The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-11-25

~ mention OF the name or Nina earring
that a man, supposedly Haisey, had beer
bound afE gagged and thrown into ar
smbty box ear.
cHApTER xxviH-continued.
Nr. Winters and Alex disposed Of
the tramp with q warning. 1t was evi
Aenk he had told US all he knew. We
nd occasion. within = day or two, te
- d0ubly thankful that we had giveI
hin his freedom. When Mr.. Jamie
son telephoned that night we had news
for him; he told me what I had not
realized before-that 1t would not be
poasible TO find Halsey at once. ever
with this ciew. The Ears by this time,
three days. might be scattered over the
union But he said to keep on hoping,
that ~ was the best news we had had,
And ii the meantime, consumed with
anxiety as we were. things were hap
penfnz 1t the house in rapid success
sion.
We had nj peaceful day-then Lid
~ took sick In the night. went In
when ! heard her grooming, and iound
her with q hotrwater bottle to her
fnce, ana her right cheek swollen IN.
q = was CLASSY.
'sToothache?" / asked, not too gent
y. Yen deserve It. A woman OF
your age, who would rather go around
WITH : exposed nerve in her head
than hays the tooth pulled! 1t would
- eycr IN 4 moment
30 would hanging" Liddy pro-
tsstsd. from behind the hotywater bot
lie.
i wns hunting around for cotton and
laadauum.
~You have q tooth Just like 1t your
self, Miss Rachel" she whimpered.
sAn1 I'm sure Dr. Boyle's been trying
70 taks ii out for years"
There was no Iaudanum. and Liddy
ma6e : terrible fuss when I proposed
caxbofic acid. Just because ! had put
too much on the cotton once and
burned her mouth. I'm sure ii never
did hes any permanent harm: indeed.
~ doctor safd afterward that living
o. nquid diet had been . splendid rest
for her stomach. But she would have
no1s ~ the acid. and she kept me
auAke groaning, 70 1t last ] got up
md went To Gertrude's door. To my
ouEDEfoe u Was locked.
went around by the hall and into
hes bedroom that way. The bed was
tnrDed down, and her dressing gown
- nightdress lay ready In the little
roOm next but Gertrude was not there.
- had not ~undre1ssd.
I dcnft know Whist terrible thoughts
came 70 me IN the minute 1 stood
theTe. Through the door / could hear
Iid6y grumbIing. with : squeal now
and then when the pain stabbed
hardss. Then, automatically, I got the
ho1anum and went back to her.
n Waa fully b half hour before Lid
~ gTuans suhsided. At Intervals I
sVeIt ~ the door into the hall and
lpoho1 ont, but ! saw and heard moth
- Suspicious. Finally, when Liddy
Nd 6rODped into . doze. / even n
tnred - far - the head OF the circular
~1toircase. hut there noated up to me
ooay Tie even breathing OF Winters,
- night detective, sleeping Just in
49, the entry. And then, far on, /
heora ~ rapping noise that had lured
Loulne down the staircase that other
night two weeks before. II was over
NJ head, and very ~faint-three or four
nkogt muf1ed taps, 4 pause, and then
aGntn, stealthily repeated.
The sound OF Mr.. Winters breath
M wAs comforting; with the thought
that there was help within call, some
thing kept me from waking him. I did
~ move for q moment; ridiculous
things Liddy had said about q ghost
! nm not at all superstitious, except,
perhaps, In the middle or the night,
With everything dark-things like that
came hack to me-. Almost beside me
was the clothes chute. / could feel it,
MT / could see nothing. AS / stood.
~ls1tentng intently. 4 heard a sound
1enr me. 1t was vague. indefinite.
Then Il ceased; there was an uneasy
moyement and : grunt from the foot
y The circular staircase. and silence
aEain. 1 stood perfectly still, hardly
DARING 10 breathe.
Then | knew / had been right. Some
&c was stealthily passing the head Of
1he Gkaircase and coming toward me
r. tAesdArk. I leaned against the wall
~ support-my knees were giving
~. The steps were close now. and
@tdenH I thought Of Gertrude, OF