The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-08-04
CHAPTER XII.
HaIsey Makes a Capture.


1t was about half-past eight when
we left the dining room, and still en-
crossed with one subject, the failure
Of the bank and it's attendant evils,
Halsey and l went out into the
grounds for a stroll. Gertrude fol
lowed us shortly. THE light was
thickening," to appropriate Shakes
peare's description of twilight, and
once again the tree-toads and the
crickets were making night throb
with their tiny life. It was almost op-
pressively lonely, in spite of its beau
ty, and l felt a sickening pang of
inconsistencies for my city at night
for the clatter of horses feet on ce-
mented paving, for the lights, the
voices, the sound of children playing.
The country after dark Expresses me.
The stars, quite eclipsed in the city
by the electric lights, here become in
~sistent, %assertive. Whether | want to
or not, | find myself looking for the
few l know by name, and feeling ri
diculously new and small by contrast
always an unpleasant sensation.
tIIcI NCl L L VI JCllCu uSs VIC oFoiu
ed any further mention Of the murder.
To Halsey, as to me, there was ever
present, I am sure, the thought of our
conversation of the night before. AS
we strolled back and forth along the
drive, Mr.. Jameson emerged from
the shadow of the trees.
Good evening"" he said, managing
to include Gertrude in his bow. Ger
trude had W. been even ordinarily
courteous to him, and she nodded cold
ly. Halsey, however, was more cor
dial, although we were all constrained
enough. He and Gertrude went on
together, leaving the detective to walk
with me. AS soon as they were out Of
earshot, he turned to me.
do you know, Miss %Innes," he
said, the deeper l go into this thing,
the more strange it seems to me. l
am very sorry for Miss Gertrude. 1t
looks as If Bailey, whom she has tried
so hard to save, is worse than a ras-
cal; and after her plucky fight for
him, it seems hard"
l looked through the dusk to where
Gertrude's light dinner dress cleaned
among the trees. She had made a
plucky fight, poor child. Whatever
she might have been driven to do, I
could find nothing but a deep sym
pathy for her. If she had only come
to me with the whole truth then!
Miss Innes," Mr.. Jameson was say
ing, "in the last three days, have you
seen AMY suspicious figures around
the grounds? Any-woman?"
NO." 1 replied. 81 have a house
full Of maids that will bear watching,
one and all. But there has been no
strange woman near the house or
Liddy would have seen her, you may
be sure. She has a telescope eye"
Mr.. Jameson looked thoughtful.
1T may not amount to anything"
any perspective on things around
here, because every one down in the
village Is sure he saw the murderer,
either before or since the crime. And
half of them will stretch a point or
two as to facts, to be obliging. But
the man who drives the hack down
there tells a story that may possibly
prove to be important"
Il have heard 1t, I think. Was II
the one the parlor maid brought up
yesterday, about a ghost wringing its
hands on the roof? Oh perhaps it's
the one the milk-boy heard; q tramp
washing a dirty shirt, presumably
bloody, In the creek below the
bridget"
l could see the CLEAN Of Mr.. Jamie.
sons teeth as he smiled.