As
looked a small man put his leg over
the sill and stepped into the room
The curtain confused him for a mo-
ment. then he turned. not toward me.
but toward the billiard room door.
fired again. and something that was
glass or china crashed to the ground
Enen ] ran up the stairs and along the
corridor TO the main staircase Ger
trude was standing there. trying to
locate the shots. and must have
been peculiar figure. with my hair
in crimps. my dressing gown flying. no
slippers. and a revolver clutched in
my hand. ! had no time to talk
There was the sound OF footsteps in
the lower hall. and some one bounded
up the stairs
l had gone Berserk. think I
leaned over the stair-rail and fred
again Halsey. below. yelled at me.
What are you doing M there" he
yelled. You missed me by an inch"
And then collapsed and tainted.
When ! came around Liddy was rub
bine my temples with eau de quiuine.
and the search was in full blast.
Well, the man was gone. The stable
burned to tho ground. while the crowd
cheered at every falling -atfer. and
the volunteer fire department sprayed
IL with garden hose. And in the
house Alex and Halsey searched every
corner of the lower floor finding no
one.
The truth of nv story was shown
by the broken window and the over
turned chair. That the unknown had
got upstairs was almost impossible
He had not used the main staircase,
there was no way to the upper floor
In the east wing. and Liddy had been
at the window in the west wing.
where The servants stair went up But
ws did not 60 TO bed at all. Sam Bo-
hapnon and Warner helped in the
search, and not closet escaped
scrutiny. Even the cellars were given
thorough overhauling, without re-
suit The door in the east entry had
n hole through 1t where my bullet had
gone. The hole slanted downward.
and the bullet was embedded in the
porch. Some reddish stains showed II
had done execution.
Somebody will walk lame," Halsey
said. when he had marked the course
OF the bullet ITS too low to have hit
anything but a leg or foot"