The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-07-15
CHAPTER discontinued.

There's going to he a DEATH" she
walled. "Oh, Miss Rachel, there's 60
ing to be DEATH"
'There will be-" l said grimly, "if
you don't keep quiet, Liddy Allen"
And SO we sat there until morning,
wondering if the candle would last
until dawn, and arranging what trains
We could take back to town. If we had
only stuck to that decision and gone
hack before 1t was too late!
The sun came finally, and from my
window l watched the trees along the
drive take shadowy form, gradually
lose their ghostlike appearance, be-
come gray and then green. The
Greenwood club showed itself a dab
Of white against the hill across the
valley, and an early robin or two
hoped around in the dew. Not un-
til the milk-boy and the sun came,
about the same time, did l dare to
open the door into the hall and look
around. Everything was as we had
left it. Trunks were heaped here and
there. ready for the trunk-room, and
through an end window of stained
glass came streak of red and vel
low daylight that was eminently
cheerful. The milk-boy was pound
ing somewhere below, and the day
had begun.
Thomas Johnson came ambling up
the drive about half-past six, and we
could hear him Gathering around on
the lower floor, opening shutters.
had to take Liddy to her room up
stairs. however-she was quite sure
she would find something uncanny. In
fact, when she did not, having now
the courage of daylight, she was actu-
ally disappointed.
Well, we did not go back to town
that day.
warned Liddy not to mention what
had happened to anybody, and tele-
phoned to town for servants. Then,
after a breakfast which did more
credit to Thomas heart than his head.
went on short tour of investiga-
ton The sounds had come from the
east wing, and not without some
qualms began there. At first found
nothing. Since then have developed
my powers of observation, but at that
time l was novice. The small card
room seemed undisturbed. looked for
footprints, which is, believe, the con-
yentional thing to do, although my
experience has been that as clews
both footprints and thumb-marks are
more useful in fiction than in fact.
But the stairs in that wing offered
something.
1t the top of the fight had been
placed tall wicker hamper, packed
with linen that had come from town.
1t stood at the edge of the top step,
almost barring passage, and on the
step below it was a long, fresh
scratch. For three steps the scratch
was repeated, gradually diminishing,
rs if some object had fallen, striking
each one Then for four steps nothing.
On the fifth step below was round
dent in the hard wood. That was all.
and it seemed little enough, except
that l was positive the marks had not
been there the day before.
It bore out my theory of the sound,
which had been for all the world like
the humping of metallic object down
fight of steps. The four steps had
been skipped. 1 reasoned that an iron
bar. for instance, would do something
OF the sort-strike two or three steps,
end down, then turn over, jumping a
few stairs, and landing with a thud
Iron bars, however, do not fall
downstairs in the middle of the night
alone. Coupled with the figure on the
veranda the agency by which it
climbed might be assumed. But-and
here was the thing that puzzled me
mOst-the doors were all fastened
that morning, the windows unmolest.
ed. and. the particular door from the
card room to the veranda had a com.
,bination lock of which held the kew.
and which had not been tempered
with.
l fixed on an attempt at burglary
rs the most natural explanation-an
attempt frustrated by the falling OF
the object, whatever it was, that had
reused me. Two things | could not
understand; how the intruder had es
capped with everything locked, and
why he had left the small silver
which, in the absence of a butler. had
remained downstairs over night.
In the afternoon hack came III
from Casanova, with fresh relay Of
servants. The driver took them will
flourish to the servants entrance
and drove around to the front Of til.
house, where l was awaiting him.
{. Two dollars" he said in reply t.
~ question. Il don't charge full
4 rates, because. bringin' 'em up al
"a summer Is I do. It pays to make
q special price. When they got on TIL,
train i sez, sez I: There's another
bunch for Sunnyside, cook, parlo
q la3d md all.' Yes m six summers
q iliIi y assN 1T never Less than once
{ Ihsy sw0n't stahA for II,
4; 81 md tbs 1onesomeness, 4
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