The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-09-01
CHAPTER xVi.-Continued.

L was not sleeping Well she be-
gan, partly | think, because l had
slept during the afternoon. Liddy
brought me some hot milk at ten
o'clock and l slept until u. Then
Weakened and-I got to thinking about
things, and worrying, so l could not
go to sleep.
Il was wondering why 1 had not
heard from Arnold since the-since
saw him that night at the lodge.
was afraid he was i'll, be-
cause-he was to have done
something for me, and he had not
come back. 1t must have been three
when l heard some one rapping.
sat up and listened, to be quite sure,
and the rapping kept up. l was eau
tious, and | was about to call Liddy.
Then suddenly l thought l knew what
1t was. The east entrance and circu-
lar staircase were always used by
Arnold when he was out late, and
sometimes, when he forgot his key, he
would rap and l would go down and
let him in. | thought he had come
back to see mel didn't think about
the time, for his hours were always
erratic. But l was afraid l was too
weak to get down the stairs. The
knocking kept up, and just as l was
about to call Liddy, she ran through
the room and out into the hall. l got
up then, feeling weak and dizzy, and
put on my dressing-gown. If it was
Arnold 7 lzpav I must coo him
ut was very dark everywhere, but,
of course, knew my way. l felt along
for the stair-rail, and went down as
quickly as I could. The knocking had
stopped, and l was afraid | was too
late. l got to the foot of the stair
case and over to the door on to the
east veranda. | had never thought of
anything but that it was Arnold, until
/ reached the door 1t was unlocked
and opened about an inch. Everything
was black; it was perfectly dark out
side. | felt very queer and shaky.
Then I thought perhaps Arnold had
used his key; he did-strange things
sometimes, and | turned around Just
as l reached the foot of the staircase
l thought l heard some one coming
My nerves were going anyhow, there
in the dark, and l could scarcely
stand. ! got up as far as the third
or fourth step; then I felt that some
one was coming toward me on the
staircase. The next instant a hand
met mine on the stair-rail Some one
brushed past me, and l screamed.
Then I must have tainted"
That was Louise's story. There
could be no doubt of its truth, and the
to me was that the poor girl had crept
down to answer the summons of a
brother who would never need her
kindly offices again. Twice, now, with
out apparent cause, some one had en-
tered the house by means of the east
entrance; had apparently gone his
way unhindered through the house,
and gone out again as he had entered
Had this unknown visitor been there
a third time, the night Arnold Arm
strong was murdered? Or fourth,
the time Mr.. Jameson had locked
some one in the clothes chute?
Sleep was impossible, l think, for
any of us. We dispersed finally to
battle and dress, leaving Louise little
the worse for her experience But l
<determined that before the day was
over she must know the true state of
affairs. Another decision l made, and
1 put it into execution Immediately
after breakfast. l had one of the
unused bedrooms in the east wing
back along the small corridor, pre-
pared for occupancy, and from that
time on Alex, the gardener, slept
there. One man in that barn of a
house was an absurdity, with things
happening all the time, and l must say
that Alex was as unobjectionable as
any one could possibly have been.
The next morning, also, Halsey and
I made an exhaustive examination of
the circular staircase, the small entry
Rt its foct, and the cardroom opening
from it. There was no evidence of
anything unusual the night before, and