The Tupelo journal., 1910-10-14
CHAPTER xxvllI.-continued.

the tramp with a warning. 1t was evf-
dent he had told us all he knew we
had occasion, within a day or two, TO
be doubly thankful that we had given
him his freedom. When Mr.. Amle-
son %telephoned that night we had news
for him; he told me what ! had not
realized before-that 1t would not be
possible to find Halsey at once. even
with this clew. The cars by this time,
three days, might be scattered over the
union. But he said to keep on hoping,
that it was the best news we lac had.
And in the meantime, consumed with
anxiety as we were, things were hap
pening at the house in rapid success
sion.
We had one peaceful day-then Lid
dy took sick in the night. l went in
when | heard her grooming, and found
her with a hot-water bottle to her
face, and her right cheek swollen un-
til it was CLASSY.
"Toothache?" l asked, not too gent
". you deserve it. A woman of
your age, who would rather go around
with an exposed nerve in her head
than have the tooth pulled! 1t would
be over in a moment"
$50 would hanging" Liddy pro-
tested, from behind the hot-water bot
tie.
/ was hunting around for cotton and
laudanum.
you have a tooth Just like 1t your
self, Miss Rachel" she whimpered.
and I'm sure DR.. Boyle's been trying
to take it out for years"
There was no laudanum, and Liddy
made a terrible fuss when I proposed
carbolic acid, just because | had put
too much on the cotton once and
burned her mouth. I'm sure it
did her any permanent harm; indeed,
the doctor said afterward that living
on LIQUID diet had been a splendid rest
for her stomach. But she would have
none of the acid, and she kept me
awake grooming, SO at last I got up
and went to Gertrude's door. To my
surprise it was locked.
l went around by the hall and into
her bedroom that way. The bed was
luIuSu uOWhs dld liz 0lSOoth oO"h
and night-dress lay ready in the little
room next, but Gertrude was not there.
She had not undressed.
I don't know what terrible thoughts
came to me in the minute l stood
there. Through the door l could hear
Liddy grumbling, with a squeal now
and then when the pain stabbed
harder. Then, automatically, / got the
laudanum and went back to her.
1t was fully a half-hour before Lid
dy's groans subsidized. At intervals |
went to the door into the hall and
looked out, but l say and heard moth
ing suspicious. Finally, when SLiddy
had dropped into a doze, / yer ven
tured as far as the head Of the circular
staircase, but there floated up to me
only the even breathing of Winters,
the night detective, sleeping just in
side the entry. And then, far off, /
heard the rapping noise that had lured
Louise down the staircase that other
night, two weeks before. 1t was over
my head, and very faint-three or four
short mufled taps, a pause, and then
again, s%tealthily repeated.
The sound of Mr.. Winters breath
ing was comforting; with the thought
that there was help within call, some
thing kept me from waking him. / did
not move for a moment; ridiculous
things Liddy had said about a ghost
] am not at all superstitious, except,
perhaps, in the middle of the night,
with everything dark-things like that
came back to me. Almost beside me
was the clothes chute. / could feel 1t,
but / could see nothing. AS I stood.
listening intently, l heard a sound
near me. 1t was vague, indefinite.
Then 1t ceased; there was an uneasy
movement and a grunt from the foot
of the circular staircase, and silence
again. / stood perfectly still, hardly
daring to breathe.
Then I knew / had been right. Some
one was stealthily passing the head Of
the staircase and coming toward me
In thesdark. / leaned against the wall
for support-my knees were giving.
way. The steps were close now, and
suddenly ] thought of Gertrude. OF
course it was Gertrude. / put out one
hand In front of me, but / touched
nothing. MY voice almost refused me.