The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-31
/ Lake a Country House.

her domestic gods in the city, took
= furnished house for the summer out
of town. and found herself involved in
one OF those mysterious crimes that
keep our newspapers and detective
agencies happy and prosperous. For
20 years | had been perfectly com
portable: for 20 years had had the
window boxes filed in the spring, the
carpets lifted, the awnings put up and
the furniture covered with brown
linen; for as many summers had said
good-by to my friends, and, after
watching their perspiring hegira had
settled down to delicious quiet in
town, where the mail comes three
times a day, and the water supply
does not depend on tank on the
roof.
And then---the madness seized me
When look back over the months |
spent In Sunnyside, | wonder that
survived at all AS II Is, | show the
wear and tear OF my narrowing eN-
periences. | have turned very gray
Lddy reminded me Of II only yester-
day by saying that a little hluing In
the rinse water would make my hair
siIyery instead OF yellow white.
hate to be reminded OF unpleasant
things aud | snapped her off
NO | said sharply I'm not going
to use bulng at my time OF life, or
starch, either"
Liddys nerves are gone, she says,
since that awful summer, but she has
enough left. goodness knows! And
when she begins to 40 around with a
lump Ia her throat, all ] have TO do
is to threaten to return TO Sunnysde,
and she s frightened into 6 semblance
0f cheerfulness--fr which you may
Judge that the summer there was any
thing but success.
The newspaper accounts have been
so garbled and incomplete--on OF
them mentioned me but once, and
then only as the tenant at the time
the thing happened that | feel IT my
due to tell what | know. Mr.. jamie
ison, the detective, said himself ne
could never have done without me,
although he gave me little enough
credit, in print.
! shall have to go back several
years-i3. to be exact---to start my
story. At that time my brother died.
leaving me his two children HAlsey
was ] then d Ger ude was seven
When Ilalsey mad finished his cleo
trioal course and Gertrude her board
Ing school both came home 20 stay
The winter Gertrude came out was
nothing but a succession of sitting up
late at night TO bring her home from
things, taking her to the dressmakers
between maps the next day. and dis.
couraglng ineligible youths with either
more money than brains or more
brains than money. BY spring ] was
quite tractable. So when Halsey sug.
gested camping In the Adirondacks
and Gertrude wanted Bar liarbor, we
compromised on good country house
! with links near, within motor dis
tance Of town and telephone distance
of the doctor. That was how we went
to Sunnyside,
We vent out to inspect the property,
and II seemed to deserve its name
It's cheerful appearance gave no indi-
cation whatever OF anything out OF
/. the ordinary. Only one thing seemed
} unusual to me: The housekeeper, who
s had been left in charge. had moved
+ from the house TO the gardeners lodge
a few days before. As the lodge was
far enough away from the house, II
I thieves could complete their work oi
4 destruction undlsturbed. The proper
q ty was an extensive one; the house OF
Z the top of Hill, which sloped away II
great stretches OF green lawn ant
}. clipped hedges, to the road. and across
the valley. perhaps couple OF milel
! away was the Greenwood Club house
. Gertrude and Halsey were infatuated
The property was owned by Pau
). Armstrong, the president OF th
i Traders bank, who at the time vi
d took the house was in the west will
|. his wife and daughter, and Dr
4 Walker the Armstrong family ply
sici9n Halsey' knew Louise Arm
strong-had been rather attentive I
/ her the winter before, but as HaGe
3 was always attentive To somebody.
! had not thought Of Il seriously a
y though sue was a charming girl
: knew OF Mr.. Armstrong only throug
his connection with the baIa, sher
the childrens money was largely II
= vested. and through an ugly stor
about the son, Arnold Armstrong, VIII
was reported to have forged his Il
ther's name for considerable amour
! to some bank paper. However, tn
\ story had had no interest for me.
cleared Islsey and Gertrud
away to house party. and moved OF
to sunnyside the first Of May.
:. The first night passed quietl
i enough. ! have always been gratefl
for that one nights peace; 1t show
what the country might be under f
vorable circumstances. Never aftf
that night did put my head on m
pillow with any assurance how lon
II would be there: or on my shoulder
, for that matter
On the following morning Llddy an
$ Mrs. Ralston. my own housekeope
n had a difference Of opinion. and Nj
y Ralston left on the II train. Just aft
luncheon. Burke. the butler. was take