Barbour County index., 1910-08-10
CHAPTER xVI.-continued.

i was not sleeping well, She De-
gan, partly, l think, because / had
slept during the afternoon. Liddy
brought me- some hot milk at ten
o'clock and l slept until II. Then |
wakened 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 l
saw him that night at the lodge. l
was afraid he was Ill, be-
cause-he was to have done
something for me, and he had not
come back. 1t must have been three
when Il heard some one rapping. l
sat up and listened to be quite sure,
and the rapping kept up 1 was eau
tious, and was about to call Liddy.
Then suddenly 1 thought knew what
It 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. I thought he had come
back 20 SEQ mel didn't think about
the time, for his hours were always
erratic. But l was afraid 1 was too
weak to get down the stairs. The
knocking kept up, and just as I was
about to call Liddy she ran through
the room and out into the hall. got
up then, feeling weak and dizzy, and
put on my dressing-gown. If it was
Arnold, | knew l must see him.
Il 4, I,,,A
OF course, knew my way. felt along
for the stair-rail, and went down as
quickly as / could. The knocking had
stopped and l was afraid / was toe
late. / got to the foot of the stair
case and over to the door on to the
east veranda. l had never thought oi
anything but that it was Arnold, unit
! reached the door. 1t was unlocked
and opened about an inch. Everything
was black; it was perfectly dark out
side. 1 felt very queer and shaky
Then I thought perhaps Arnold haC
used his key; he did-strange things
sometimes, and turned around. Jus
as l reached the foot of the staircas,
] thought l heard some one coming
in the dark, and l could scarcel.
stand. l got up as far as the thir,
or fourth step; then l felt that som
one was coming toward me on tn
staircase. The next instant a han
met mine on the stair-rail. Some on
brushed past me, and screamed
Then 1 must have tainted"
That was Louise's story. Their
could be no doubt of it's truth, and tn
thing that made it inexpressibly awfu
to me was that the poor girl had crer
down to answer the summons of
brother who would never need he
kindly offices again. Twice, now, will
out apparent cause, some one had Ell
tered the house by means of the cas-
entrance; had apparently gone hi
way unhindered through the hous,
and gone out again as he had entered
Had this unknown visitor been ther
a third time, the night Arnold Arm
strong was murdered? Ora fourtl
the time Mr. Jameson had locke
some one in the clothes chute?
Sleep was impossible, / think, fC
any of us. We dispersed finally I
bathe and dress, leaving Louise littl
the worse for her experience. But
determined that before the day we
over she must know the true state {
affairs. Another decision I made, an
put it into execution Immediate
after breakfast. I had one of th
unused bedrooms in the east wins
back along the small corridor, pr
pared for occupancy, and from tn;
time on Alex, the gardener, slel
there. One man in that barn of
house was an absurdity, with thing
happening all the time, and must So
that Alex was as unobjectionable 6
any one could possibly have been.
The next morning, also, Halsey al
made an exhaustive examination
the circular staircase, the small emit
at its foot, and the cardroom openiI
from it There was no evidence
anything unusual the night before. al