The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-02
CHAPTER Ill.
Mr.. John Bailey Appears.


had dinner served in the break
fast room. Somehow the huge dining
room depressed me, and Thomas,
cheerful enough all day, allowed his
spirits to go down with the sun He
had habit of watching the corners
OF the room. left shadowy by the can
dies on the table, and altogether 1t
was not festive meal.
Dinner over | went into the living
room. had three hours before the
children could possibly arrive, and
got out my knitting.
The chug OF the automobile as it
climbed the bin was the most vel
come sound | had heard for long
time, and with Gertrude and Halsey
actually before me, my troubles
seemed over for good Gertrude stood
smiling in the hall, with her hat quite
over one ear, and her hair In every
direction under her pink veil Ger
trude is very pretty girl, no matter
how her hat Is. and / was not sur
priscd when Halsey presented a good
looking Young man, who bowed at
me and looked at Trude that is the
ridiculous nickname Gertrude brought
from school.
q. have brought guest, Aunt Ray
Halsey said Il want you to adopt
him into your affections and your Sat
urday-to Monday list Let me present
John Bailey, only you must call him
Jack In IL hours he'll be calling YOU
Aunt; know him"
We shook hands. and rot chance
TO loos at Mr. Bailey; he was tall
fellow, perhaps 30, and he wore a
small mustache. / remember wonder.
ing why: he seemed to have a good
mouth and wher he smiled his teeth
<Eere above the average One never
knows why certain men cling to a
messy upper lip that must, get into
things, any more than sone under
stands some women building up their
hair on wire atrocities. Otherwise,
he was very good to look al. stalwart
and tanned, with ths direct gaze that
] like am particular about Mr.. Bal
ley, because he was prominent fig
ure In what happened later.
Gertrude was tired with the trip
and went up to bed very soon. /
made up my mind TO tell them moth
Ing until t1e next day, and then to
make as light Of our excitement as
possible After all. what had to tell?
An inquisitive face peering in at
window; crash in the night: a
scratch or two on the stairs, and half
cuff-button, AS for Thomas and his
foTebodings, 1t was always my belief
that negro is one part thief, one
part pigment, and the rest supersti-
tion
II was Saturday night The two
men went to the billiard room, and /
could hear them talking as / went up
stairs. IL seemed that Halsey had
stopped at the Greenwood club for
gasolene and found Jack Bailey there.
with the Sunday golf crowd. Mr.. Bal
ley had not been hard to persuade
probably Gertrude knew why-and
they had carried him off triumphant
" reused Liddy to get them some
thing to eat-Thomas was beyond
reach in the lodge-and paid no at
tention to her evident terror of the
kitchen regions. Then | went to bed
The men were still in the billiard
room when finally dozed of, and the
last thing remember was the howl
OF dog in front of the house. II
walled crescendo of woe that trailed
or hopefully, only 10 break out afresh
from a new point of the compass.
At three O'Clock in the morning
was reused by revolver shot. The
sound seemed to come from just out
side my door. For moment I could
not move. Then--I heard Gertrude
stirring in Ter room, and the next
moment she had thrown open the CON
uefting door
70, Aunt Ray, Aunt Ray!" she
rried Historically. Some one has
been Killed."
@Thieves.'f said shortly. Thank
goodness, there are some men in the
house tonight. | was getting intc
ms slippers and bsth-robe, and Ger
trude with shaking hands was lighting
a lamp. Then we opened the door
into the hall, where. crowded on the
upper landing of the stairs. the maids
white-faced and trembling, were peer
ing down, headed by Liddy. | wai
greeted by series OF low screams
and questions, and ! tried to quie
them. Gertrude had dropped on ;
chair aLd sat there limp and SHY
erlng.
went at once across the hall z
Halsey's room and knocked; then
pushed the door open. 1t was empty
fhe bed had not been occupied
kalle intst be In Mr. Bailey's room,
1kaid excitedly, and followed by Lid
dy. We went there Like Halsey's,
had not been occupied Gertrude wa
"a her feet now, but she leane'
sklInst the door for support
aney nave bsell Aiilsal sh'
xasppa, Then she cpughi me by III