Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-12-08
CHAPTER XXI.
Anne Watson's Story.

Y AnHc WdlSon'S StOFy.
Liddy discovered the fresh break
in the trunkroom wall while we were
at luncheon, and ran shrieking down
the stairs. She maintained that. as
she entered, unseen hands had been
digging at the plaster; that they had
stopped when she went in, and she
had felt q gust of. cold damp air. In
support of her story she carried in
my wet and muddy boots, that I had
unluckily forgotten to hide, and held
them out to the detective and myself
What did ] tell your" she said
dramatically. Look at 'em. They're
yours, Miss Rachel-and covered with
MUD and soaked to the tops. tell
you, you can scott all you like; some
thing has been wearing your shoes
AS sure as you sit there, there's the
smell of the graveyard on them. How
do we know they weren't tramping
through the Casanova churchyard last
night. and sitting on the graves'"
Mr.. Jameson almost choked to
death. wouldn't be at ali surprised
/ IL they were doing that very thing,
Liddy," he said, when he got his
breath. They certainly look like it,
i I think the detective had a plan
on which he was working, but which
!. was meant to be coup. But things
went SO fast there was no time to
carry ii into effect. I'll The frs. frs: thing
that occurred was a message from
the Charity hospital that Mrs. Wat
i son was dying and had asked for me
) did not care much about going
i There is a sort of melancholy plea
Y sure to be had out of funeral, will
d Its pomp and ceremony, but shranl
z from death-hed. However, Liaa,
n got out the black things and the crep
\ veil keep for such occasions, and
It went. I left Mr.. Jameson and tn
s. day detective going over every inc
T. of the circular staircase, pounding
probing and measuring. was inward
a " elated to think of the surprise wa
q going to give them that night; as
n turned out, did surprise them-a
" most into spasms.
n.i pdI drove from the train to the Char
g ty hospital, and was at once take
/ Ito ward. There, in gray-walle
at room in high iron bed, lay Mrs. We
III son. She was very weak, and 81
it. only opened. her eyes and looked
i; me when sat down beside her
tt, was conscience-stricken We had be-
to SO engrossed that had left this pc
at creature to die without even wo
ia of sympathy.
The nurse gave her stimulal
IS, and In little while she was able
n talk SO broken and half-cohere
IL however, was her story that / sh
ey tell II In my own way. In an he
IL from the time / entered the Char
nyl hospital had heard sad and pitt
Id narrative,iarid had seen a woman S
NO into the Inconsistencies that is OF
Ell ID step from death.
en- Briefly then, the housekeepe
toll story was this;
me She was almost 40 years old, a
tn had been the sister, her Of a la
family OF children One BY one Il
len had died and heen buried beside til
mt parents In a little town in the mid
the west. There was only one sister l
the the baby, Lucy. On her the older
the mad lavlsneu All the love OF nm I'M
ali. siga and emotional mature. w
zee. Anne. The elder, was SO and Lucy;
be 4 youiag man had come to the 70
going east. after spending
~. 1nr1Mak u 4 celebrated ranch in
qua Omin1 one cf those places VIII
M althy men send worthless and
1Sa I'm 90 y = I'm AZ IAN,